I'm always at school early, and with the new COVID protocols, the Before Care Program at our school needs to walk the students down our kindergarten hallway to the different classrooms. I always hear the instructors chatting with the kids as they walk. Every Friday, I hear variations of this discussion: "How excited are you that it's Friday?! School is almost over for the week. What are your weekend plans?" While I understand where the instructors are coming from, and I do hear students excited to share about their weekends, somehow this conversation always bothers me. Why?
School should be an exciting, safe, enjoyable place to be. My hope is that kids and adults want to be at school and are excited to return each day. I think about this Instagram post that I published just over a week ago now.
I've taught at many schools, and worked with students with a variety of different home lives. Not every child looks forward to the weekend. Sometimes homes are not safe places to be. And sometimes they are, but friends, engaging projects, and connections with adults and kids, have these children just as eager for an extra day at school versus an extra day at home.
With COVID right now, outings are also limited. Kids cannot see relatives and friends as frequently and easily as they could in the past. A long weekend away doesn't happen anymore when travel seems to be on a standstill. So as much as I might look forward to sleeping in a bit more on the weekend, or maybe even reading a good book, I'd like to hope that every day of the week brings just as much joy as a Friday. Imagine if we said, "Aren't you glad that it's Monday?! A whole week ahead for us to learn, connect, and have fun together!" What impact might this have on kids and their impression of school? Here's to many more magnificent Mondays!