Transitions in School

[PollyannaMom]

Spinoff of a spinoff...

In the thread about snacks in school, there was also a lot about recess. Some posters mentioned 2 or 3 a day.

My first thought, as a parent, was - Wow DS would love that! He works better with a break at home, so why not in school?

My second thought, as a substitute teacehr, was - oh my! 4 more transitions:
1 - stop subject A (when they've finally gotten "into" it) and get everyone outside
2 - end recess and get 20-35 kids lined up & back in / deal with multiple requests to go to the bathroom, drinking fountain, nurse / try to get everyone back on task
3 - stop subject B (see #1)
4 - (see #2)

It's so time consuming to get a class settled back in after recess (or even just snacktime). I'm torn between breaks helping kids stay alert and focused and breaks taking up so much more time than the actual break. (Is that why a lot of homeschoolers say they get more done in less time?)

So, if your school has multiple recesses, do you like it or not? Do the kids do better with more breaks? Does it need to be a full recess each time, or would stretch/movement built into class work just as well? Is one longer break as good as several short ones? Would it be worth a longer school day to have more recesses?

(Just some random thoughts - don't feel you have to answer each question specifically, and feel free to add your own!)

 

[jodifla]

Our 2nd grade had an indoor recess....basically the kids had about 15 or 20 minutes to do something fun, then back to work.

They also have a play area right behind their room. No playground equipment, just a cement slap, but I know they run around out there for 10 minutes or so too. Their big recess is right after lunch.

 

[AristocatFan]

As a special ed parapro I hated the extra recesses this past school year. Our elementary started letting the kids earn an extra 20min recess for good behavior in the cafeteria, which is good but the principal said it had to be given that day! So many times I would be scheduled in a classroom to service a students IEP and they would have gone to recess. It made my job a lot harder to get minutes covered and yes, I agree, too many transitions sends the kids behavior into orbit!

 

[DisneyMomx7]

Our kids don't really get an extra recess - they just have 10 minutes or so for "snack time". Most of the younger grades do it between subjects and the higher grades let them just eat at their desk more of a "working snack".

I'm really glad they do have to because their schools starts early 7:50 and their lunch isn't until either 12:10 or 12:30.

 

[disykat]

I LOVED three recesses a day as a teacher. I don't find transitions that difficult if the expectations are set up at the beginning. In fact, transitions get much easier if they are well oiled routines. If recess is several times a day, they have whatever routine you have set down pat. Because snacks, bathroom breaks, drinks, etc. are to be done during recess - there are less distractions at other times.

 

[MM27]

Forget three recesses, I wish we got one real one in my school. The kids get 10 minutes after lunch. We try to keep them out a few extra minutes here and there but if the principals catch on they get on us about it.

 

[IDoDis]

The students at the elementary school where I teach have only one 30 minute recess per day -- that's it. While they are at recess, the teachers get their duty-free 30 minute lunch. The school day runs from 8:45 - 3:45pm. The first recess doesn't start until 1:00pm.

The kindergarten classes are on a different schedule and have more recesses. I'm not sure how many though because they have their own separate playground.

 

[bumbershoot]

I don't totally remember recess etc, and I've felt silly for wanting to ask about it on FB (many of my friends there are known to me b/c we went to elementary school together), but we had a tiny school, just one classroom per grade. Since we were in the same room ALL day, I definitely believe we had a recess between each subject.

But I don't remember that it took too long to get back and into stuff, and we all knew that bathroom and water breaks needed to be done during the recess (the bathrooms for the whole school were just off the 4-square courts, which were the first part of the recess area you came to, or the last you went by on the way back).

The best learning experience I had was in 4th grade when I went to a one-room schoolhouse in the hills above Cupertino CA. We started off every morning with old-fashioned calisthenics, and had lots of opportunity to get out the energy during the day, with breaks even long enough to put on rollerskates and have fun rolling around like that! Not only did the kids all get the benefit of being in a mixed-age class, but we got lots of activity.

I think it works best in smaller schools though, where the teachers don't have such a worry about losing kids, LOL.

 

[MoniqueU]

My youngest just graduated from 6th so no more recesses for her. My beef was a new principal took over and ended all field play and a bunch of games. Total crap to me. Also their PE was a joke, barely any fun games like we used to have in school and alot of running laps in 100 degree heat. I am glad she is out of there.

 

[HelenePA]

I'm one of the ones your talking about Mine get 2 recesses a day. Either indoor or outdoor. They also go out for gym, they get that 3 times a week (I think) I know one of the times of their recess was after lunch so there was no stopping of classes. I"m sure if it impacted their studies it would be cut back. So far that has not had happened. I'm glad. I know when I was in elem we did not really have a recess. We were in a very old building (seperate doors for boys and girls! we did not use them like that of course!) and there was no playground. In the summer they use to block off the street and we would play IN the street. I'm so glad when they built the new school they put in 2 playground! I know my kids LOVE it. One of them finally learned how to swing in school. No more pushing! Peer pressure! Gotta love it. I tried my hardest to teach her but she just would NOT listen to me.

 

[disneychrista]

Growing up in the late 70'/early 80's I remember a total of 3 recesses...Morning, Lunch and Afternoon. We didn't have PE in elementry school.

My kids got the same but a few years ago they cut out afternoon recess and they had PE in the afternoon so it all worked out.

 

[golfgal]

When our kids were in elementary school they had a mid-morning recess for 10 minutes, a 20 minute recess after lunch and a mid-afternoon recess for 10 minutes. After the first week, getting them to settle down wasn't an issue at all (I did a lot of volunteering at school so I saw this first hand). Kids are all about routine and one established, it wasn't a problem at all.

I could tell the second our kids walked in the door after school or not if they went outside for recess or not. I liked that they got that time to burn energy and when the weather didn't cooperate, they were pretty antsy when they got home.