What does recess look like at your school? Do you see teachers speaking
respectfully to students, interacting, asking questions about a student's day?
Or are the interactions between teacher and student rigid, bossy, threatening?
Where are the teachers? Are they in the staff room during recess leaving the duty to the ones assigned? Or are they interacting in positive ways with students even if not assigned to duty?
I have presented you with different scenarios. Some build relationships, others sever or hinder them. What do you see in your school? What do you do?
About 2 months ago George Couros wrote in one of his blog posts how he spends recess talking to the kids, building relationships. That inspired me to write this post.
ReplyDeleteI have mixed feelings on this. Sometimes I play basketball with my eighth graders during lunch recess. Other times, I need a break. I need to put on Sufjan Stevens, Damien Rice or Hayden (the indie folk rocker and not the classical composer) and sit alone. I need the flexibility to do both.
ReplyDeleteJohn, I know where you are coming from. I guess I am just trying to challenge teachers or staff members to get to know students a little better. Important to get to know students that they do not teach, too. Indeed, we all need a little break too.
ReplyDeleteI teach at a school in Kerrisdale neighbourhood in Vancouver. I go out at recess and lunch quite frequently, and tho I admit it is done more so in good weather, I have never EVER seen another teacher set foot outside the school doors during that time, no matter how glorious the weather. I have also been in doors and on the very rare occasion set foot inside the staffroom during these times. Guess which place I prefer? What kills me is when I hear them snapping at students 'it's a nice day, go outside, it's good for you' and I remember the same thoughts I had in elementary school - "if it's so damn good for us, then why aren't you outside too".
ReplyDeleteI always go out with the kids. We play football (yes, football!:), hide-and-seek, basketball, tag and many more (some invented games, too!- in case you do not know what a "taxiworm" is, my second graders will teach you:)
ReplyDeleteI have my quiet moments, too, and I like watching kids - how they laugh, giggle or get focused on a tiny bug.
@surrealyno