recess first

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Home : 2007 : April : 2

recess first
By tia

our school does it this way--have for about 4 years--we did quite a bit of research and visiting other schools first.

(our entire school did it at first, but after a year or two, the primary switched back--something
about it didn't work with the schedule--??)

anyway, here are some thoughts:

*your older kids will resist it and want to revolt that entire first year--after that, it will be fine. (i teach 6th, and it was UGLY!)

our rationale:
*kids don't speed through lunch--they EAT--we have less garbage as evidence
*as another poster stated, the recess squabbles

don't carry into the classroom
*they are hungry because they've been exercising (hmmmm....)
*i'm pretty sure there was one more reason, but i'm not recalling it.

issues:
*since i no longer walk them to the lunchroom, i tend to spend more time in my classroom working, so i cheat myself out of a relaxing lunch.
*because we have so many classes in different places, we don't have bells for when you pick up kids from lunchroom (because it would be distracting to working classes). well, it's hard for me to watch the clock and remember to go get them---i'm better about it now, but i was really pavlov's dog there for a while!

margaret--i'm surprised your students get so little recess (and also wondering if they don't find themselves bored and getting in trouble with the 30 minute block). our primary kids receive 15 minutes of recess in the morning, 25 after lunch, and 15 in the afternoon. intermediate get 25 before lunch and 15 in the afternoon. i'm pretty sure there is some mandate about how much they are supposed to receive.