Unusual Form of Punishment Used for Recess Detention: OMG!

[cijay]

I'm with everyone else who says that recess detention is a suitable method but that's not what this article is about. I saw a few of these 'alternative methods' while I was teaching overseas and asked that they be stopped. (This was kindie, by the way, it wasn't the area/case where they were being caned - more in line with holding the cones.) One time I asked two of them to go to the corner, they went there and put their arms up, over their head (as if they were trying to reach 'that spot' on the wall). I told them to put their arms down but stay in the corner and they were pretty surprised to find I was even giving them chairs. The principal's office had a huge picture window that looked out onto the playground so we would put them there so they could look out and see the other kids play at recess.

I think the worst though is when some of the 9 and 10 year olds kept coming in to our classroom. I closed the door and told them to sit over there. If they wanted to be with the babies, they'd have to stay in the classroom. (It was their lunch time but we'd already had ours.) They went to the wall, kneeled down with their head touching the wall and their hands behind their back. It's not a prison camp! I mean to sit at an empty table with crayons and colouring pages. But those kids were perfectly happy to kneel.

Our school (the one I went to, not the one I taught at) had the strap. I think it was only used once in the five years I went there but the point is that it was there and kids knew that it could be theirs.

Some parents are excellent though. One of my students had punched another one in the stomach. It was the end of the day so there was no time for in-room punishments but we called his mother. The next day, his mother came to school with him and he was carrying this beautiful, brand new Tonka truck and he handed it to the boy he'd punched. I thought that was nice that the mother would buy him a truck but she said "oh now, that was his. I told him to go to his room and pick out his favourite toy...he didn't know why, now he knows." I thought it was great. It's only going to work once though because the next time, he's going to pick something he's not partial to.

 

[dotfurio]

What went on in that article is totally ridiculous!!!

We do recess detention, but it's kids in a classroom doing work. I like the idea of walking detention because I really think the kids need that outdoor/physical time, but I think they also need some "cut loose" time on the playground to focus back in. It's usually the kids that need recess the most that end up in recess detention.

 

[cijay]

We also had one little boy who acted up just before recess pretty near every day. Phys ed was just before recess on a few of the days so it was really not removing any physical activity from him to keep him in and he always went to sleep. Then I caught on...he WANTED to sleep! I told him he didn't have to be naughty to stay in and sleep. If he wanted to sleep, just tell me.

 

[kamik86]

We also had one little boy who acted up just before recess pretty near every day. Phys ed was just before recess on a few of the days so it was really not removing any physical activity from him to keep him in and he always went to sleep. Then I caught on...he WANTED to sleep! I told him he didn't have to be naughty to stay in and sleep. If he wanted to sleep, just tell me.

Its amazing how much easier it is when you figure out why the kids are misbehaving.

I worked at a camp the summers I was 17 and 18 and I swear many of the other counselors didn't remember being a kid. They wondered how I was so good with some of the misbehaving ones... It was only the directors and others that were teachers that also say some of the things I did like:

We had a girl that would keep acting up in small ways most common was the kids were supposed to walk in pairs (buddies) whenever they were going somewhere, the idea being that you kept a watch out for your buddy. Well she would purposely annoy her buddy until no one would want to be her buddy. She wanted attention. She wanted to always be the counselors buddy so she would be special. I started asking her to help me with things. Just little things while we were at activities. Like to go and get something for me or help clean up. Everyone was surprised when she started behaving better for me then anyone else.

We had another one that would throw a fit if she couldn't be a specific girls buddy, but that girl had other friends so she didn't always want to be tied to the same person. Plus this was girl scout camp we tried to switch the kids up and have them make other friends. ONe day she decided she was going to pout and not get in line since she couldn't be with her. The other counselors, older then me were trying to coax her when I just said. Oh its fine I'll stay with her take the others to crafts since they are in line, don't want them to be late. Then I took out a book sat down and read while she pouted... I only managed to read half a page before behaving and going to crafts sounded better.

Oh and the kid that decided she wanted to be a dog and was barking all the time and wouldn't talk. I simply said to someone else "Hmm we better go call this dogs owners and have them picked up, no dogs are allowed in camp!!" and got up to go towards the lodge. She was back to being a human before I got half way.

 

[Hrhpd]

Recess detention here means something totally different. If the kids hit that level of trouble (takes more than one strike), they "walk the fence" (there is a fence surrounding their play areas). Punishment can be everything from 5 minutes to the whole 25 minute period. They are still getting fresh air and exercise.

If it's bad weather, and they have to be indoors, the detention is served by sitting in the hallway, and doing worksheets.

I'm ok with the teachers doing this.

EDIT FOR CLARITY I'm ok with my son's teachers, not the teachers in the link. Sorry if any confusion

Assuming that the kids are telling the truth, this is inappropriate.

That is basically the same way in our schools. It is against district policy to keep children from the fresh air and exercise, so you cannot sit a child on a bench or keep them inside for recess. A teacher will lead the group that is in recess detention in walking around the playground for x amount of minutes, usually 5 of the 20 minute recess. But there is always a teacher leading the walking group so the teacher is doing whatever the children are doing.

If true, making them stand there and hold cones out is barbaric.

 

[lizabu]

I voted before I read the whole thing. Recess detention means instead of having fun outside at recess you have to stay at your desk, that is acceptable punishment if you ask me. This public shaming holding your arms in the air thing sounds like child abuse and it's not ok.

 

[cijay]

One of my former students is 12 now and is a very nice young man. I told him I was proud of him and reminded him of some of the naughty things that gave him time out. I would let them watch the clock and he ssaid "it's okay, it's how i learned to tell time."

I agree with the one who said that some people forgot what it's like to be a kid and they also do plenty of denying that they were just as bad. They forget what it's like looking at your coat hook, and you know it's yours because your name is on it but some stinky boy hung HIS coat on there. (The boy's parent said to solve it to take the names off of the hooks. No, how about we teach your child how to respect property and boundaries.)

 

[wenrob]

I'm with everyone else who says that recess detention is a suitable method but that's not what this article is about. I saw a few of these 'alternative methods' while I was teaching overseas and asked that they be stopped. (This was kindie, by the way, it wasn't the area/case where they were being caned - more in line with holding the cones.) One time I asked two of them to go to the corner, they went there and put their arms up, over their head (as if they were trying to reach 'that spot' on the wall). I told them to put their arms down but stay in the corner and they were pretty surprised to find I was even giving them chairs. The principal's office had a huge picture window that looked out onto the playground so we would put them there so they could look out and see the other kids play at recess.

I think the worst though is when some of the 9 and 10 year olds kept coming in to our classroom. I closed the door and told them to sit over there. If they wanted to be with the babies, they'd have to stay in the classroom. (It was their lunch time but we'd already had ours.) They went to the wall, kneeled down with their head touching the wall and their hands behind their back. It's not a prison camp! I mean to sit at an empty table with crayons and colouring pages. But those kids were perfectly happy to kneel.

Our school (the one I went to, not the one I taught at) had the strap. I think it was only used once in the five years I went there but the point is that it was there and kids knew that it could be theirs.

Some parents are excellent though. One of my students had punched another one in the stomach. It was the end of the day so there was no time for in-room punishments but we called his mother. The next day, his mother came to school with him and he was carrying this beautiful, brand new Tonka truck and he handed it to the boy he'd punched. I thought that was nice that the mother would buy him a truck but she said "oh now, that was his. I told him to go to his room and pick out his favourite toy...he didn't know why, now he knows." I thought it was great. It's only going to work once though because the next time, he's going to pick something he's not partial to.

These are the types of punishments my brothers would give my nephews. They learned it from my stepfather who was way worse on them. He learned it from his father who was absolutely barbaric. Things like kneeling in raw rice on a tile floor with your nose touching the wall and your arms out to the sides. If you wavered or cried the resulting punishment was even worse. Needless to say, none of them were allowed to watch my kids. Once my sister's boy and my DD were at my grandmother's and my brother was there. He gave one of these punishments to my sister's son. When my DD told me about, I came unglued and let them know in no uncertain terms what would happen if they attempted to "discipline" mine or my sister's children again. I was so angry I'm shaking with fury just thinking about 10-12 years later.

As you can tell from my response above, I think it's a brutal and abusive punishment. You bet I'd have a lawyer and would be involving the cops if they weren't already there to arrest me when I lost it finding out this was done to my kid. I can't understand where the thought would come from that kids that age would be making it up. Where would they possibly even get the idea from?

 

[kamik86]

For all those that are saying recess detention here means... remember recess detention really just means detention that happens at recess as opposed to after school. Which is used for elementary school kids since well someone generally picks them up or is waiting for them to get off the bus so its not like they can just give them detention after school.

 

[cijay]

I'm sure that's what kinds of punishments my students got from home//other teachers because everyone else seemed to think it was normal. Not going to list the countries I worked in but some were so mean. I had little ones, I think the oldest child I taught was 7 aside from tutoring and one aide slapped a little girl's face because she wasn't eating heer lunch. well, her mother forgot to pack utensils so she was waiting for her friend to finish so she could use her fork. I was forever saying "don't hit them" in that class.

 

[declansdad]

15 minutes holding the cones over his head, I call BS on that one.

 

[Wall-E1]

Assuming the reports are true: it is absolutely out of line, especially for younger elementary ages kids (out of line all together, but even more so given the ages).

Sounds fishy to me - only info is from some kids, except for the one quote from the principal.

Assuming that the kids are telling the truth, this is inappropriate.

I hope it is not true because that sounds pretty awful.

But Foreman and Bourgeois are lying, according to Livingston Superintendent John Watson. He said recess detention using cones happened last year with parental consent as an alternative to suspension, but it is not happening anymore.

Livingston Parish Schools Superintendent John Watson confirmed Tuesday that punishment using safety cones did happen last year at the school, but as an alternative to suspension and only with parental consent.

Supt. Watson also said it wasn't happening anymore, which conflicted with what two other parents said in Tuesday's report. Supt. Watson said Thursday that he will make no further comment about the issue.

From the new articles, the superintendent is confirming that these forms of discipline were being used at the school, but were stopped at the end of the last school year. So, did this principal not get the memo… or are the kids giving accounts of things that happened to them last school year? My gut feeling is this principal was still using this tactic, and the superintendent either does not know it is still happening, or is covering for the principal.

Either way, there's no way this should be an acceptable form of discipline/punishment for an elementary school to hand out in the year 2015.

 

[wilkeliza]

Oh man I should have read the article before I voted. I thought you were just asking if sitting out from recess as detention was acceptable not what was described in the articles. I think sitting out from recess or having to sit away from your class is acceptable detention but I don't think making them hold cones above their head or stand in the same spot is okay at all.

 

[sam_gordon]

For all those that are saying recess detention here means... remember recess detention really just means detention that happens at recess as opposed to after school. Which is used for elementary school kids since well someone generally picks them up or is waiting for them to get off the bus so its not like they can just give them detention after school.

But look at the question in the poll... "
Is the recess detention an acceptable form of discipline or not?

It APPEARS the OP wanted to ask about the physical punishment supposedly handed out at this school, but the question in the poll asks about "recess detention". So of course, people are going to reply based on what that definition means to THEM.

 

[Wall-E1]

But look at the question in the poll... "
Is the recess detention an acceptable form of discipline or not?

It APPEARS the OP wanted to ask about the physical punishment supposedly handed out at this school, but the question in the poll asks about "recess detention". So of course, people are going to reply based on what that definition means to THEM.

Yes, I was of course asking about the form of "recess detention" being used at the school I posted about. In hindsight, I could have worded it better. I just assumed that people would read the post first before voting.

I tried to go back and edit the poll, but it doesn't allow me to rephrase the question or responses. However, I was able to click a box that allows anyone to change their vote if they want to.

 

[I Love Pluto]

Kids need recess. Taking lunch away as punishment is not acceptable. Taking away exercise time to get out & move is not acceptable either. Kids need to eat, kids need to exercise.

Take away a special movie or treat. That is more appropriate.

 

[barkley]

does just shy of 5 months make a ZOMBIE THREAD?????

 

[RedAngie]

does just shy of 5 months make a ZOMBIE THREAD?????

IMO, yes. No additional responses after three months makes it a zombie.

 

[Kellykins1218]

These stories are rarely true

 

[I Love Pluto]

Zombie here!!!!