Missing recess

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our teacher tried to do this earlier this year, until parents reached out to the teacher and pointed out the reg PP posted. Now the misbehaving kids have to miss lunch with friends and eat in the classroom with the teacher, but do go to recess with everyone.

Contractually this is NOT allowed. I hope MCEA gets involved. If a child is outright mean, hurts another child, or destroys school property- they should not be allowed to play freely on the playground. Having a special lunchbunch with the teacher will not deter these behaviors and good luck when your child (who has been so gently parented) rebels as they get older. They will have never experienced real consequences and middle/high school will not put up with this crap.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Here’s the actual MCPS regulation https://ww2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/policy/pdf/jpgra.pdf

See part III.C.2.b

Send that to the teacher and the principal and that should be the end of it.

LOL. So I am assuming that you as the parent only provide your child healthy lunches and meals? Since nutrition and exercise matters so much, per this memo, you’re also doing your part to not allow screen time or allow your child to eat processed foods? You are taking your child out after school to play and on weekends? Or is it entirely on the school to provide healthy experiences and yet you force us to take away the one thing that kids respond to for disciplinary purposes? Whatever parent. Go ahead and complain and see how that works out in the long run for your special child.

[Anonymous]

Missing one recess can keep 70% of the class from acting disruptively during learning. Having a regular consequence of missing recess can keep an additional 20% in line. This leaves 10% of the class for the teachers to work closely with the students and parents to find alternative s solutions.

A classroom that is allowed to use this consequence judiciously has a teacher who calls out sick less, fewer candy bribes, less screen time, and a lower likelihood of a teacher quitting and being replaced by a new teacher.

The problem with the policy is that it unilaterally takes away one of the only tools teachers have to help their students develop self discipline and, stemming from that, self esteem.

I have seen teachers disciplined for not allowing a kid to attend *extra* recess which the child was not entitled to to begin with.

The county has no problem taking away outdoor recess for rain/snow/snowed earlier in the week/rained yesterday and it's still wet/etc. Surely it would be worth the possibility of no recess occasionally if it meant that kids would behave and learn inside the classroom. Or that your young kid would learn consequences prior to middle school and beyond before the stakes get higher.

I hope that MCPS will learn that throwing something away because "people don't like it" doesn't work. It didn't work with phonics and it doesn't work with this.

-veteran teacher who has seen both sides of this policy and the intended and unintended consequences

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our teacher tried to do this earlier this year, until parents reached out to the teacher and pointed out the reg PP posted. Now the misbehaving kids have to miss lunch with friends and eat in the classroom with the teacher, but do go to recess with everyone.

Contractually this is NOT allowed. I hope MCEA gets involved. If a child is outright mean, hurts another child, or destroys school property- they should not be allowed to play freely on the playground. Having a special lunchbunch with the teacher will not deter these behaviors and good luck when your child (who has been so gently parented) rebels as they get older. They will have never experienced real consequences and middle/high school will not put up with this crap.

IKR! Spare the rod, spoil the child!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Missing one recess can keep 70% of the class from acting disruptively during learning. Having a regular consequence of missing recess can keep an additional 20% in line. This leaves 10% of the class for the teachers to work closely with the students and parents to find alternative s solutions.

A classroom that is allowed to use this consequence judiciously has a teacher who calls out sick less, fewer candy bribes, less screen time, and a lower likelihood of a teacher quitting and being replaced by a new teacher.

The problem with the policy is that it unilaterally takes away one of the only tools teachers have to help their students develop self discipline and, stemming from that, self esteem.

I have seen teachers disciplined for not allowing a kid to attend *extra* recess which the child was not entitled to to begin with.

The county has no problem taking away outdoor recess for rain/snow/snowed earlier in the week/rained yesterday and it's still wet/etc. Surely it would be worth the possibility of no recess occasionally if it meant that kids would behave and learn inside the classroom. Or that your young kid would learn consequences prior to middle school and beyond before the stakes get higher.

I hope that MCPS will learn that throwing something away because "people don't like it" doesn't work. It didn't work with phonics and it doesn't work with this.

-veteran teacher who has seen both sides of this policy and the intended and unintended consequences

I agree with you and the good teachers put those kids to work during their missed recess. Cleaning floors, whiteboards, dusting, etc.... They don't just sit around.

Parents are the problem. Constantly making excuses for their lack of discipline at home turning into a train wreck for the teacher. So many parents worry about ABC's and 123's and not how to teach a kid to put on their clothes, tie shoes, zipper a jacket, wipe their behind, sit criss cross and listen to a book. Keep their hands to themselves, focus on a skill for 20min (yes this takes PRACTICE at home!!)

[Anonymous]

"Cleaning floors, whiteboards, dusting, etc.... " All students should do that. Caring for your space is a skill and an obligation, not a punishment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"Cleaning floors, whiteboards, dusting, etc.... " All students should do that. Caring for your space is a skill and an obligation, not a punishment.

No the kids punished should be working and not sitting doing nothing. I agree with the PP. They can help the teachers with many tasks that aren't just around their desk.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Missing one recess can keep 70% of the class from acting disruptively during learning. Having a regular consequence of missing recess can keep an additional 20% in line. This leaves 10% of the class for the teachers to work closely with the students and parents to find alternative s solutions.

A classroom that is allowed to use this consequence judiciously has a teacher who calls out sick less, fewer candy bribes, less screen time, and a lower likelihood of a teacher quitting and being replaced by a new teacher.

The problem with the policy is that it unilaterally takes away one of the only tools teachers have to help their students develop self discipline and, stemming from that, self esteem.

I have seen teachers disciplined for not allowing a kid to attend *extra* recess which the child was not entitled to to begin with.

The county has no problem taking away outdoor recess for rain/snow/snowed earlier in the week/rained yesterday and it's still wet/etc. Surely it would be worth the possibility of no recess occasionally if it meant that kids would behave and learn inside the classroom. Or that your young kid would learn consequences prior to middle school and beyond before the stakes get higher.

I hope that MCPS will learn that throwing something away because "people don't like it" doesn't work. It didn't work with phonics and it doesn't work with this.

-veteran teacher who has seen both sides of this policy and the intended and unintended consequences

When you invent statistics, you undermine your argument. And if something isn’t allowed, “but I want to” isn’t a reason to disobey. Find other classroom management techniques - ones that look at things from the child’s POV instead of your own.

- another veteran teacher