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!!!!!!!)

I would go to the principal and demand that your son not have recess taken away. If anyone need it, he does.

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

In the OP. If it worked, the teacher would not still have to to take recess away in march like she did in August. It doesn't work. Kids need to blow off steam, to get some energy out. Otherwise you'll have even more behavioral problems on your hands. You need to find out what makes those students tick, why they are misbehaving, talk to the schooo counselor, talk to parents. But please do not lull yourself into thinking that taking away recess works. Also, my son is smart enough to know it's not fair to him to behave and get recess taken away because other problem kids messed up. What kind of a lesson is that teaching my son?

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

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!!!!!!!)

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

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

Well this is refreshing to hear. I taught middle school in another state and administrators didn't want to hear anything until we had taken recess away first.

Some teachers do it out of laziness. Some do it because their hands are tied by admins whose hands are tied by idiots in central office.

Anonymous wrote:

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.

If parents would deal with unacceptable behavior at home, we'd have much less to deal with at school. Too many kids never hear "no."

That's a scapegoat at best. You are just a lazy teacher with no imagination (or training). You deal with those problem kids individually in a way that fits the offense. Taking away the only 25 min recess is irresponsible and hurts the kids.

Anonymous wrote:

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.

If parents would deal with unacceptable behavior at home, we'd have much less to deal with at school. Too many kids never hear "no."

Or, if teachers actually communicated the issue. Our kid got in trouble at school and we only heard about it much later. If we knew there would be consequences at home. It was no big deal but it was to us as parents. We are completely excluded from the classroom and anything That happens.

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.

If parents would deal with unacceptable behavior at home, we'd have much less to deal with at school. Too many kids never hear "no."

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.

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.

I'm a teacher and I can't imagine taking recess away. I took mine out today around 3 o'clock for a few minutes in the hope it would help them refocus for the end of the day.

My kid hates recess. He'd be thrilled.

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

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.