If You’re a Teacher Who Denies Recess…
If you are a teacher in a school where children are lucky enough to get recess, please don’t use it as a disciplinary tool. Don’t deny students with behavioral issues recess for punishment. If you do, not only will you not be doing right by your students, you will risk looking like you know little about children and their needs.
If you are a teacher with parents who don’t like recess, and I have known parents like this, you need to discuss the importance of recess with them.
The important thing is to know that other professional groups are increasingly understanding the importance of recess and they will point to teachers who deny recess as not doing right by children. Teachers will eventually look most unprofessional—even cruel.
Evie Blad at Ed. Week writes about how there are some places like Minnesota, where lawmakers might rule against permitting teachers to withhold recess as punishment. Many schools are insisting teachers not use recess as punishment. So teachers may no longer be legally permitted to deny recess to a child.
In fact, why teachers have not picketed for recess in general, that they haven’t been out on the frontline fighting for their students’ right to recess, always perplexes me. Teachers should stand with pediatricians and others who support recess.
How many times must it be said, that making children into workhorses with no breaks is tantamount to child abuse?
The fact that the teaching profession needs parents, wellness advocates and If You’re a Teacher Who Denies Recess…:
