I always used to say that nap time needed to be re-instituted into the school schedule. I would have killed for a nap during the day for the past 7 years while I was teaching. Finally, my chance has come.
At Er Shin, there is a nap time from 12:30 - 1:00. If you walk around the campus, you will see every classroom full of students with their heads resting on their desks. No one is talking...no one is up...it is amazing. If you continue on towards the offices, you will see the same thing. It is kind of eerie looking actually. It looks like someone set off a chemical in the air and everyone just fainted at their desks! I call this time at the school "Faceplanting", because literally everyone just stops what they are doing and -- down they go...
A nap is very common in mainland China and Taiwan, after a midday meal. It is called wujiao (午覺). Wujiao is a time when all lights are out and one is not allowed to do anything other than rest or sleep...or as I call it - faceplant.
This is the guy who works in the photo copy room. His job is to make photo copies. (For 5,000 students!) He is taking a mid-day faceplant!
It actually made me think more about the schedules these kids have to adhere to. It is a lot for them, so I think they absolutely deserve a little siesta. These kids start classes bright and early at 7am. They have 50 minute periods, and 10 minute breaks. Even if they have a double block, there is a 10 minute break from the new hour until 10 minutes past. So, for example: I have my 7th grade class from 9:10-10:00. They have a break from 10:00 - 10:10. Then they will have Math from 10:10-11:00 --- a break from 11:00 to 11:10 with another period of Math from 11:10 to 12:00.
At Er Shin, there is a nap time from 12:30 - 1:00. If you walk around the campus, you will see every classroom full of students with their heads resting on their desks. No one is talking...no one is up...it is amazing. If you continue on towards the offices, you will see the same thing. It is kind of eerie looking actually. It looks like someone set off a chemical in the air and everyone just fainted at their desks! I call this time at the school "Faceplanting", because literally everyone just stops what they are doing and -- down they go...
A nap is very common in mainland China and Taiwan, after a midday meal. It is called wujiao (午覺). Wujiao is a time when all lights are out and one is not allowed to do anything other than rest or sleep...or as I call it - faceplant.
This is the guy who works in the photo copy room. His job is to make photo copies. (For 5,000 students!) He is taking a mid-day faceplant!
It actually made me think more about the schedules these kids have to adhere to. It is a lot for them, so I think they absolutely deserve a little siesta. These kids start classes bright and early at 7am. They have 50 minute periods, and 10 minute breaks. Even if they have a double block, there is a 10 minute break from the new hour until 10 minutes past. So, for example: I have my 7th grade class from 9:10-10:00. They have a break from 10:00 - 10:10. Then they will have Math from 10:10-11:00 --- a break from 11:00 to 11:10 with another period of Math from 11:10 to 12:00.
During the breaks, the kids can go to the store located on campus to get snacks or drinks. They can also take a quick walk through one of the gardens, OR they can take a nap. You would not believe how many kids take naps every 50 minutes. Truth be told, I would, too. They have such a long day. Could you imagine going to school and sitting in a classroom from 7am to 7pm? (Actually, I teach an advanced English class on Friday nights from 7-9...so sometimes their schedule is past 7! In addition to that, most of the kids go to English Cram schools, where they receive additional instruction in English...AND they usually go to school on Saturdays, with a small number attending on Sundays as well.
So, in a culture where there is an extremely rigourous schedule and a lot of stress placed on academic achievement, I think these kids deserve their chance to nap! Who knows...maybe I will even be faceplanting from 12:30 to 1:00!
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