50+ kids in one small classroom for every indoor recess

[Anonymous]

Does your MCPS elementary do this? Every indoor recess or just occasionally when staff is short that day? Does anyone have ideas for how to give the kids access to more space during their recess? The kids are very crowded like this. With all the bad weather this month, there has been a lot of indoor recess.

[Anonymous]

The problem is not just space but supervision. There are likely not enough adults to supervise indoor recess to break kids out into smaller groups. Agree it is hard having so many indoor days especially at the beginning of the school year.

[Anonymous]

It sucks, but what are you going to do if the school already is tight on space? Our local ES didn't even have a separate gym - just an all-purpose room that couldn't be used because it was the cafeteria - so you have to use classrooms. Having kids run around the hallways is a potential option, but depends on how well that can be monitored (and kids are kids).

Somewhat OT, but that's what you get with a lot of private schools. Really impressive facilities. I'm not convinced that they make any real difference, but they are nice to show the parents that they are getting something for all the money they pay in tuition. (Seriously, what makes a difference is the small class sizes and far more individualized attention.)

[Anonymous]

Why not recess in the rain? They have lockers?

[Anonymous]

Yes, in our school two classes combine for indoor recess so it is definitely over 40 kids and could be over 50 depending on the age group. They make it work but Magic Schoolbus or other video is always one of the choices. My kid’s school Gad indoor recess because of the heat the first week, and then all of the rain!

[Anonymous]

It is horrible. Why oh why do they do this? Indoor recess is bad enough why add more kids to make it louder and hotter?

[Anonymous]

Our school combines two to three classes, because teachers have recess time for planning so there aren't enough paraeducators to watch the kids otherwise. My 4th grader said they don't have any games or toys brought in (and 4th grade classrooms don't really have any to begin with). The school is asking for indoor recess donations, so hopefully that will improve.

[Anonymous]

Teachers have off for specials and lunch every single day. That is already 1.5hrs a day. They need to help out at recess. At least rotate. Elementary school Day is not even 6.5hrs a day and they have over 2hrs of it without kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It sucks, but what are you going to do if the school already is tight on space? Our local ES didn't even have a separate gym - just an all-purpose room that couldn't be used because it was the cafeteria - so you have to use classrooms. Having kids run around the hallways is a potential option, but depends on how well that can be monitored (and kids are kids).

Somewhat OT, but that's what you get with a lot of private schools. Really impressive facilities. I'm not convinced that they make any real difference, but they are nice to show the parents that they are getting something for all the money they pay in tuition. (Seriously, what makes a difference is the small class sizes and far more individualized attention.)

Even with the nice facilities, our private encourages kids to go outside. My 6th grader left his muddy rain jacket in his locker today rather than bringing it home.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The problem is not just space but supervision. There are likely not enough adults to supervise indoor recess to break kids out into smaller groups. Agree it is hard having so many indoor days especially at the beginning of the school year.

I agree that this is probably the deciding factor. We know one small school that is able to use the gym - they rotate the kids for different indoor days. Our school is mid-sized and while it does have a gym, the number of classes means that gym access days would be very infrequent. Not sure that staff would welcome kids running up and down the hallways, although I am sure that would be a great release for some of the kids.

My DS is losing his mind cooped up inside all day long like this. He is one of those kids that really, really needs to MOVE. I would really appreciate any creative solutions people have seen at their public elementary schools (going private is not in our cards, so we’ll admire all those beautiful facilities from afar, thanks).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why not recess in the rain? They have lockers?

No lockers. No changing clothes. This is public elementary. Many kids (hundreds at our school) do not own decent warm weather gear, much less effective rain jackets, and getting wet would mean staying wet for hours.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Teachers have off for specials and lunch every single day. That is already 1.5hrs a day. They need to help out at recess. At least rotate. Elementary school Day is not even 6.5hrs a day and they have over 2hrs of it without kids.

No, teachers don't "have off" for specials.

[Anonymous]

Yes happens regularly unless the teacher will give up his/her time to supervise. They pretty much just watch movies..

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Teachers have off for specials and lunch every single day. That is already 1.5hrs a day. They need to help out at recess. At least rotate. Elementary school Day is not even 6.5hrs a day and they have over 2hrs of it without kids.

Most elementary school teachers have specials 3x a week, not 5. Some have a 4th day, if Media is designated as a special. Lunch is 30 minutes and most of the teachers I have worked with work through their lunches every day. So...not complaining, just trying to correct factual inaccuracies.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Teachers have off for specials and lunch every single day. That is already 1.5hrs a day. They need to help out at recess. At least rotate. Elementary school Day is not even 6.5hrs a day and they have over 2hrs of it without kids.

Where do you live that specials are an hour and lunch is longer than 25 minutes?

Any where I’ve taught specials are either 30 minutes or 45 minutes. To figure out how much is that a teacher gets, subtract about 5 - 10 minutes for the transition, and settling the kids in. The majority of that time is spent in mandatory meetings.

At schools where I’ve taught, teachers get either a 30 minute lunch during lunch (that’s really 25 for reasons above) or a 30 minute lunch during recess, which is why you have 2 classes together.