Ohhhhh....We're Halfway There: Reflections This February Half Term

It’s been a while since I’ve written anything like this. Not because I haven’t wanted to but because, like most teachers, the term has had other plans. Lessons, coursework, emails, marking… and suddenly we’re here: February half term. The halfway point of the academic year. And there’s something about that that feels worth pausing for.

The Middle Is Always the Hardest Part

As a Media Studies teacher, this is the point in the year where everything starts to feel a little heavier. Students are deep into coursework. Ideas that felt exciting back in September now need refining, developing, sometimes completely rethinking. Deadlines are getting closer and that pressure of exams starts to build. And for teachers, it’s the same. You’re trying to keep everything moving forward - supporting creativity, keeping students motivated and somehow staying organised yourself.

The beginning of the year energy has worn off, but the end isn’t quite in sight yet.

It’s the middle. And the middle is always the hardest part.

A Chance to Pause (Without Falling Behind)

Half term can sometimes feel like a race to “catch up” - on work, on life admin, on everything that’s been pushed aside. But I’ve been reminding myself that it’s okay for it to just be a pause. Not everything needs to be productive. Not everything needs to be planned. Sometimes the most useful thing we can do is step back for a moment.

Reflection Isn’t Just for Students

In Media Studies, we’re always asking students to reflect - on their work, their decisions, their progress. But we don’t often give ourselves the same space. This point in the year is a good time to quietly take stock:

• What’s been going well?

• What’s felt difficult?

• What might need to change moving forward?

Not in a critical way, just honestly. Because when everything is busy, it’s easy to keep going without really thinking about whether what we’re doing is actually working.

Finding Small Ways to Feel More in Control

If there’s one thing I’ve noticed (for myself as much as for my students), it’s how quickly things can start to feel overwhelming when everything lives in your head. Coursework ideas, deadlines, lesson plans - it all builds up. Over time, I’ve found that having somewhere to put those thoughts (whether that’s a planner, a notebook, or even just a simple to-do list on my phone) makes a real difference. Not because it solves everything, but because it gives things a bit more structure. And when there’s structure, it’s easier to think creatively without feeling completely lost.

That’s actually where a lot of my own resources have come from. Not from a big plan to “create products”, but from trying to make my own teaching (and my students’ workload) feel a bit more manageable.

Keeping It Simple This Half Term

There’s always pressure to “use the time well”. But I think sometimes we overcomplicate it.

This half term, I’m trying to keep things simple:

• A bit of rest

• A bit of planning

• A bit of getting organised

Nothing drastic. Just enough to make the next few weeks feel a little clearer. For students, that might be jotting down what’s left to do for coursework. For teachers, it might be looking ahead at the next unit or simply clearing a bit of mental space. Small steps are enough.

If You’re Feeling Behind

It’s very easy at this point in the year to feel like you should be further ahead than you are.

I see it in students all the time and, if I’m honest, I feel it too. But halfway doesn’t mean it’s too late. It just means you’re in the middle of the process. There’s still time to refine ideas, to get organised and to move forward with a bit more clarity.

Starting Again (In More Ways Than One)

Writing this feels a bit like a reset for me as well. A reminder to slow down occasionally, to reflect and to reconnect with the parts of teaching I enjoy - creativity, ideas and helping students shape something they’re proud of. So if this half term ends up being less about doing everything and more about just taking a breath, that’s okay. Sometimes that’s exactly what we need.

1.5 terms to go!