Savour the “Quiet Days”. This is one of the biggest lessons I have learnt in early learning. These days or even moments can often be few and far between, but they are as precious as the “Crazy Days”.
I used to get bored on the QDs, but after 11 years in the profession, I’ve reached a point where I can utilise them to benefit both myself, my team and the children that I educate and care for. I haven’t quite perfected this, and I don’t think I ever will. I do still get bored, sometimes. It’s a work in progress.
NB: A Quiet Day doesn’t necessarily mean that there are low numbers of children; this is sometimes the case, though.
Here are the top 5 things I’ve found are beneficial to do on a Quiet Day:
- More one-on-one interaction with the children (on low number days)
- Getting to sit back and watch the children engage in their own play experiences without interruption; after all even on the days that seem quiet, quality learning is always happening.
- Quality team interactions
- Catching up with documentation and planning
- Cleaning jobs that don’t get done otherwise
There are evidently a lot more that can be done on a quiet day than what I’ve listed; however, those were what came to the top of my list.
I cherish the Quiet Days as they are the ones that often garner the most memorable moments for me personally. Cuddles from the babies and toddlers; random conversations about Frozen or food with the older children; moments where I get to know my colleagues better; they are all worth the quieter moments.
What do your Quiet Days look like?
Marly's World 