how do .....

Home

Chat

Blogs

Collection

Directory

Home : 2005 : May : 15

how do .....
By another WOW

How do you get 2 and half hours of prep daily? That is 150 minutes of prep time each day???????? Are you including duty-free recesses in that time?

My situation:
-Grade 1
-300 minutes of instructional time daily
(or 1500 minutes weekly)
-32 minutes of prep time daily (or 160 minutes weekly)
Prep time is not in addition to instructional time therefore it comes out of the 300 minutes (kids are with gym, drama or music teacher)
-supervision duty (yard, lunch, bus duties) averages to 28 minutes per day (or 140 minutes weekly)
-morning recess 15 minutes outside for the children
-morning

snack about 7 - 10 minutes in classroom (out of instructional time -- eat while you work)
- lunch - 20 minutes for kids to eat inside followed by 40 minute outdoor recess. Contractually I am entitled to a 40 minute uninterrupted lunch break --- it is timetabled but ...
-afternoon recess 15 minutes outside (may or may not have afternoon snack -- no food allowed outside)

I don't understand the rational behind eliminating or significantly reducing recess for children. Especially young children. I have been at the Board office --- the adults there take their breaks to walk to the coffee machine and washrooms and for the most part they take hour-long lunches. Children don't have the freedom to just get up and go get food or drink or go for a walk when the mood strikes. We have to plan those breaks into their daily schedules -- hence recess.