Taking your time!

From: Eileen Eisenberg
Email: Eileen.Eisenberg@nl.edu
Date: June 05, 2008

Comments

Colleagues, I am so impressed by your thoughtful comments on this topic. Our centers and schools want to dictate how we schedule our time with children. Breakfast and lunch have to be at a certain time (because the cook has a certain schedule to adhere to); pull out for gym or library has to be at a certain time (because other staff or rooms have to reserved); assessment dictates note-taking for academic benchmarks.

Too often a teacher loses sight of what is really the most important thing she/he can give to children in her care - time to be a child. Time to create, time to observe, time to make mistakes, time to be messy, time to get hugs, time to just be cranky, time to just be silly.

If we remember just one thing, it is to take five! Sit back and let a child finish their block play or painting, sit back and let a child zipper her jacket or tie their shoe, sit quietly and listen while two children have a conversation with each other.

Taking time is something we do not do as adults, yet, if you ask adults what they remember fondly about their childhood it would be the unstructured time spent playing with friends, time spent with loving grandparents, holiday times with wonderful smells coming from the kitchen and lots of laughter coming from gathered relatives.

Of course, we need to set up the environment that is safe and provide materials that engage the imagination.

Applaud and celebrate your efforts! Enough philosophy for one day!