Our public model kindergarten started offering winter and summer holiday programs. Sounds great β until you hear what the teachers think.
On paper, it's a win-win. Parents who work full-time don't have to scramble for childcare during school breaks. The school generates extra revenue. Kids get to stay in a familiar environment.
But here's the thing nobody talks about: teachers need a break too.
Teaching kindergarten is exhausting. It's not just the time in the classroom β it's the emotional labor, the constant vigilance, the physical demands of wrangling two dozen small humans. The holidays are when teachers recharge.
When the school announced the holiday program last year, there was a quiet but palpable shift in morale. Teachers who had been planning trips or just looking forward to downtime suddenly had to staff the program. Overtime was offered, but not everyone wanted it.
One teacher friend told me: "I love the kids. But I need to miss them to love them well."
That stuck with me.
There's no easy answer here. The program genuinely helps families. But it's a reminder that every policy has human costs β and sometimes the people bearing those costs aren't the ones making the decisions.
Maybe the solution is rotating schedules, better compensation, or more support staff. I don't know. But I do know that a burned-out teacher isn't good for anyone.
Happy teachers make for happy kids. That's worth protecting.