Spring

Spring has sprung, and with the warmer weather, the students all seem to have so much more energy. They are pulling out their summer clothes, bouncing around the classroom, and coming to school full of energy. Smiles galore, the children come in each day ready and excited, but are they sometimes a little too energetic?

As I observed the energy in the room today, it reminded me a little bit of spring in high school. As the temperatures rise, everyone wants to get outside. Students are restless in class, looking out the windows; there is a feeling of summer in the air.

For the preschoolers, though, it is sometimes a little bit harder to keep them focused, simply because so much is still new to them. Today, the inchworms first started to appear, which was big news to the three and four year olds I’ve been working with. They all wanted to catch the inchworms, watch them inch their way along the bench, name them, etc. While this was fine at recess, when it came time to line up and sit on the bench to wait to be picked up, the inchworms became a little bit of a distraction. When they were reminded of the difference between playtime and work time (and also told that if they didn’t stop, their next recess would be shortened), though, they were able to come back to attention. I guess we all need a little reminding sometimes of when it’s playtime and when it’s time to go back to work.