Removing Recess: Test Scores Trump Play!
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 15 minutes a day, unless of course it's too hot or too cold.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 kindergartner was not going out for recess. The teacher told her that they had too much work to do. Kindergartners?
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, instead it was shortened by 10 minutes.
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 enjoy, it gives
