The Catalyst / Ashley Turner

“I would say first thing is staying warm…keeping to a consistent sleep schedule because it’s easy to start to want to fall asleep as soon as it gets dark and that just takes motivation out of otherwise, productive times of the day. I would say the biggest thing is [to] just be conscious of morale and motivation and why it’s weighing, and [to] confront those challenges head on,” History Teacher Jonathan Tomczak says on easing back into S2.

Winter can be a tough time to stay on top of your work and tasks. Especially when students come back to school from winter break. Getting back into the swing of these can be a tremendous challenge for some students. Having two weeks off of doing nothing school related can cause students to have a harder time adjusting to the school schedule again. 

Teachers can also have a hard time getting both students and themselves back on track. To keep yourself motivated whilst trying to stay positive and helping your students stay motivated can be a tricky task. To give some insight, NDB World History teacher Jonathan Tomczak shares his experience with staying on track after winter break. When asked if he can notice a difference in students’ morale in the winter time, Tomczak answered “I do, I guess it’s a combination of factors…seniors have spent most of the fall going through college applications, its darker for longer… the novelty of the school year has worn off… so I would imagine for many students it’s a combination of different things”. When asked if he does anything to help students during the first few weeks of second semester, or if he had any advice for anyone struggling during this time Tomczak said “I would say first thing is staying warm…keeping to a consistent sleep schedule because it’s easy to start to want to fall asleep as soon as it gets dark and that just takes motivation out of otherwise, productive times of the day. I would say the biggest thing is [to] just be conscious of morale and motivation and why it’s weighing, and [to] confront those challenges head on” Lastly, when asked if he personally has trouble coming back from break “I don’t really, I guess the reason for that is because… we have the unique calendar opportunity that we come back to a new semester, midway through winter, so we should have the excitement, the interest on a new semester, and to me that’s always fun too…It’s like a fresh start new year, new semester, new things to talk about.” 

It is also important to set realistic expectations for yourself. Patience is key to getting back on track in the school environment. It is crucial not to expect to be the exact same after break. Setting clear goals for yourself will be very helpful. Even starting with little things like “complete my homework” or “stay on task” can really help jump start the second semester!

Here at NDB there are many people here to support you, like NDB AP U.S History teacher Wendy Connolly, who shares her advice for students struggling during the winter time. When asked if she notices a difference it students’ morale during the winter season, she answered “I don’t know if I would say ‘morale’ but I would say energy level, after having two weeks…Its difficult to come back…it’s like muscle memory, your brain is a muscle, so people are tired. It’s also dark earlier, so that just brings a little malaise.” When asked if she personally has felt lack of motivation during the winter season, Connolly answered “I am more tired when I come back from break, usually it takes me two weeks of getting back into the rhythm. We were in a rhythm and then we came to a screeching halt and now we have to get back…I’m now feeling like I’ve got my sea-legs”. Lastly, when asked if she has any advice for students feeling a lack of motivation during the winter season, Connolly said “It sounds cliche, but go to bed, get some sleep. I think that’s really key…I also notice when I am more tired I tend to eat poorly, I eat more sugar, which makes you feel even more tired…So, going to bed earlier, eating better, exercising obviously. Those are so cliche, but they are cliche for a reason, and trying not to procrastinate.” Overall, the winter season can really slow students down, but it is important to remember all of the support that you have.