How should we make the most of the mid-term break?

As of Friday, November 8, 2024, primary and secondary schools in Turkey will take a one-week break from education. Although this mid-term break practice, first introduced in 2019, has caused some disagreements among educators, the general consensus is that these one-week breaks are beneficial. Along with the mid-term break, the issue of reducing class hours to 35 minutes, which has started to be implemented in Istanbul, has also caused differences of opinion among educators, experts, and parents.

The most fundamental reason for these disagreements is that working families, in particular, adjust their working hours according to their children's school hours, and these changes create grievances, especially for those working in the private sector. Those who live in a metropolis like Istanbul know very well how important even five minutes are and what a huge difference in time that five-minute delay or leaving for traffic early can cause at certain hours. For this reason, working parents, in particular, have been significantly affected by this change during the term.

Although the reduction in class durations creates grievances for parents, as you might guess, students are very pleased with this situation. How could they not be? It is not really possible for students, especially in the younger age group, to sit still in their desks for about 40 minutes or to follow the lesson from beginning to end without their attention wandering. Primary school teachers, in particular, were already aware of this situation and were planning lessons according to the students' attention spans, but because the break and lesson bell times were fixed, it was still quite difficult for students to stay in the classroom for about 40 minutes. For this reason, as an educator, I also find the shortening of class durations beneficial, and I think the only mistake in the implementation is that this change was not notified to parents at the beginning of the term.

I hope that the practice of shortening class hours, which has been initiated for students in Istanbul, will be implemented throughout Turkey over time and that this practice can be effective, especially for younger students. Because in this age of speed and technology we are in, such updates in education are inevitable, even essential!

So, what can we do during this short break given to primary and secondary schools across Turkey? What are some simple, economical, and accessible activities that can be done with children during this short break? First of all, my first recommendation is to take family walks in open areas while the weather has not yet fully cooled down and winter has not fully arrived. A short stroll among the yellow, orange, crimson, and sometimes pale green leaves of the trees, which take on the beauty of a painting, will be both very relaxing and very educational for your children.

Children's libraries that organize activities for children during the holiday and youth centers that offer free workshop activities for young people are also places I would recommend you visit during the holiday. Visiting museums during the holiday can also be a fun and educational activity for children. Moreover, some museums in Istanbul are free for everyone on certain days and hours of the week. For example, the Istanbul Archaeology Museums on Mondays, the Sakıp Sabancı Museum on Tuesdays between 10:00 and 18:00, Istanbul Modern on Thursdays between 10:00 and 14:00, the Arter Museum between 11:00 and 20:00, and the Pera Museum after 18:00 on Fridays are museums that can be visited for free.

Another activity that can be done during the holiday is going to the theater. Municipalities, private theaters, and state theaters have very beautiful plays for children. By utilizing these opportunities, nice activities can be created for children.

In addition to all these recommendations, the thing I want to insistently emphasize is this: even if you do nothing, even if you just sit, spend time with your children, set aside time for them, and show them your love. Because they need you and your love the most!