The word “rest” will be used by me many times a day, but definitely in two different ways! I look forward to summer break so I can rest from a very hectic school schedule. I will lay awake at night thinking and planning how to prepare my students to handle the rest of the school days of this academic year…tests are finished, and activities are varied from the usual class routines.
Rest is so necessary for us to recharge our internal batteries which have had a very large drain this past year due to the addition of Covid restrictions and protocol to our regular academic activities. I can truly say that this has been one of the hardest of my 50+ years of teaching. I, like my staff, am just happy and proud that we were able to be successful in spite of all the restrictions, etc.
In commenting on the topic of rest, I would share with parents that many of our students are not getting enough rest at night. More students than you can believe have shared with teachers that they almost always get up after parents are in bed and watch TV or play on their laptops, phones, etc. The effects of this habit that we are noting is their inability to stay focused for even the usual twenty minutes we used to expect of children.
However, I have also heard of many children who are tucked into bed by 7:00 p.m. and they seem to be sleeping twelve hours or more a night. Maybe that contributes to their excess energy during times when study or quiet thinking is needed. I suggest that parents study their own children and see how sleep amounts affect them. I can assure my parents that unlike many other preschools, we do not let the children sleep all afternoon. I am amazed at how many preschools allow a two to three hour nap. That is not fair to parents who also need some alone time when such long naps cause the children to stay awake late at night with parents.
We are going to be tutoring some students who have requested it this summer. Many of our parents have spent some academic time with their children during the lockdown period, and they are concerned that missing skills are taught to them during the summer. Others want to get a head start for their children in case we have another rough academic year due to a return of the pandemic.
I just want to assure parents that we consider our students individually, and we will be working on those missing skills when they return to school next year. Remember, our view of education is that it is a continuous progress process. Children don’t progress at the same speed just because they are the same age. We are flexible in dealing with learning. These are the reasons people continue to tell us, “You are very different than other schools where we have been.”
Of this one fact I am more than sure…it takes a “rest” period to allow us to recharge and then plan for a successful school year next year for our students. SOOO….bring on the summer vacation!!! Kay