#vachat Archive
#vachat is a great way for Virginia educators to share teaching strategies, educational resources, and more.
Monday March 28, 2016
8:00 PM EDT
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Good evening ers! Make sure to invite a friend! Tell us who you are, what you do, and what your plans are/were for Spring break!
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Hi this is my first I am a student at UNT and I just roamed around Dallas for spring break
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Phil, your Moderator for tonight. I'm in WIlliamsburg and I will be driving my daughter all over VA for college tours!
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Good evening ! Glad to be here tonight. It's been awhile. Lyn, K-5 principal from PWCS. Spring Break was spent relaxing w/ family!
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Welcome! glad to have you. I've never been to Dallas... any specific desitnations in mind?
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Still not on Spring Break... Next week.
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Christine. Elementary gifted. Charlottesville. Still a week away from spring break.
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Not sure how many people we will have the day after Easter... We will start with Q1 in one minute.
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We just finished ours. We were down your way visiting Jamestown/Yorktown. My 4th grader loved it! :)
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I feel your pain! Some tired staff and students!
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Seriously! When we come back it will be a race to the SOLs. Eeek!
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I ran the Jamestown Loop (near the ferry) around the island on Saturday... Beautiful spot.
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Q1: Go back to your childhood... what do you remember about recess? amount... what did you play? Stuff like that
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A1: The swings, the monkey bars, see-saws, jumping rope, red rover, etc. Some soccer.
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I remember 2 recesses a day... I also remember a lot more fights and such...
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I grew up and played a ton in the snow! Growing up in MA!
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A1: I remember loving recess. It seemed like a forever, but prob about 30 min. Soccer, made fairy gardens, swings, running, running
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I think we had two recesses a day, at least K-3, I think. I don't remember too many fights, though. Selective memory?
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A1: I think we had recess for 30mins and i remember swinging and the seesaw the most. Just typical park playground equipment.
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Maybe, maybe it was just my school!
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Q2: Does your school have recess and is it enough time spent outside playing?
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A2: We have recess, but definitely not enough time outside. I would love to build an outdoor learning space to get more time outside
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A2: Each grade has a 30 minute recess period. Unless it's raining or snowing, it's all outside playing.
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I am in college so the answer is no, but my elementary does and I think it is a good amount of time. it is between 30-45mins
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I wouldn't mind seeing our older grades doubled to 40 minutes a day. They still need a lot of time!
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Speaking of fights...I noticed when I taught 5/6 most of the fights occurred in the last 10 min of a 30 min block.
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I am principal of a middle school in Texas. We need recess for our kids!
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Foolw up... call it Q2B: Should middle school and/or high school students get some recess or at least some outside time?
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I never investigated, but there weren't a lot of play options. I suspected boredom, but that seems too simplistic.
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A2B: Even if it's not "recess", just some time to decompress, to talk, to hang out and get ready for the rest of the day...
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Some our schools have a walk and talk built into the lunch time... supervision can be tough.
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A2 Is recess a K-8 practice? Sadly, HSchool students don't always have a physical experience outside of the classroom
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A2B: Yes-some sort of outdoor learning space. Fresh air + sun = good! Maybe not recess, but outdoors!
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I know I like to step outside for a moment and feel the sun... why wouldn't our students?
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Yep! Also speaks to the importance of state changes in classes and opportunity to socialize
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I agree! Our high school has some outside common areas. When I think recess, I think play equipment and fields.
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In my district recess is K-5.
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Any surveys to determine reasons for fights? Girl fights differ from male fights?
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Eveyone needs 15 minutes of vitamin D per day.
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Q3: Does your school allow recess to be taken away for misbehavior/unfinished homework or classwork?
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Growing up... boys... can't recall specific reasons... Maybe the boys will be boys mentality..
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A3: I think so, but not 100% sure.
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A3: We do not allow it to be taken away. This isn't always popular, but it is District policy and MY policy not to take recess away.
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A3: They punish students who misbehaved. If they do something or not do something that is needed then there are consequences
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everyone needs natural light, fresh air and movement to sustain attention - healthy and fit lifestyles
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A3: Our school does not allow it to be taken away... I know some Ts still try to find work arounds for this.
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I bet those kids needed a lot more outdoor time to begin with.
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Yes! I love working in a school with many working windows! W/a door to the outside, we go out for math & rdg
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logical consequences yes. taking recess from Ss that need it most 4 reasons that have nothing to do with recess, no
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Even educator William Alcott in the 19th c knew that movement and fresh air was good for health and learning https://t.co/M8E4OBJdak
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Should Ss be sent home for fighting,physical exertion? Or is it part of JOB/WORK of educating young people
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My office doesn't have a window.... it makes me sad! I need that vitamin D!
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Q4: Our job is to educate... what are students learning at recess?
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Some schools, esp charters, have NO PE. Just academics.
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I work very hard to come up with alternate consequences, but sometimes I suspend. not an easy decision
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DesignShare: Beware the Sitting Trap in school by Dieter Briethecker German ergonomic scientist https://t.co/ZiWhWYdFS6
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A4: How to navigate conflict, how to cooperate, to lead, to follow, to negotiate, to create, to collaborate.
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A4: So many things! Problem-solving, team work, sharing, processing social situations.
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Exactly, so our students that need recess the most actually get it the least.
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Haha! So true. We've already weathered a few hornet (and a huge moth!) issues this spring.
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A4 Shouldn't Ss learn to their batteries? How to eliminate/reduce ?
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A4: I think that they learn to socialize and expand their minds.
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A4: They learn new games, improve gross motor coordination, to compete, to strive to improve (on their own terms).
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due to safety, many schools no longer have working windows.
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Worth following PE teachers
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the 70s schls we built were all abt energy savings 2 / the vaults
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I think about how much better my mood is after I get to run (exercise). My daughters will encourage me on especially grumpy days!
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My daughter's middle school in Henrico had about 5 windows in the whole school!
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A4: similar to sports... social and emotional interactions they don't often get in the classroom.
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A4 Once upon a time I followed 10th grade schedule for one wk; "Sit & Get" burned me out..
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Ss must always have windows in schools to develop figure/ground perception.
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Q5: Schools, especially those labeled failing, have completely removed recess. does this extra 30 mins of academics justify this?
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Depressing! Winter with NO sun wears me out.
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wow - but we have close to 100 classrooms county wide without natural light
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A5: I think that students do need a break to unwind and breathe a bit from long hours of classes.
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not healthy to be natural light deprived
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When in Portland at elem schl kids were playing in the rain - he said if we didn't go out in rain, we'd seldom get recess
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A5: Too much research showing activity supports learning to justify removing recess completely.
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same in Ireland but with less welly wearing !!!
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A5: No. Ostensibly you gain 30 minutes of instructional time but I suspect that's offset by many more minutes of lost attention.
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I talk about this all the time being from MA...
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A5 in fact research shows opposite is true -decreasing recess time depresses academic achievement
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A5: It's a lot like teaching procedures in the BOY. You lose time in the short-term but gain it back long-term.
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Wonderful! I've read research that says we should take at least a ten minute break every 50 minutes. Kids too.
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Q5B So why do schools do this? Why do parents allow this?
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Worthy also B'cuz they've been preparing knowledge workers 4 past 30 plus yrs. Unlike us who prepared Ss 4industrial econ
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A5B: I suspect because it's often presented as a logical consequence of being a failing school.
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Q6:Are standing desks, pedal seats, and brain breaks enough to help take the place of reduced recess?
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A6: I don't think so, but it's a good start, especially if you're in a school w/reduced recess.
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Great point https://t.co/j7Q252PcEG
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A6: I don't think so, but it's a good start, especially if you're in a school w/reduced recess.
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A6: I think that if they're having some type of break then it is okay. Some socializing would be good for a break as well
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OK ers.... thank you for another great chat! Remember to enjoy your break. I'm running a half marathon in NC, wish me luck!
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A6: My old school has a TIP lab with old stationary bikes, yoga balls, weights, etc. Kids can take "motor breaks" in that room.
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Best of luck! You'll do great! So impressed with your running this year.
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A6: No. At recess students run the show, not teachers. Develops students socially and as leaders.
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It's not just about movement... recess and free time is so much more than that!
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From the American Academy of Pediatrics - the benefits of recess as essential to learning and health https://t.co/sIfiR41zSG
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I keep on trucking! keeping me sane! 4 halfs this year... and I put my name in for the Marine Corp Marathon... lottery
