Remembering to take our time

Spring is here, finally! 

My flowers are taking their sweet time to bloom, and it reminds me how important it is to let our children know that they may need more time than others, and that is absolutely okay. 

For many students, school is stressful not because they don't understand the material but because they always feel rushed. In class, they rush to read and learn the material, they rush to think of the answer, they rush to form a strong reply, they rush to complete the assignment, rush to get to the next class, the next activity.  

There is not a lot we can do about all that rushing. School is structured in a way that time is important and student's schedules are full. A lot is put into each and every day.  But in my conversations with students, I often talk about how that rushing feels and, for many of us, how we process, how quickly or slowly things take to read, to understand, to recall information, to speak, to write.

As I have said many times, I am a slow processor. I tell this to students all the time, and they look at me, often a little uncomfortable.  Aren't you a tutor? Shouldn't you be able to understand everything and do it really quickly? Don't you know everything? Definitely not, I tell them, and that is what makes me a good tutor. I still remember that nervous energy and the flush on my face as teachers waited on me. When I work with students now, I don't pressure them to answer quickly. I know what it feels like not to understand everything all at once. When I sense students are overwhelmed, I know to break things down for them into smaller bites. 

As I watch my flowers bloom at their own pace, in their own time, I am reminded to process at my own pace and encourage my students to do the same. I hope you will join me in this approach. I am always available to speak and offer techniques and ideas if this is something you are struggling with or want to learn more about.