When is the Best Time to Take Time Off School?

Your child needs to take 1 or 2 weeks off school and you need to think about the best time of the year to do so. This video will help you choose the best time of the year. Special mention: Br. Peter Ryan FSP who gave us teachers the tie as a gift.

TRANSCRIPT

Good morning! This is Jason Ursino from Learning Space, and I'm driving to school.

Today, I'm going to be talking about when is a good time of the year to take a week off school. It could be a situation where your son or daughter needs to take a week off school due to maybe some medical procedure that's not urgent. It could be because of an overseas trip with the family, or for whatever reason. When is the best time to take a week off school?

Generally, it's about the motivation of the student. So, when the motivation of the student is high, that is the best time to stay in the classroom.

There are times in the year when the motivation is high, definitely at the start of the year. So, first thing in the year when all the students are going back to school straight after the summer holiday, and they're keen to see their friends, they're keen to see what teachers they have, all their pencils are sharpened, and they're ready to go. The first couple of weeks of the year is definitely not a good time to take off. There's a lot of information that's given to the kids by the teachers as well, and it's a good start if they're there and present.

The kids' motivation is also at its peak during the exam time or just before exams, so that is not a good time to take time off school. Taking a week off before an exam can have repercussions, obviously in the exam, but also their motivation as well.

So, when is a good time to take off? Well, there are times when the motivation isn't very high, like after the yearly exams at the end of the year. A lot of students switch off after their yearly exams because the biggest motivator, the yearly exams are over, and whatever is taught in the classroom, and there is usually content taught in the classroom, a lot of students don't really take it in. Teachers notice that there's a good chance that it'll probably be re-taught the year after as well.

Also, end of terms. The last week of term, for example, is a time when students sort of drop off in their motivation. If you're going to go on a trip and you have to take off some time near the holidays, and some parents have asked me, "Is it better to take the first week off back or the last week of term back?" It's always better to take the last week of term to have the 3 weeks with the holidays, rather than the first week of term with the 3 weeks of the holidays. So, think about the motivation of the student. You can talk to your son or daughter about this as well. They'll probably give you some insight, and don't be afraid to talk to the school and talk to your teachers because they will be able to give you an insight as well. When's the best time to take a week off school?

If you like my videos, there are more of them at learningspace.net.au/drivingtoschool, and have a good day.