Several years ago, I worked for a studio that only closed on Easter, Thanksgiving,
& Christmas Day and I can tell you everyone suffered for it one way
or another.
We teach 45 weeks out of the year and so far it's working out well. Parents feel they're getting their money's worth, and teachers and students alike aren't feeling burned out by the schedule.
Monday was one of our scheduled days off. Last week I wrote about the reasons I specifically take Halloween off. Today I thought I'd share the benefits I've seen to scheduling days off throughout the year.
Domestic Day
On Monday I spent the entire day at home catching up on everything that I haven't had time to do around the house because my attention has been on my business. It wasn't a relaxing day off, but it was productive and sometimes it's better that way.
Brain Break
I love teaching, as most people in this industry do, but sometimes I just need a brain break.
A break from the talking.
A break from the thinking.
A break from the sound.
I'm very much an introvert. Most people don't believe it because I'm willing to talk to almost anyone anywhere (their words not mine). What they don't see is the downtime I need to recover from all of that socializing so I can get up and do it again tomorrow.
Break from the Routine
Many children (and adults) benefit from daily routines. This is most apparent to me in the summer. Students who continue a regular daily routine thrive during the summer months, but those that don't struggle immensely.
That said, I've found that small breaks in routine are refreshing for most of my students. Some of them come back the next week and tell me all about what they did on their "day off", others express their delight in being able to stay home and relax. One thing they all have in common; they come back ready to get going again.
Extra Practice Time
I've found over the years that many students improve dramatically when they have an extra week to practice here and there. I haven't quite put my finger on the exact reason behind it yet, but the consistency is there.
Family Time
Our days off don't always coincide with traditional family holidays, but when the do it's nice to be able to have nothing else to think about.
____________________________________________
How many lessons do you teach your students in a year? Do you have scheduled days off built into your calendar or do you work on a semester schedule? Let me know in the comments below!
We teach 45 weeks out of the year and so far it's working out well. Parents feel they're getting their money's worth, and teachers and students alike aren't feeling burned out by the schedule.
Monday was one of our scheduled days off. Last week I wrote about the reasons I specifically take Halloween off. Today I thought I'd share the benefits I've seen to scheduling days off throughout the year.
Benefits for the Teacher
Domestic Day
On Monday I spent the entire day at home catching up on everything that I haven't had time to do around the house because my attention has been on my business. It wasn't a relaxing day off, but it was productive and sometimes it's better that way.
Brain Break
I love teaching, as most people in this industry do, but sometimes I just need a brain break.
A break from the talking.
A break from the thinking.
A break from the sound.
I'm very much an introvert. Most people don't believe it because I'm willing to talk to almost anyone anywhere (their words not mine). What they don't see is the downtime I need to recover from all of that socializing so I can get up and do it again tomorrow.
Benefits for the Student
Break from the Routine
Many children (and adults) benefit from daily routines. This is most apparent to me in the summer. Students who continue a regular daily routine thrive during the summer months, but those that don't struggle immensely.
That said, I've found that small breaks in routine are refreshing for most of my students. Some of them come back the next week and tell me all about what they did on their "day off", others express their delight in being able to stay home and relax. One thing they all have in common; they come back ready to get going again.
Extra Practice Time
I've found over the years that many students improve dramatically when they have an extra week to practice here and there. I haven't quite put my finger on the exact reason behind it yet, but the consistency is there.
Benefits for Everyone
Family Time
Our days off don't always coincide with traditional family holidays, but when the do it's nice to be able to have nothing else to think about.
____________________________________________
How many lessons do you teach your students in a year? Do you have scheduled days off built into your calendar or do you work on a semester schedule? Let me know in the comments below!
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