Real Talk
Dear Bored Teachers, I sometimes take away recess when my kids are out of control and we need to finish our lesson for the day. Hear me out before coming at me! My admin is a micromanager and control freak. Our lesson plans are not your average lesson plans; they’re detailed down to the minute of each day. This is the way it’s always been in our school. And when we don’t follow the plans and schedule, then who gets reprimanded? Me. So my only option is to use these precious 15 minutes of recess whenever my kids are off the walls, and we don’t fall behind. I know it’s not ideal, and some may argue it might actually be counterproductive, but I don’t know what else to do at this point. Any suggestions are welcome!
Signed,
Frustrated Teacher
Dear Frustrated Teacher,
Oh, I definitely will not come at you; I’m coming straight for the people with the outrageous demands of requiring teachers to write lesson plans so precisely that you don’t have time to take the students out for a much-needed break. Who does that, and why? Lesson plans are meant to be guides that should change with the needs of the students; they should not be written for administrator micromanagement. Period.
You have a controlling administrator who holds you accountable for every last instructional minute. Yet they have not removed recess, although their extreme accounting practices might be an attempt to do so.
So here is the ultimate suggestion: Change schools ASAP! There are schools where the administration respects teachers enough to make their own instructional decisions, and you need to find one STAT. If this is not an option, then you must learn that there are workarounds to every situation.
Recess improves behavior and cognition
Your question indicates that you are very well aware that taking away recess from students is counterproductive. I agree 100 percent. The American Academy of Pediatrics indicates that students are more cognitively attentive and behave better after they have a break.
I sympathize with your predicament, as there aren’t many consequences that are left for students when they misbehave. The problem with taking away recess is that you are punishing yourself because student attention and behavior will be worse; you will accomplish less and lose your ever-loving mind in the process.
Solutions other than taking away recess
There is no way you can know how much time each subject in your plans will take, and writing lesson plans to the minute is not the best practice by any stretch of the imagination. Rushing students through lessons to stay on schedule is also counterproductive. I would reflect on your teaching here and see how you can make your instructional minutes count; think quality over quantity. Here are some tips:
- If students are not staying focused on their work, include brain breaks in your plans to give students a reward and help maintain their motivation and concentration.
- Have students take work for homework that they have not completed in class.
- Include a morning for remediation in your plans, and allow this time to play catch up.
- Plans are meant to be changed. If you do not get something done, modify your lesson for the next day. This is not a crime.
- Enlist a positive reward system and consequences that don’t include the removal of recess.
Taking away recess is not the answer to this one. Please talk to your administrator about allowing you the flexibility to change your plans when lessons aren’t being completed on schedule. The problem that needs to be solved here is the lack of trust on the part of your administrator. In all honesty, you probably need more recess, not less.
