When it comes to teaching, many outsiders misunderstand school holidays. 

One teacher featured in Secret Teacher article on TheGuardian.com (where UK teachers vent anonymously) wrote that when schools are put on hold for holidays, teachers aren't vacationing. 

"Ask any partner or child of a teacher how many of us actually spend our holiday sitting on the sofa watching TV or lazing in bed doing nothing and the answer may be surprising," SecretTeacher wrote. "Take half-terms, for example, you have five days off. Two days in bed finally giving into and recovering from the various illnesses that it’s been easier to battle through than take time off for during the term. Two days of not really feeling well enough to do anything but needing to mark a class set [or three] of controlled assessments. One day to squeeze in six weeks’ worth of neglected friends and family."

Secret Teacher wrote that their week off has been "the usual half-term whirl of dentist, hairdresser, hygienist, car service and a cracking migraine."

"I am not for one second suggesting that everyone should get behind the hashtag #HeroTeachers, which is frankly slightly awkward," SecretTeacher wrote. "But it would be nice, once in a while, if people didn’t tear us down for having some time where we don’t have to work [even though we do]."

Secret Teacher wrote that "this is probably a battle that teachers will never win, but perhaps we aren't looking to win. Perhaps it would just be nice if, as we collapse in a germ-ridden heap next to our pile of marking, we were left in peace instead."

Just remember, whether a teacher has dodged the germs and has a relatively relaxing half-term or whether they have been in bed all week, the Sunday evening blues will be back with a vengeance tomorrow night no matter how much they love their jobs. This means an evening of worry, panic and insomnia as your mind runs over all the things that you didn’t have time to do last term and were going to do over half-term but still haven’t had time to do. Making the to-do lists in your head marked: 'urgent/ important/ necessary/ other'. No matter how long we’ve had off – whether it’s a weekend, a week or six weeks – as soon as we set foot back in the school, life resumes at 200mph until we’re close enough to count down to the next one.

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Article by Kassondra Granata, Education World Contributor