I heard a news story on the electric radio while coming to work.  It seems a school has decided to eliminate recess in favor of more class room time. Exercise would be left to gym class only. 

They indicated that the current recess time was 10 minutes.  It seemed to me that recess was longer than that when I was a kid.  We usually had a mid morning recess, then a lunch recess.  It seemed longer.

First off, how long is morning recess?


Second off: I think the administration who came up with this idea are bats.  Not only is recess good for the body and mind but good for the teacher.  Being the parent of a couple rambunctious children, sitting too long in one place gets their legs to jumping and usually misbehavior ensues.  My wife thinks they are nuts for not giving the kids this active play time to get rid of their nervous energy.  She says the administration is just begging for trouble.

Recess is "officially" 15 minutes at my school, but most teachers stretch it to 20. By the time you get the kids lined up, off the play area and back into the classroom, it's usually closer to half and hour in total time.

Hey to Pierre...regarding batty school administrators, I've been teaching for 15 years as a second career.  At least 90% of the administrators I've worked with during that time have been total idiots.

Our school is grades K-4. They usually get 40 minutes for lunch. The kids eat then go to recess. Most kids are outside about 25-30 minutes.

The Kindergarten gets about 30 minutes. On very nice days they might get a little more.

There is no morning recess, unless a class gets a treat for being extra good.

I thinks kids learn as much on the playground as in the classroom. It is about gettling along with others, sharing and solving your own conflicts. it is, also, about making friends.

...regarding batty school administrators, I've been teaching for 15 years as a second career.  At least 90% of the administrators I've worked with during that time have been total idiots.

I have to agree with you. Seems like they have never worked in a classroom.

I teach in a private Classical school with administrators who are wise and kind.  They are what makes teaching there a little piece of heaven on earth.  But my sister teaches in the public school system and she would agree with y'all about most administrators.  I know I have it really good and I consider myself greatly blessed. 

  Time management is a big problem in schools. My young un works for the state department of education and says that folks have two main complaints: 1) Not enough time for education 2) the days and school year are too long. It's a no "win" situation and with kids it should always be a "win".

Hungry Buzzard wrote on Oct 20^th, 2011 at 5:53pm:

...regarding batty school administrators, I've been teaching for 15 years as a second career.  At least 90% of the administrators I've worked with during that time have been total idiots.

Remember, Ebonics?

Keevy Hazelton wrote on Oct 31^st, 2011 at 11:28am:

Remember, Ebonics?

Shhhhhh!  [smiley=lipsrsealed.gif]   I think the administration forgot about that one.

Although, maybe it was done to prove a point.  If they are intent upon forcing the teachers to teach in two languages... why not three?  Why not four?

Pierre wrote on Oct 31^st, 2011 at 1:06pm:

Shhhhhh!  [smiley=lipsrsealed.gif]   I think the administration forgot about that one. Although, maybe it was done to prove a point.  If they are intent upon forcing the teachers to teach in two languages... why not three?  Why not four?

I be, he be, she be we be.

Ebonics is not a language unto itself, it is merely a dialect, and as is the case with dozens of other American dialects, it may sound strange to those who are unfamiliar with it.

There's no way the teaching of ebonics should be formally included as a component of any structured English/Language Arts curriculum; the same applies to the teaching of any other regional or ethnic dialects.

Any attempt to "teach" ebonics in school is just plain dumb.