Work Time

Work time is the middle part of the Plan-Do-Review. It is what happens after planning time and before recall time. It takes up the largest part of the Plan-Do-Review and can take up to an hour.

Work time starts when the children and I formally agree that planning time is over and work time should start now.

Strictly speaking work time is free play time with a difference. Instead of simply letting the children go off and do their own thing during work time I accompany them. What this means is that I go around with them, watch what they are doing, copy them, say aloud what they are doing, etc.

This is very important because again it is the greatest reward for children if someone takes the time to actually share their lives with them, showing an interest in their work.

Children always know when they are being watched. Have you ever noticed how fast they do those things you don't want them to do when they know you are not watching? A lot of the time they are just verifying that you really are not watching and the most efficient way of doing this is to do something you would definitely interfere in if you were watching - clever isn't it?

As a matter of fact, I can say from my experience that if you use the Plan-Do-Review children will not test you because they will feel confident that you are genuinely interested in them and they will thus be secure enough to not test you when they know you are busy.

Moreover, again it encourages conversation and reflection. It can also give them new ideas when they hear their own actions or see you copying them. That something they do is worth being copied by someone as important to them as you are means a great deal to the children. Also it facilitates the development of leadership qualities. They see themselves as being regarded as a leader and this encourages them to start thinking of themselves in these terms.

After all how can you become a self confident leader if you are constantly being asked to obey rules made by others and to do as you are told, and nobody takes an interest in your work?

At the end of work time we do tidy up time.