The Why, How, and Uses of Recess in the Alt Ed and Mainstream Classrooms

The Why, How, and Uses of Recess in the Alt Ed and Mainstream Secondary Classroom

#EducationPractices  #EducationPodcast  #Education #AlternativeEducation #SecondaryEducaiton

Who cannot recall the splendors of the bell that alerted us to #recess time?  It was superb.  How we spent that time was up to us - within reason, of course.   It was time to spend with friends, talk to teachers, participate in activities, or play some sort of game/sport, for a reasonable amount of time.  

 

During the elementary years, we had two recesses, plus our lunch that included activity time, whether it was in the gym or on the playground - we were active.  Then, in middle school, we had a morning recess, of sorts, and it was a terrific break.  Next came lunch.  We didn’t have anything after lunch at this point - I suppose there was some logic behind it, and most of us didn't seem to need it, or so it seemed. 

 

High school came and we still have a chunk of morning time to go about, socialize, activate our bodies, and find other things to do.  And, we were happy and motivated.   It didn’t seem to bother us any longer not having the second recess of the day.

 

University came and we were able to give ourselves permission to do what we liked, as we liked, and when we liked so recess was part of the culture givens.  Many times for many people even class time might be seen as biting into the incredible nature of adult recess time.  

 

Next came the real world, and jobs.  Those in most sectors found themselves having a recess in the form of a coffee break, twice a day, as well as a lunch break - maybe an hour, or 30 minutes - it depends on the work environment - but it was still a healthy break.  You use this time to decompress.  

 

However, in the schools, especially in the current models for alternative education, there are no coffee breaks, and often the lunch break is overtaken with more responsibilities.   How can a teacher skip to the loo in a matter of (truly) seconds and be back to welcome their students, feeling as refreshed as they are?   We worry so much about the students, as we should, but we should also be worried about the care, feeding, and mental/physical health of the teachers, as well.   

 

Alternative teachers tend to be with their students throughout the day - unless they are able to put up some firm boundaries - but many times those are lost as the needs of our students tend to be quite strong and need attention.   So, how can we attend to ourselves while also attending to the “decompression” needs of our students? 

 

Some resources on the need for recess are below: 

Healthy Schools and Recess (CDC)

 

Older Students Need Recess, Too!

 

Recess for High School Students

 

The Importance of Recess

 

Archivos de Medicina del Deporte (Archives of Sports Medicine) - A study on recess in Catalonia

 

The Effect of Two Covid-19 Lockdowns on Physical Activity of School-Age Children