Back, and Settling In
It’s been a while since I’ve seen most of you! I’ve been busy planning one of life’s most beautiful milestones: my wedding. We celebrated with friends and family on the coast of the Iberian Peninsula.
Now that I’m back in Dubai, I’ve slipped right back into my routine. Each day starts with an espresso, an hour of admin, and an hour-long workout before I teach any classes. Along the way, I’ve learned that writing a to-do list and focusing on task for 25-30 minutes at a time (the Pomodoro Technique) is a great way to get things done!
Building Routines once the Back-to-School Excitement Fades: The Pomodoro Technique
Routines and habits start at a young age. Whether your child is a five-year-old learning to read or a sixteen-year-old getting ready for exams, routine and consistency will help them succeed, not only at school, but later in life.
The 10-minute rule is for younger learners, and it becomes more flexible as children get older. I recommend switching activities every 10-minutes to keep young learners engaged and focused. For example, to build a literacy routine at home, read a 10-minute story with your child each evening, discuss it, and connect it to everyday life. This routine builds reading comprehension and active listening, and it gives you and your child some screen-free bonding time.
The 25-minute rule, also known as the Pomodoro Technique, is for older learners. Pomodoro is Italian for tomato: as a college student, Francesco Cirillo used a tomato-shaped kitchen timer to focus on a task, uninterrupted, for 25 minutes. When the timer rang, he took a 5-minute break and then the resumed the task, repeating this four times before taking a longer break. The Pomodoro Technique works well as a home routine for exam prep or reading. Each evening, choose a subject to study, set a timer for 25-minutes, switch all devices to focus mode and work only on that subject until the timer rings.
By following these routines, your child will find that the rewards of consistency far outweigh the pull of procrastination.
