CJ Cain, Assistant Principal from Littleton, CO. My favorite recess memories growing up involved playing baseball. We played in either the parking lot or in a grass field. Loved it. #EdCoChat
Q1: What are your schools practices for using withholding recess as punishment for non-recess behavior? What effects do you see with kids? What would you change? #EdCoChat
A1: We have a morning and afternoon 10 min. Recess/snack K-2 and 10 min. aft. For 3-5 and a main 25 min. Recess for all. You cannot use the 25 min. Recess for behavior!!! #edcochat
Q1: What are your schools practices for using withholding recess as punishment for non-recess behavior? What effects do you see with kids? What would you change? #EdCoChat
A1 love this chat already! I HATE when Ts without recess for not doing work, behavior, or whatever other cockamammy excuse they have. It doesn't have any natural/logical connection to the transgression; get rid of it. First rule when I'm in admin #EdCoChat
A1 the kids who are getting recess withheld are the ones who need it most (all kids need recess btw as part of their development). Disengagement follows because now the ONE thing they looked forward to is gone #EdCoChat might be their only chance to move that day
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that children participate in 60 minutes of “moderate to vigorous activity per day,” and suggests that recess be part of that. #EdCoChat
A1 could you imagine having to sit for 8 hours and be constantly forced to stretch your brain and do things you're not good at (yet) with no real break as an adult? you'd quit that job. kids cant, law requires they be in school #EdCoChat
A1 Kid doesn't do the work, the consequence is do your work, I will haunt your nightmare (from @rickwormeli2 ! Misbehaving? 1. ask why they are doing so-fix THAT first. #EdCoChat
A1. Ss who don't complete assignments, need to use this time to finish them if they can't make them up during RTI or other times. Some Ss just want to go out and play, they are upset because they lose their recess! Withdrawn. Lack of conc. Give them recess! #edcochat
Recess is a necessary break in the day for optimizing a child’s social, emotional, physical, and cognitive development, the AAP wrote in a 2013 statement. “Recess should be considered a child’s personal time, it should not be withheld for academic or punitive reasons.” #edcochat
Yet Ss are getting MAYBE 30m of recess and perhaps PE if it's in the schedule at all or that day. then they may be going home to be grown ups for the family or live in an unsafe part of town...oh wait, you were bad during writing so no recess for you #EdCoChat
A1. Even though we are a high school, we always encourage the kids to go outside at lunch time & play basketball, hackey sack, etc. And we never withhold activity days from kids. Too much team building and SEL goes on. #edcochat
Q1: What are your schools practices for using withholding recess as punishment for non-recess behavior? What effects do you see with kids? What would you change? #EdCoChat
A1: We don't have a formal plan about withholding recess. I often see those who need the break the most are the ones missing it. I think we need to be more reflective as to why are children as been kept from recess- we might find we need to change some of our practices #EdCoChat
A1: I’m not a fan of withholding recess for behavior. Mainly because kids need to move and they need to be taught appropriate behaviors. Taking away recess doesn’t teach appropriate behavior! #EdCoChat
A1 I would add that the old adage of "the students that get recess taken away are the ones that need it, is not a kind statement" ALL STUDENTS NEED RECESS #EdCoChat
kids learn how to interact with each other at recess and 'white space'/downtime. otherwise, who knows how much verbal interaction they are getting in the classroom...my guess not much #EdCoChat
Q2: Discipline is a constant battle in schools between changing behavior and punishment. What have you seen that changes behavior vs. punishment? #edcochat
A2: Call. Home. All. The. Time. Positive and negative. Do not try to take it all on — behavior will change when we have strong home-school partnerships. #EdCoChat
Q2: Discipline is a constant battle in schools between changing behavior and punishment. What have you seen that changes behavior vs. punishment? #edcochat
A2: Call. Home. All. The. Time. Positive and negative. Do not try to take it all on — behavior will change when we have strong home-school partnerships. #EdCoChat
A2: Be open and connect the "triangle" Parent. Student. Teacher...Once students know the communication will flow, expectations usually start to be met. Call home for positives too. You gotta keep bringing to the sugar, to go along with your salt. #edcochat
A2: Honestly I believe it depends on the child and the plan you have set in place. Never a first strike but it can be a plausible consequence. Sometimes it might be part of a behavior action plan- a level Ss don't want to ever reach #EdCoChat
Q1: What are your schools practices for using withholding recess as punishment for non-recess behavior? What effects do you see with kids? What would you change? #EdCoChat
When I first started teaching I thought there should be IF/THEN type of system meaning same crime same time. As I have learned more I think it takes time to really know the student and respond to their needs. But I still have a lot to learn on this topic! #EdCoChat!
Q2: Discipline is a constant battle in schools between changing behavior and punishment. What have you seen that changes behavior vs. punishment? #edcochat
A2. This year we reduced our explosive, angry, anxiety ridden outburst from 25+ in years past to 5! We educated kids on how to regulate & self-monitor. Place "break boxes" in all CRs where the kid can choose to use or the T can suggest. Bottom line-build relationships! #edcochat
Q2: Discipline is a constant battle in schools between changing behavior and punishment. What have you seen that changes behavior vs. punishment? #edcochat
A2. Offering little rewards for Ss like dancing breaks or games if they have good behavior and can work together to complete the task or work for learning! #edcochat
A2: We’ve seen progress with the Zones of Regulation and positive behavior supports such as break cards, brain breaks, Check In/Check Out, etc. And just good old fashioned positive relationship building! Home visits are typically a positive too! #EdCoChat
A2 develop relationships with the kids. with the parents. with support services. Behavior is learned; therefore it can be taught. If you want the right behavior to occur you need to teach it, and replacement behaviors when they veer away! It is a process not an event #EdCoChat
A2: consistency of behavioral expectations from day one. Conversation is also key. Explain the wrong and show ways to make positive decisions in future experiences. #EdCoChat
Q2: Discipline is a constant battle in schools between changing behavior and punishment. What have you seen that changes behavior vs. punishment? #edcochat
A3 how can you bring what kids love at recess into the lesson? what are the essential elements that make recess so fun? put that into your lesson #EdCoChat
A3 I think starts with how we organize the classroom. Lots of movement, discussion, high levels of engagement. Recess should not be about students recovering from the classroom experience #EdCoChat
I have a wonder about this- I know some places have contractual rules around this but what if once a week teachers spent once lunch and recess with the kids engaging in what students do might teachers have a new appreciation for the benefits?#EdCoChat
A3. The physical outlet for a number of my Ss helps them to focus, blow off steam, re-energize, & connect with others. They then can return to the classroom in a better space and finish out the day. #EdCoChat
A3: Next year our schedule includes PE, Fitness, a daily 30 minutes recess and 2 additional 30 minute recesses per week for all kids! So we have a total of 7 30-minute recesses per week! Creative play & movement results in better attention & creativity in the classroom! #EdCoChat
#EdCoChat Ditto to the dearth of research showing any positive effects from decreasing recess to extend 'literacy blocks' or any other sort of blocks - yet that has become common practice. I watch middle schoolers crave the physical and social aspect of their very limited recess
A3: Bring flexibility & movement..There's a reason why @thomascmurray saw a cemetary & thought of a traditional classroom, in single rows..zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz #edcochat#LT8Keys
When students can’t read, we teach them. When students can’t write, we teach them. So when students can’t behave, why do they get out in the hall? Via @aaron_hogan#edcochat
Love that..seen the last part of that as well like this "when students can't behave we...punish?" #EdCoChat "behaving" is made of many smaller skills that need to be taught and learned just like literacy and numeracy
A3. Site-based council is our decision making council for the school, and Ss may choose to bring their voices to the table about recess and the length of time and their complaints! Our principal is on this council! #edcochat
Bonus: It's still about relationships and so the questions is, what can I do to allow my teachers to develop those even stronger? Seems like the answer is more time #EdCoChat
bonus: I'd want more recess scheduled throughout the day. No relationship between recess and behavior/compliance work in the class. Build relationships and stop trying to "do onto" kids #EdCoChat
bonus: I'd want more recess scheduled throughout the day. No relationship between recess and behavior/compliance work in the class. Build relationships and stop trying to "do onto" kids #EdCoChat
Bonus: We plan on continuing to focus on relationships, teaching self-regulation & self-monitoring to help students have more positive outlets instead of misbehavior. They would LOVE if we added a recess! #EdCoChat
I want each of our teachers to follow a student for a day and do EVERYTHING they do. I think this would be a win-win in so many ways & open up lots of communication about recess, discipline, expectations, etc. Next year we will also use a committee format to help Ss w/behaviors.
Effective discipline brings about transformation. Sometimes it involves traditional consequences, but it always involves learning. Learning is king! Always! #EdCoChat
Bonus: It's easy to say needs to be changed but hard to carry it out. It must be manageable I'd like to see the why conversations happen. Why did __ happen or not ? I think it might stop the "hallway talk" (I don't know why so & so didn't get suspended for that etc. #EdCoChat!
B: I'd give the Ss their recess and not keep them in detention or to work, etc. We need to possibly put in a time where it's just a study hall.catch up time rather than RTI and trying multiple rti's. #edcochat
Bonus: I also try to model what we want for kids for teachers as well. At our BOY campus PD last year I set the cafe up with flexible seating (yoga mats, floor & camp chairs, yoga balls, etc) for the Ts and then gave it away to them for their Ss. #EdCoChat
