I've heard a lot of teachers blaming the holidays for the struggle many children have in school this time of year.
I suspect it's not the holidays that are making it tough for them to concentrate. I think it's a couple of other things.
1. These little guys have been pushing since August! They've had a couple of long weekends, but they really haven't had a real vacation! They're due for a break!
2. The days are short. They get up in the dark. By the time they get home from school, the sun is pretty much down. Not only are they not getting outside to let off steam, but so much darkness robs them of Vitamin D, and makes them sleepy!
Some of my little guys can barely hold their heads up during the day!
I had a little girl today looking lost, so I asked her what she was looking for. She said she couldn't remember. (I admit, I do that all the time: walk to the other side of the room, then can't remember why I walked over there, but I blame old age!)
Honestly, I think the holidays are the only thing that hold them together! The promise of fun activities, Santa's watching to see if they're good, seasonal literature and games... there's still some great learning happening, despite their low concentration.
They'll be back on track after a good rest. We have almost 2 weeks off coming up, if we can make it through 4 more school days!
...but I'm not blaming Santa! He's the one who's helping them hold it together!
