“Enjoy the holiday break with your family!”

I’ve said some version of that sentence to students before Thanksgiving break, obviously with the best of intentions. However, what I’ve realized is that tucked into that send-off are assumptions about my students: that they’ll be celebrating Thanksgiving, that they’ll spend the holiday with their family (that doing so will be welcome), and that they will actually get a “break.”

Some students will definitely be looking forward to the holiday and gathering with family. Others may have to (or want to) stay on campus for one reason or another (social, financial, logistical, etc.). Still others may be working, navigating complicated personal lives, or just treating Thanksgiving as any other Thursday. Even saying, “Have a restful break” describes a wish we have for our students that we can’t assume they’ll have.

Is this the new “Happy Holidays” debate? I don’t think so. It doesn’t mean we have to scrutinize every friendly remark or well-wish for our students. But it does raise a more important question… How can we communicate our care for students without prescribing what students’ lives should look like, while creating a clear path for the remainder of the academic semester? The real issue isn’t that we’re wishing our students well (keep doing it!). It’s that we may be making assumptions about students’ lives and using those assumptions to shape our expectations for students.

Before-the-break checklist

The days leading up to Thanksgiving can feel unsettling for students. Personal circumstances and academic expectations may be shaping their week in vastly different ways.

One way to help students stay focused before the holiday is providing a checklist of what they need to get done before the break from classes:

• What’s due before the break? When?
• Is any work expected during break? What?
• What should students have ready or bring to the first class session back from break?
• When will you be available/unavailable if they need to contact you?
• How can a student raise a concern about these expectations?

The point of this list of questions is to help you communicate clearly to your students what your expectations are for your course. Different faculty will have different expectations, so make yours explicit and present them clearly.

Define “grace” 

Are you extending or increasing “grace” around the holiday in terms of deadlines? What does flexibility mean for your course? How can students understand the limits of your flexibility without having to guess or assume?

Come up with a concrete policy for your course. For example, you might provide a deadline by which students need to contact you with concerns about due dates: “If you anticipate difficulty in meeting the deadline for X assignment, contact me by the end of the day Monday so we can discuss it. You don’t need to share any personal family details with me.”

A holiday doesn’t mean you need to eliminate your boundaries or provide unlimited flexibility. However, students may have different expectations about how much leeway they have. A compassionate policy doesn’t have to promise unlimited availability or automatic extensions or even individualized exceptions. It just needs to provide clear guidance for students without making assumptions about how they will be spending their time away from your course.

Return = part of the plan

Instead of treating Thanksgiving break as an interruption, preview what students can expect when you all return to the classroom (physical or virtual). Make that next step visible so they see the continuity: “When we return next week, we’ll begin by …. Please bring …. Remaining deadlines are listed below.”

Be clear about what students are required to prepare over the break and distinguish requirements from optional opportunities to work ahead. Also, avoid leaving students to interpret “Come back ready” for themselves; they may not know what that means to you. What does “ready” mean for the first day back after break? If you don’t expect students to do any work over break, say that too.

Plan the return to the classroom as deliberately as you plan the departure before break. Open with a quick recap, a question revisiting an important concept, or a few minutes for students to develop their next step in an assignment or project. In other words, provide a clear point of entry into the learning that’s already in progress rather than filling that class session with reminders.

Final thoughts

My original wish that students “Enjoy Thanksgiving with their family” was meant as a kindness. I can keep that kindness while letting go of the assumptions behind it. I can wish my students well, and I don’t need to know all of their plans or circumstances. I can leave space for their different experiences and expectations of the holiday break.

That same level of care can shape my parting words by providing clear expectations and a transparent preview of our return to the classroom. Instead of assuming what students will be doing in their time away from our class, I can focus on what I have to offer as they leave and return: clear next steps.

This year, I’m going to try out a different send-off for my students: “Whether Thanksgiving is in your plans or not, I hope you find something to look forward to in the next few days.”