Quiet Time: The Power of Five Minutes
by: Second Grade Teachers Emily Gorski and Jamie Rhinesmith
Workplace clamor, inbox filling up, unread notifications, interruptions to your daily workflow, unforeseen work calls, deadlines looming overhead. Have we stressed you out yet?
What if we told you, amid that familiar chaos, to take a dedicated five minute break to reset? This may send you over the edge, thinking, “there’s realistically no time for that when I’m already swamped.” We felt the same as we stared at our already “filled to the brim” and varying school day schedules trying to find time for the daily Responsive Classroom practice of “Quiet Time.” We wondered when it would fit in and began worrying about what subject may take a hit. We also weren’t sure what our student buy-in would look like. Our reflections on the implementation of this practice may surprise you.
Have you ever truly stopped yourself to examine how often your child is in an intentionally quiet room during the day? How often are they doing an unplugged, “just for fun” activity in a space designed for relaxation during waking hours? How often is this your reality as an adult? Some of you may have already carved out a special time for such intentionality. If this sounds like you, not only are we impressed, but the following may be a review. For others, this may be an impactful call to action.
Like adults, school age children have full plates, countless external stimuli, and a rigorously paced daily schedule. Aside from recess and lunch, the task demands begin the moment they begin their pre-school morning routines at home and do not truly stop until the moment they leave school at the end of the day. Even still, there is eventually homework to be done, practice to attend, various appointments, errands to run, and, oh yeah, dinner before it gets too late! As a society, we are busier than ever with no signs of slowing down. This is a large reason why we have chosen to implement daily “Quiet Time” with fidelity in our second grade classroom.
Daily “Quiet Time” takes place directly after students enter the classroom following lunch or recess. During this scheduled time, we turn the lights off, give students three to five options for activities, and set a timer for 5-10 minutes depending on the demands of our schedule and the needs of our students. Some days the room is intentionally completely quiet. Other days, we play calm instrumentals in the background. Activities range from just being still all the way to creative free writing. The goal is to give children predictable, “unplugged” opportunities to get creative, read, organize, and most importantly, reset before officially starting the afternoon.
It is simple and quick, but packs a powerful punch. How do we know? There is always an energized and somewhat chaotic entry into the room, followed by a palpable sense of calm by minute two, a sense of restoration by minute five, and a collective positive attitude toward delving into the next task by the time the chime rings. It has become a cherished part of our daily routine and has enhanced our instructional time with students. We have observed regulated behaviors, increased ability to quickly transition, and improved focus. How powerful would it be to implement this simple five minute practice in our own lives on occasion or as a family during hectic days? Make time in the near future for unplugged “Quiet Time.” We promise you won’t regret it!