Growing up in Finland, recess was an integral part of my school day. It did not happen just once a day, but after every 50-55 minute class period we had recess.
We went outside. We played and ran around the school yard. When I got older, we played less and talked more. We didn't run around anymore, but walked slowly while talking to our friends. Still, we were outside.
Recess always meant going outside. When winter came, we put on our winter coat, hats and gloves. We still went outside. We didn't know about wind chill factors. We went outside until the thermometer hit -15°C or 5°F. Yes, I remember praying on occasion that the thermometer would go down just one degree and we could stay inside. In general, however, we were all happy to have recess. Recess was our right as students to get a break from the academics.
Little over a year ago, American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) published a statement regarding recess: AAP "believes that recess is a crucial and necessary component of a child's development and, as such, it should not be withheld for punitive or academic reasons." (Read it here.) The article also talks about how principals see the importance of recess, but still tend to use (or let teachers use) recess as a punishment.
Now, think about your own school. How many times have you seen students sit outside during recess because they could not sit still in class, or did not do their homework, or they misbehaved in one way or another? Recess, for these students, is no longer a break from academic studies or a time to recharge their batteries and get ready for the rest of the school day. For these "recess sitters" recess is often a regular punishment.
So, when did recess become a tool for punishment instead of a joyful time of laughing children playing outside while breathing fresh air? Was this change gradual or did someone give a presentation that used "recess sitting" as a new way to maintain control of students? Or has this "recess sitting" became such a norm that we don't even know when or where it started?
What is the recess policy at your school? Do you have enough recess time or would you like more? What is the cut off grade for recess at your district? Please share your thought and ideas.
Recess is tricky for me. I totally agree that this is valuable/needed time for my students. I'm in a challenging district and this is sometimes the only bargaining chip I have with them though. I struggle deciding whether or not to take this from them.
ReplyDeleteI love that you mentioned Finland. I'm always so intrigued by them. They seem to have it figured out. Visiting schools in Finland is on my bucket list.
Thank you for bringing up such an interesting topic. I will definitely think twice about using recess as a punishment this week.
Jen
Thanks for your response Jen!
DeleteThis sure is an emotional topic! Our kids get SO little exercise and fresh air in America today. We worry about the temperature (too hot, too cold, too humid) and the tick borne illnesses. We worry about them falling from swings and getting bumped from the teeter-totter. We worry about them being included or excluded. We try to control every minute of their lives and we often forget the need for them to be in control of a few moments of their day. Thanks for the -think-about-it post!
ReplyDeleteAnita, thanks for your insights as well. I had not even thought about tick borne illnesses being an issue at recess!
DeleteThis is such an important topic to me. Kids need a break to recharge their brains and their bodies. I hate seeing kids sitting in the hall or "on the wall" when we are outside. It seems to always be the same kids. Taking away recess obviously isn't working for them. In this day of so much testing and so much pressure, we need to give kids (and ourselves) that time away from work to relax a bit and get ready for an afternoon of learning.
ReplyDeleteWell said Julie!
DeleteI am not a teacher so I can't speak to your classroom experiences. However, I think that it is a marvelous idea to take a break from academics periodically through the day. I think a chance to clear your mind allows a person to come back to the task with renewed vigor. I know from working in an office setting for many years, that just getting up from my desk and walking up the steps to make a cup of tea always helped to look at my tasks with more creativity.
ReplyDeleteI think you are so right Bernadette. It really is about taking a break! "Brain rest"
DeleteI am a huge supporter of recess, both as a teacher and a mom. One of my own sons was the kind of kid who typically gets kept inside, yet ironically, really needs to get out and run around and get fresh air. When teachers punished him by keeping him in, they were really just sentencing themselves to an afternoon of misery. I had to work really hard, though, to pick teachers who would support and believe that.
ReplyDeleteKudos to you as a mom! There are times when I take my ELL students outside. When you are trying extra hard to learn English and think in a foreign language all day, you do need a break. Plus we can run and still learn!
DeleteYou have certainly hit a hot topic here. I agree that recess should not be taken away for misbehavior. But I also agree with Jen that in many schools that is their only bargaining chip. I think the key is to think outside the box and come up with better alternatives. I wish there was an easy answer. We have had teachers in the past that would punish for not reading at home and make them read at recess. This really breaks my heart! Great thinking this morning!
ReplyDeletePerhaps we should rethink recess or structure it in a way that teachers would be less likely to use it as a tool for punishment. More thinking required I believe. Thanks for your input Leigh Anne!
DeleteI wish we had recess - kids need it desperately. And this is true for kids of all ages, I think. Somehow, we've managed to have done away with it by middle school - when kids need the chance to get out of the building and stretch their limbs and breathe some fresh air. So sad....
ReplyDeleteIt is sad. I guess I was the lucky one as I had recess all the way through my senior year of high school!
DeleteI am a supporter of outside recess. Sometimes the students who misbehave in class may be the ones who actually need the fresh air and running around the most. Yet, when a child is a threat to others, it may be safer to remove him to a different place. I can also understand when a student will get a bit less break than others because of wasting everyone's time with his/her actions in class. Loosing recess because of not doing homework - I don't see the connection. My school has two outside breaks, and only in extreme cold or heavy rain the kids have inside break in the gym. Today was very muddy, but everyone went out. (Speaking of primary school)
ReplyDeleteI understand your point about wasting others' time and then getting a shorter break. Cause and effect in action. Regardless, outside recess is so refreshing (even for me as the teacher)!
DeleteThe other thing I see is teachers taking it away to have kids make up or finish work. If the break (both physically and mentally) is valued and seen as part of the balance (and need) then everyone would find another way to make it work. I agree with you - give them their time to use how they need it so they are ready for what's next.
ReplyDeleteI also wonder if you have found this same dilemma in the other countries where you have taught?
DeleteI think recess is so important, and I wish older students continued to have some kind of break, as they do in so many other countries. My poor HS ELLs are completely worn out mentally by the end of the day... and so am I! Everybody needs a mental break now and then, and rushing across the building to get to the next class before the bell rings just doesn't cut it. I don't know why more people don't understand that kids could be so much more focused and ready to learn if they had more breaks.
ReplyDeleteOn a personal note, my 5th grade teacher tried to make me stay in for recess to do the work I missed when I was at my gifted class... SO not ok. My mom went into school fighting for me on that one!
Kudos for your mother! I do at times take my ELLs outside or I have inside recess even with my HS students. I need to get their brains ready to work=comprehend some more English! Maybe I should make a snow man one day with my students???
DeleteWhen we used to have good snow, but no snow day, we went sledding! (I taught middle school aged students). They were told to come prepared with boots, etc. & I'd take them. All the kids up to this age go out to recess at my school. Kids who are middle school aged & are behind in work stay in after lunch. There is a recess period for all ages. We think it's so important. All the lower classes also have a morning break too. It's so important. My grandson in a public middle school in another state doesn't eat lunch until 1:15-no break, no snack. That's so cruel to me. How do they justify this for growing children? Great topic Jaana!
ReplyDeleteThanks for your insights Linda! I just heard that a school nearby has a policy that you cannot take recess time away from students! Kudos for the admin at that district! Sledding with my students would be so much fun!
DeleteThis is a great discussion, with so many people getting involved through comments. Years ago at my school, we had an hour lunch/recess time. It was so great- when half the school was at lunch, the other half was at recess; then they switched. The teachers had a duty schedule which allowed them to have one day each week with an hour of duty-free break time. The students had a half hour of free play outdoors each day, and option to choose activities such as choir, art, and book club sponsored by some of the teachers.
ReplyDeleteNow only 15 minutes are allotted to recess, and that is up to the teacher. Some classes rarely have recess.
We speak of using "research-based" practices, yet ignore research about the benefits of "brain breaks" and physical activity. When I think way back to my own elementary school days, I fondly remember made-up games beneath the big willow tree that stood on our playground and the joys of seeing how high you could make the swing go. (Unfortunately, my sister discovered you could make it go too high...she still has a little scar on her cheek from landing in the gravel after falling from a periously high swing...oh, how safety standards have changed!)
How times have changed! I wonder if the change has come because of the pressure teachers face regarding testing and test results? Or do we not want to take our students outside anymore? Is it easier to just sit in front of your computer inside while students have a few minutes of free time indoors? It will be interesting to see where we are with recess in another ten years.
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