Reflections on Learning from a Study Leave: One Year Later

Surviving, thriving, and evolving followed by further noticing, reflecting, and acting are some of the stages a teacher-researcher goes through before, during, and after the study leave experience. Having the opportunity to literally remove oneself from the daily concerns, routines, and habits entrenched in one’s local institutional context for an extended period of time（ e.g., six months） is an experience like no other. Blood donation campaigns call giving blood ‘a gift that keeps on giving’. While the majority of people in our profession do carry on with their work quite well without ever going on a study leave （or donating blood）, an important revelation that I have had is: a study leave is also ‘a gift that keeps on giving’.