Teachers please stop taking recess away

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid hates recess. He'd be thrilled.

Why?

Different poster, but so did two of my four kids.

One saw it as both uninteresting and a waste of time.

The other was very introverted and got easily overwhelmed by the number of kids and the activity level (the relative chaos, as compared to an orderly classroom).

[Anonymous]

My autistic and mainstreamed DD hates recess. She doesn't have friends close enough to play with every day, she doesn't like loud noises and screaming. She normally brings a book outside everyday and either reads sitting against the wall or she'll hang out with the teacher.

[Anonymous]

Where do you live?
In DC teachers are not allowed to take away recess, it's part of the Healthy Child law from a couple of years ago.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid hates recess. He'd be thrilled.

Why?

Different poster, but so did two of my four kids.

One saw it as both uninteresting and a waste of time.

The other was very introverted and got easily overwhelmed by the number of kids and the activity level (the relative chaos, as compared to an orderly classroom).

This... the number of kids and lack of supervision. Kids are constant running into each other. The playground equipment is too packed. Not enough balls and equipment (I don't get why they don't ask for donations). I've tried to volunteer and get blown off. He does plenty of outside physical activities so the exercise is a non-issue (plus he's sometimes physically tired because of the outside activities).

[Anonymous]

I used to have kids walk laps at recess for misbehavior. Then, our district supervisor sent out a memo (years ago in FCPS) saying that we could not withhold recess for misbehavior (unless it was initiated by an administrator for a major offense). The memo specified that we couldn't even have kids walk or run laps. We all wondered how we would be able to manage behavior when there was nothing left we could take away. Sure enough, we learned how to manage behavior in more effective ways with that option off the table. A Responsive Classrooms class helped as did a school-wide PBIS (Positive Behavior Interventions and Support) initiative.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is just a request to all teachers to stop using recess as a bargaining tool. My child's teacher apparently punishes the whole class when some of them misbehave. They are misbehaving BECAUSE they are cooped up all day with no physical activity!!! Taking away recess is lazy teaching. Find other strategies to deal with behavioral problems in the classroom. Let 7 year olds get some fresh air for Pete's sake! Rant over.

Preach!
--signed a public elementary school principal who has 2 recess blocks for each grade and will not allow teachers to take away recess unless a child is having a specific issue at recess, e.g. hurting someone

Dear Principal,

Are you willing to counsel/mentor other principals? I wish to God that ours shared the same philosophy! Alas, recess is 20 min inclusive of getting dressed to go out, lining up to go in, etc. My son has ADHD and is punished with the withholding of recess for anything from late homework to tossing a paper towel over his shoulder INto the trash can. And then go figure...we hear "he had a rough afternoon".

(scream!!!!!!!)

Two recess blocks???? Where is that? Doesn't sound it happens in FCPS. My DC's teacher took recess away three times this last fall.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My autistic and mainstreamed DD hates recess. She doesn't have friends close enough to play with every day, she doesn't like loud noises and screaming. She normally brings a book outside everyday and either reads sitting against the wall or she'll hang out with the teacher.

I am sure the teacher needs a break of her own...just saying

[Anonymous]

"Is this MCPS? They are not allowed to take recess away see here http://parentscoalitionmc.blogspot.com/2012/01/sta...ess-as-punishment-we-dont.html
"

But they do. The County does not care about enforcing this. I know because I called to ask what the policy was a few years ago and it was pulling teeth to get anything out of the central office on it. It was definitely not "no, we don't allow that and if you tell us which school, we will remind them about that".

[Anonymous]

Save this for parent teacher conf. Why the hell would you post this here.. Useless

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I used to have kids walk laps at recess for misbehavior. Then, our district supervisor sent out a memo (years ago in FCPS) saying that we could not withhold recess for misbehavior (unless it was initiated by an administrator for a major offense). The memo specified that we couldn't even have kids walk or run laps. We all wondered how we would be able to manage behavior when there was nothing left we could take away. Sure enough, we learned how to manage behavior in more effective ways with that option off the table. A Responsive Classrooms class helped as did a school-wide PBIS (Positive Behavior Interventions and Support) initiative.

Does this mean they were rewarded for meeting typical, basic expectations for behavior?

[Anonymous]

This used to infuriate me more than anything when DS was in ES. He had a kid in his 3rd grade class who always ruined it for everyone. The kid had ADHD and was a great kid, but he'd just get really excited about a certain subject/topic and talk out loud. Not talking to others, just talking to himself out loud. He also fidgeted by bouncing his leg up and down. The teacher's rule also made the kid who caused them to all lose recess feel horrible. Just wrong, IMO.

DS teacher punished the whole class by taking away recess all the time. The teacher felt that the kid's classmates should be more proactive in encouraging their friend to mind the rules of no talking or "playing around," which I don't consider fidgeting.

After a full week of recess being taken away, a group of parents spoke to the teacher. She wasn't receptive at all so we spoke with the principal. A new policy was put in place where the "problem" child would either sit next to the teacher at recess, sit in the office, or have to walk laps outside alone.

[Anonymous]

Here! Here! My child is at Centreville Elementary and the 3rd teachers there take away recess. It drives me and my child insane. Even if they just take a walk during recess, its still something. You could recess as a learning opportunity on days that kids don't behave. Let them out and get them moving. Keeping them inside with no opportunity to really burn some energy is asking for disaster and this is likely the reason why my child's classroom is considered noisy and rowdy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I never take away all of recess but I sometimes have students walk the perimeter of the tennis courts instead of playing with their friends. They spend class trying to do that.

No, just no. They need a break. Find other ways to deal with bad behavior.

That is a break. Bad in the good old days, my father went to military school and if you broke rules you ran laps around the sports field.

I'm not that strict, but I think this is an excellent idea. Time to think and burn off some energy. Come back calm.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am in school to become a teacher. I have interned in a school and witnessed various teachers take away minutes from recess as a form of punishment. I asked the teacher who I was working with why they do that and she said because it not only works, but also because there is nothing else they can do. It made me wonder, what can they do? Parents, if your child is constantly disturbing the class (speaking out of turn, putting down another child, not doing work, etc), what do you suggest a teacher do? Honestly, I hate taking away recess but no clue what would work

Honestly, taking away recess is often the only thing the kids care about enough to make them behave.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Teacher PP, you must be teaching at a NY inner city school- at least it looks so much like an article I read on it. High poverty school with high turnover rate and high homelessness rate...
I just wanted to say how much respect I have for you for trying to do some impossible things.

Actually I work in MCPS. But thanks.

I teach in APS and I see some of the same things he or she does.
--NP