does this seem like an appropriate punishment for kindergarteners?

[Minnesota!]

I have no issues with it - kids are still getting out, getting the exercise they need, but the "fun" aspect of it is taken away...thus, a punishment.

 

[mom2rtk]

I have no issues with it - kids are still getting out, getting the exercise they need, but the "fun" aspect of it is taken away...thus, a punishment.

I just have a hard time believing every child but one was misbehaving. I'm really not a fan of group punishment for this reason.

 

[Hrhpd]

Your daughter is 5. She has probably misinterpreted something.

For instance, if the kindergartner was in our school:

Because studies have shown that short breaks with exercise increase learning, our teachers use "brain breaks."

If the kids have been engaged in a learning activity for a period of time, the teacher will open the door and say brain break. Our kids will go out, run the fence once and come back to their desks, taking deep, calming breaths. Takes about a minute and it gives the brain some fresh air, the body some activity and they are ready to get back to work.

If something similar happened in the OP's school, I could easily see a 5 year old thinking this was a recess because they were going outside and then thinking it a punishment because they didn't get to play. And kindergartners have absolutely no sense of time, so 1 minute could seem like 20 to them.

I would just ask in a friendly manner what is happening in class that your daughter is interpreting as a punishment. 75% chance it is not a punishment.

I love when teachers tell parents that they will only believe 25% of what the child says is happening at home if the parents agree to only believe 25% of what is happening at school. Some of the things I have heard happen at home have been doozies!

 

[lauradis]

Op more then likely, your 5 year old is only giving you part of the truth.

I see nothing wrong with a teacher making children walk laps as a punishment.

If your really worried sent her an email asking her what her "punishment policy" is.

 

[Mkrop]

Or they dropped out and learned to hate both religion and school. Two of my male relatives were among those kids. One is dyslexic, but they didn't diagnose such things back then and the nuns treated his inability to do certain things as a discipline issue. He left school after 8th grade and is very nearly illiterate, and he didn't set foot in a church for 40+ years until his granddaughter's baptism. Another was left handed and got the whack with a ruler method until he learned to write "properly" (right handed). He too dropped out while in middle school, though for his generation that wasn't as much of a handicap and he went on to a solid union manufacturing career.

I'm pretty sure there's middle ground between not punishing kids at all and trying to beat them all into fitting a pre-determined mold.

ETA: I think in these discussions we tend to forget the human tendency of emotions to shade memories over time. My DH is a great example. To hear him talk, when he was 13 or 16 (the ages of our two oldest), he was a polite and respectful young man who didn't talk back and never got in trouble. Which is interesting, because I know about the times in high school when the police brought him home drunk from parties (back when police turned you over to your Dad rather than locking you up over such things). I know he skated through high school as a C/D student on his natural ability, doing no homework and barely hanging on to his athletic eligibility, and I know that he pretty much hated both his natural father and his stepfather through most of his teen years and let them both know it. But whenever one of our kids crosses a line his initial response is "I'd never have done that, and if I did I'd have gotten a beating! We're too soft on these kids. That's why kids these days have no respect for anyone."

OT: but I went to 16 years of Catholic school and never saw any nuns or teachers do this, I am sure it happened but I never witnessed it and I guess discipline like that stopped by the time I got there, and I went to 3 different Catholic grade schools due to moving.

Now DH who went to public school was forced to be a righty and kids were paddled.

I always find it interesting that people like to point out the nuns when this was done in other school settings as well.


Ok back on topic....

 

[kmb584]

About your last statement. Either way they learned to sit down and be quiet, and most did learn and graduate. Mommy wasn't there to coddle them and make sure things were special for just them.

That might be true for some, but my mom was left-handed and had the crap beaten out of her hand with a ruler until she learned to write "properly", or right-handed. The same was done to my aunt.

 

[Colleen27]

OT: but I went to 16 years of Catholic school and never saw any nuns or teachers do this, I am sure it happened but I never witnessed it and I guess discipline like that stopped by the time I got there, and I went to 3 different Catholic grade schools due to moving.

Now DH who went to public school was forced to be a righty and kids were paddled.

I always find it interesting that people like to point out the nuns when this was done in other school settings as well.


Ok back on topic....

Well, I'm from a Catholic family... Until my generation, most of the kids went to Catholic schools so nearly all the teacher stories I heard growing up, good and bad, featured nuns. It is also worth noting that this was a long time ago. The younger of the two men I mentioned is in his 60s, and the other would be nearly 100 if he was still alive.

My daughters go to Catholic school and I find their discipline policies to be much more reasonable and research-based than the policies in use at the public schools we're zoned for (not that the public schools are terrible, but there are a lot of nonsensical punishments like taking recess from a kid who can't sit still and changes in response to anything other than govt mandate happens at a glacial pace).

 

[Art 1]

Or they dropped out and learned to hate both religion and school. Two of my male relatives were among those kids. One is dyslexic, but they didn't diagnose such things back then and the nuns treated his inability to do certain things as a discipline issue. He left school after 8th grade and is very nearly illiterate, and he didn't set foot in a church for 40+ years until his granddaughter's baptism. Another was left handed and got the whack with a ruler method until he learned to write "properly" (right handed). He too dropped out while in middle school, though for his generation that wasn't as much of a handicap and he went on to a solid union manufacturing career.

I'm pretty sure there's middle ground between not punishing kids at all and trying to beat them all into fitting a pre-determined mold.

ETA: I think in these discussions we tend to forget the human tendency of emotions to shade memories over time. My DH is a great example. To hear him talk, when he was 13 or 16 (the ages of our two oldest), he was a polite and respectful young man who didn't talk back and never got in trouble. Which is interesting, because I know about the times in high school when the police brought him home drunk from parties (back when police turned you over to your Dad rather than locking you up over such things). I know he skated through high school as a C/D student on his natural ability, doing no homework and barely hanging on to his athletic eligibility, and I know that he pretty much hated both his natural father and his stepfather through most of his teen years and let them both know it. But whenever one of our kids crosses a line his initial response is "I'd never have done that, and if I did I'd have gotten a beating! We're too soft on these kids. That's why kids these days have no respect for anyone."

100% of the people are not going to fit the mold. I think the idea is to teach and discipline to the majority of the students.

 

[Turn the Page]

I just have a hard time believing every child but one was misbehaving. I'm really not a fan of group punishment for this reason.

Huh, believe it sister. I'm not saying it's necessarily happening here but it is possible. One of my first substitute teaching jobs was in a kinergarten classroom. I had no less than 3 staff members come to me throughout the day and encourage me not to hesistate to ask for help as, and I quote, "these kids have been BAD lately!!!" They made me cry.

 

[mom2rtk]

Huh, believe it sister. I'm not saying it's necessarily happening here but it is possible. One of my first substitute teaching jobs was in a kinergarten classroom. I had no less than 3 staff members come to me throughout the day and encourage me not to hesistate to ask for help as, and I quote, "these kids have been BAD lately!!!" They made me cry.

My, what a naughty batch of kids you had.

 

[aacvacation]

This is what the punishment was from K-5 for me. And that was like 13 years ago. It's actually really common. (Heck, even in high school my tennis coach would make us run laps as punishment!) I promise you it doesn't make exercise feel like a punishment, it is just the fact that you can't go do your own thing that sucks. I recall running laps around the exact same perimeter for fun, but when we got in trouble we had to walk and couldn't talk. It's really not a big deal. (Plus you still are getting exercise, which is also the point of that punishment.)

 

[Hrhpd]

100% of the people are not going to fit the mold. I think the idea is to teach and discipline to the majority of the students.

No, the idea of an education is to teach to every child. That is why there are different avenues available such as 504 plans for children that do not "fit" your majority mold.

 

[Luv Bunnies]

I think it's appropriate for kids who were being disruptive to walk a few laps during recess time. They're still outside in the fresh air moving around. They're just not being allowed to do what they want to do. Since it's early in the school year, the teacher is likely trying to establish behavior limits by showing everyone what happens when they don't listen to or comply with the rules. Most kids will likely get a taste of it and think twice next time the teacher gives them a direction. A few will take longer to get the idea. With young kids, you have to use these techniques early and often.

If a certain child or group of children was engaging disruptive behavior, you can't just send them out to recess to have fun. There has to be a blip in the schedule. It could be lining up to walk a few laps while the other kids play. It could be staying in for a few minutes to clean up materials (if they were running around rather than cleaning up with the rest of the class, for example). The teacher can't just say, "Next time you have to clean up." There has to be an action that the child notices that will hopefully prompt them to make a different choice the next time. You will probably see the teacher fading out the classroom laps over the next few weeks as the kids settle down and learn what's expected of them.

 

[MrsDuck]

Sounds better than what my elementary school did - if the group or an individual acted up the punishment was no recess at ALL. It was very upsetting as a child but looking back as an adult I see the damage it did - elementary school kids need time to move!!

OP, I would double check to see what's going on but honestly, making kids walk doesn't sound like the end of the world to me. As others have said, the punishment is not being able to play freely.

 

[texaslover]

I teach 3rd grade. We had "think track" at recess up until this year. The kids would walk a designated number of laps depending on the infraction. Very rarely did anyone miss all of recess to walk. The district made a policy this year that we can't have think track, study hall (recess or after school time to finish work) or detentions. Now all we have as disciplinary leverage is a positive, reward based classroom money system. Kids get paid for being good then can buy rewards and get fines for infractions. I was very generous the first week and all of my kids got $30.00. One student talked while I or other students were talking many times during the week and got warnings so when I was discussing the importance of listening to the class and he had a full conversation with his neighbor during it I fined him $1.00. I got an email from mom about how devastated he is and that it's his tables fault and how he never gets in trouble....
Our hands are tied. Going to the office is a joke bc they call their parents and parents yell at the principal for upsetting their kid.

 

[MOpGrad2013]

I don't remember if it started as young as Kindergarten, but my kids' teachers have used walking laps during recess for as long as I can remember. Sometimes the whole class, sometimes just individual students. These teachers' hands are really tied when it comes to punishment...I'm sure they get flack from parents no matter what they try to do. Once my older child reached middle school, they no longer had recess, so it was no longer an option.

With all that said, my kids have never had any lasting effects of having had to walk laps (other than complaining that they didn't get to play during recess that day, which is the point of the punishment).

My kids had same thing! And now they love walking laps or running when they are stressed or unable to focus.

I taught CCD (religious ed) and as a volunteer, you have even less abilities to control the class. So, I would get them up and play "Head Shoulders Knees and Toes" One of the parents approached me about taking them out to walk the laps. I didn't have the time to take them outside and the only place to walk was along the road. But, there was an understanding that kids sometimes need to blow off steam. We had different plans in the classroom. You can stand quietly at your place instead of your chair. Crayons taken away if you are breaking or throwing them.

Most of my students had been given doughnuts for breakfast after church so you can just imagine their wiggle-ness.

I am sure the class worked their way up to the 20 minute punishment. My kids have also had entire school silent lunch for days in a row. Got them ready for basic training meals.

OP, this will pass. The school year has just begun and the class together with the teacher will work through it all. I'd rather have a tough beginning than a teacher who tries to toughen up the rules later in the year.

 

[sk!mom]

I see nothing wrong with walking laps as a consequence for misbehavior. I would have an issue with whole class punishments. That is expressly forbidden in any school district that I've ever taught in.

It sounds like this teacher is having issues with classroom management. I'd go over her head to the Principal. Someone needs to be checking in and offering her appropriate management strategies.

 

[declansdad]

OT: but I went to 16 years of Catholic school and never saw any nuns or teachers do this, I am sure it happened but I never witnessed it and I guess discipline like that stopped by the time I got there, and I went to 3 different Catholic grade schools due to moving.

Now DH who went to public school was forced to be a righty and kids were paddled.

I always find it interesting that people like to point out the nuns when this was done in other school settings as well.


Ok back on topic....

Not the first time I have heard of nuns doing this.

 

[North of Mouse]

I don't remember if it started as young as Kindergarten, but my kids' teachers have used walking laps during recess for as long as I can remember. Sometimes the whole class, sometimes just individual students. These teachers' hands are really tied when it comes to punishment...I'm sure they get flack from parents no matter what they try to do. Once my older child reached middle school, they no longer had recess, so it was no longer an option.

With all that said, my kids have never had any lasting effects of having had to walk laps (other than complaining that they didn't get to play during recess that day, which is the point of the punishment).

This is probably the best compromise she can come up with. Teachers have it so tough with classroom control these days, because someone objects to everything. The only thing left to some of the teachers I know is taking away recess, and they don't want to stop the kids from moving all together.

My DD had a teacher that made kids walk laps. It was known from the get go that if a child was in trouble for any reason they were going to do laps at recess. I thought it was great.

Big deal....kids still get exercise and are moving during recess.

It's not like they could paddle kids anymore....or likely even sit little Johnny and Susie in a corner without a lawsuit being filed.

My grandsons kindergarten teacher made them walk the track everyday last year. It wasn't a punishment at all she walked with them. I though it was great to get them out and moving.

About your last statement. Either way they learned to sit down and be quiet, and most did learn and graduate. Mommy wasn't there to coddle them and make sure things were special for just them.

I have no issues with it - kids are still getting out, getting the exercise they need, but the "fun" aspect of it is taken away...thus, a punishment.

Agree with all these posters. I know several little kindergarters, and I tell you that a whole classroom of these little 'rugrats' would have me pulling out my hair!

They have been babied so much and never had to sit still in their lives - my 'hat' is off to 'all' teachers trying to have control, while teaching children, or teens, something all day. They have some parents breathing down their necks no matter what they do.

 

[lan3]

I would definitely speak with the teacher. We are not allowed to make kids walk laps as punishment in NYC. However, we can make kids walk if they are running or behaving in an unsafe manner. It could be that all the kids were running and the teacher made the kids walk properly which happens all the time and a kid in K can misinterpret.