Let me begin by being completely honest. I hate recess. I hate being out in the cold. I hate being out when it’s hot. I am not fortunate enough to work in a school where teachers have aides that monitor recess. I , and my teammates take the kids out for 20 minutes a day, unless of course it’s too hot or too cold.
Today, I read an article, “Losing Recess”, written by a parent who noticed changes in her child. She attributed these changes to the fact that her kindergartener was not going out for recess. The teacher told her that they had too much work to do. Kindergarteners? Aren’t they supposed to go outside and play? If no other grade goes out, wouldn’t you at least think kindergarteners would?
As much as I despise recess, I have to agree with the points she made in her article. We have to give our kids a break. At some point, they have to be able to go outside, run around,and breathe. In the last few years, my former principal had toyed with the idea of getting rid of recess entirely, but we teachers did protest too much! That idea was canned, so he just shortened it by 10 minutes. God forbid, we waste 10 minutes of learning time. Then our former nurse got in on it, she wanted recess banned, because, get this, there were too many accidents. Are you kidding me? Maybe, she was running out of band-aids or ice packs.
Another point made in the article was that recess isn’t just recess. There’s more to it than, “Go outside and play.” It teaches socialization skills, leadership skills, gives the new kids a chance to make friends, gives our video-saturated kids a chance to run around, and the part I do like, gives me a chance to have informal conversations with my students.
My colleague would miss being the quarterback for 5th graders, and I would miss showing my kids that I can still jump double dutch, even if I do pant heavily afterwards. And if we’re to follow the First Lady’s initiative, how do we take away the one part of the day when some of these kids actually get off their tush?
I know state “ test score anxiety” (TSA) has pushed us into situations that are completely unfavorable for our students. But recess? Come on, I think we should leave it alone, and/or bring it back, even if I do have to go outside. 
7 Reasons Why Kids Need Recess (Even the Kids That Misbehave)
Posted by Kelly Faulkner on July 20, 2011 at 1:30 am
getting rid of recess? are they crazy? i teach at an all-boys secondary school, and on wet days (no fields, inside only), they are crazy with testosterone! they NEED to go out and play! they are much more settled and ready to learn after they’ve gone out and burned off their energy. and getting the blood going makes them think! i can’t believe some dimwit with more salary than sense is even considering this, in a day and age where obesity is an issue. and i agree with you on the socialisation aspect.
Posted by Oldschoolteach on July 20, 2011 at 10:37 am
I agree Kelly. There is a distinct difference in the afternoons where my students had recess and when they didn’t. Whooo-boy, there is a difference!
Posted by Amanda Northrup (@msnorthrup) on November 6, 2011 at 8:31 pm
My state (North Carolina) mandates 150 minutes of “moderate to vigorous physical activity” per week for all students in grades K-8. We’re also not allowed to take time out of the 150 mins for punishment (Policy is here: http://bit.ly/vc8iiO).
I love recess! As you mentioned in your post – I enjoy hanging out and playing games with my students. Last week I enjoyed a vigorous game of basketball. I find that recess is a great time to strengthen my rapport and relationships with my students because we get to interact on a completely different level.
- @msnorthrup http://teachingandlearningcommunity.blogspot.com