Recess.
I might be just as obsessed with it as my students are. I dread the cold, winter months and rainy days for the same reason: indoor recess. Although indoor recess provides a break for students, it does not have the same magical effects as outdoor recess. Recess serves so many purposes. It allows students to get their wiggles out, learn how to interact with other students, build relationships, learn give and take, and so much more. At my school, students get approximately 20 minutes of recess each day. However, those twenty minutes quickly disappear when you take into consideration transitions (lining up, walking from the cafeteria to the playground, etc). In my opinion, students would benefit greatly from more time spent outside with their peers.
I might be just as obsessed with it as my students are. I dread the cold, winter months and rainy days for the same reason: indoor recess. Although indoor recess provides a break for students, it does not have the same magical effects as outdoor recess. Recess serves so many purposes. It allows students to get their wiggles out, learn how to interact with other students, build relationships, learn give and take, and so much more. At my school, students get approximately 20 minutes of recess each day. However, those twenty minutes quickly disappear when you take into consideration transitions (lining up, walking from the cafeteria to the playground, etc). In my opinion, students would benefit greatly from more time spent outside with their peers.
I recently read a blog post, Is Recess the Key to Success? This post explained how first grade students in Finland only spend 4.5 hours at school. Of those 4.5 hours, 1.5 of them are spent having recess. Although these students engage in far more play than our students, they are meeting or exceeding standards. This does not shock me. Students need to move throughout the day. First graders have a minimal attention span and thrive off of frequent breaks. If all you are doing is instructing without breaks, students will automatically lose focus. All the extra time you spend instructing may not be leading to student learning. This presents a challenge to teachers who are expected to fit in so much into their students' day.
Teachers need to be proactive. Incorporate energizers throughout the day, include movement in lessons, find opportunities to get outside. My students benefit immensely from getting outside more. Although "extra recess" is the biggest motivator you can present first graders with, it provides so much more than behavioral support. You can teach students how to play and interact with one another. Students view you in a different light; they can share an experience with you beyond a solely academic one. Your students' one recess break is not enough. They can be provided with other movement and play experiences without compromising academic success. Even if you cannot take them outside more than once per day, provide them with other options. My first graders respond best to Just Dance. Their personal favorite, What Does the Fox Say?:
Teachers need to be proactive. Incorporate energizers throughout the day, include movement in lessons, find opportunities to get outside. My students benefit immensely from getting outside more. Although "extra recess" is the biggest motivator you can present first graders with, it provides so much more than behavioral support. You can teach students how to play and interact with one another. Students view you in a different light; they can share an experience with you beyond a solely academic one. Your students' one recess break is not enough. They can be provided with other movement and play experiences without compromising academic success. Even if you cannot take them outside more than once per day, provide them with other options. My first graders respond best to Just Dance. Their personal favorite, What Does the Fox Say?:
Don't be afraid to dance with your students. Sharing these fun, play-like experiences with them builds your relationships. You'd be surprised who is more willing to take academic risks when they see you let down your walls, too.
Image Source:
By Ildar Sagdejev (Specious) (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Image Source:
By Ildar Sagdejev (Specious) (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons