Say Goodbye to Recess Problems with These 4 Teacher Approved Fixes [Episode 192]

Heidi  0:00

This is episode 192 of Teacher Approved.

 

Heidi  0:03

You’re listening to Teacher Approved, the podcast helping educators elevate what matters and simplify the rest. I’m Heidi.

 

Emily  0:13

And I’m Emily. We’re the creators behind Second Story Window, where we give research based and teacher approved strategies that make teaching less stressful and more effective. You can check out the show notes and resources from each episode at secondstorywindow.net.

 

Heidi  0:28

We’re so glad you’re tuning in today. Let’s get to the show.

 

Emily  0:36

Hey there. Thanks for joining us today. In today’s episode, we’re tackling some of the most common recess problems with advice for solving them from our teacher approved community.

 

Heidi  0:47

Let’s start with a try it tomorrow, where we share a quick win that you can use in your classroom right away. Emily, what is our prompt this week?

 

Emily  0:54

Try ending your day with a one good thing share. So before dismissal, ask students to think of one good thing that happened during the day, like something they learned something kind a classmate did, even something that made them laugh. Give students 30 to 60 seconds to think of something, and then let a few students share out loud, or let everyone share with a partner. Or they can write their good thing on a sticky note for a quick class display.

 

Heidi  1:19

That is such a sweet way to end the day on a positive note, and it helps students and you notice the good even when the day maybe felt a little wild. Plus, it gives your classroom community a little boost of connection before everyone heads out the door.

 

Emily  1:33

And if you like this idea or anything else we share on the podcast, would you please take a second and give us a five star rating and review on Apple podcasts.

 

Emily  1:42

All right, let’s talk about recess. So in theory, recess is this wonderful time where everyone gets a break. Kids get to run around, and teachers get to take a deep breath. But let’s be honest, recess often comes with its own set of challenges. And judging by what we heard when we asked all of you in our community how recess was going, you are all feeling the same way.

 

Heidi  2:08

Oh, my goodness, the stories we heard, everything from students arguing over tag rules. Oh, the eternal struggle. You know, soccer games are ending in tears, and, of course, the classic, the full on meltdown about who was out in Gaga ball. I swear whoever invented Gaga ball had no idea of the emotional turmoil that they were unleashing on elementary schools everywhere.

 

Emily  2:31

I remember when my son’s school got Gaga ball and they were all so excited about it, and how frequently he would come home and mention, Oh, we didn’t get to do the Gaga pit today because everybody was fighting. Yeah, it is like the hunger games out there sometimes. And don’t even get me started on coming back inside afterwards. Nothing says ready to learn like 25 red faced, sweaty kids who are either crying or tattling or both.

 

Heidi  2:57

Oh, the memories. Yeah. Randa told us that even though she doesn’t have recess duty, she still deals with all of the drama. Because, of course, it carries back into her classroom and she’s left sorting through the mess. Stacy mentioned that her students return from recess telling her all of the problems instead of telling the duty teacher. You know, it’s like they just save up all their complaints just for us. We’re so lucky, aren’t we?

 

Emily  3:21

So lucky. Special delivery! Yeah, we have been there. So today we’re going to focus on four of the biggest recess challenges that you are dealing with, and we’ll walk through some simple strategies that can help make recess less stressful.

 

Heidi  3:36

Because, of course, we could all use fewer playground dramas in our lives. So let’s start with what might be the most common challenge, recess drama that does not stay at recess. This is the worst. You are all ready to roll into your math block after recess, and then in comes the line of kids, where someone’s crying and someone is angry and three more are demanding to tell you their side of the story before you can even pass out the base stand blocks.

 

Emily  4:02

Yeah, and Miranda put it perfectly when she said the drama that happens at recess rarely gets handled at recess. It carries back to my classroom, and I’m left to sort through the mess.

 

Heidi  4:11

And she’s not alone. Laura mentioned that conflicts continue into the classroom, and Jill shared about having two very sensitive girls who were constantly saying that the other hurt her feelings.

 

Emily  4:22

Oh yes, I guarantee that you have had this sensitive duo in your class. Bless their hearts, they could be best friends on Monday, and they’re sworn enemies by Tuesday lunch, and somehow, as the teacher, you’re expected to play Relationship Coach while you’re getting the rest of your class to work, it is too much to ask of a teacher.

 

Heidi  4:41

It really is. But one thing that can really help is having a calm down space in your classroom just for these moments, nothing fancy, you know, a stool in the corner with a journal or some scrap paper. It gives kids a second to collect themselves before jumping back into learning. Sometimes just writing or drawing what happens helps get the emotion out in a productive way.

 

Emily  5:00

You can also teach your students a go to script for solving small conflicts on their own, something like, I felt blank when blank and I need blank. And Carmen mentioned that she teaches her students how to use I messages, saying things like, I don’t like it when you blank, please blank. Now this is not magically going to stop every disagreement, but it does give them a tool, a way to name what’s wrong and ask for a solution without needing an adult to intervene every single time. In fact, we would really like to teach them to solve these sort of disagreements without needing an adult.

 

Heidi  5:37

And if your students are constantly getting into he said she said squabbles over who was out, who tagged who, who wasn’t playing fair, Sara has this great solution for you. She mentioned that when they have students arguing about whether they’re out or not during handball, they have them do rock paper scissors to decide. She said this simple solution really helps reduce conflicts or recess.

 

Emily  5:59

Yeah, I have to say rock paper scissors is the unsung hero of classroom conflict management, especially if you teach the kids that it’s a one and done, you don’t get to do best two out of three, or whatever, it is rock paper scissors, move on.

 

Heidi  6:13

Yeah. They will drag this out. Whoever got out will be like, Oh, best three out of five. They’ll be in there the whole day.

 

Emily  6:20

So you got to make it one and done, and then it works for like choosing line leaders in a pinch, settling disputes, even deciding who goes first in the game. It’s much faster than flipping a coin and way less dramatic than a full on courtroom trial about whether Jackson was actually tagged or if Emma just almost tagged him.

 

Heidi  6:38

Oh my gosh, the precision with which kids will debate the physics of tagging. My finger was one millimeter away from a shirt, but I felt the fabric move, so technically, I tagged him. With my second graders. I actually ended up just setting the rule, and I taught this from the first of the school year. If someone says they tagged you, they tagged you, even if you didn’t feel it, pointing out to kids that the rule can help them when they are it as much as it might cost them when they’re the ones being chased, can do wonders for just helping everyone get along.

 

Emily  7:10

Oh, yes, that is brilliant, and I hope I never have to moderate another tag dispute in my life.

 

Heidi  7:17

Yeah, no joke, I think tag ruins a lot of days at school.

 

Heidi  7:22

Problem number two is really at the heart of so many recess issues. Students simply don’t know how to play together without fighting. Elizabeth told us her fourth graders argue about the made up rules to games they play at recess, sometimes to the point of physical altercations. She’s had to ban several games already this year, and Jackie mentioned that the Gaga pit is particularly problematic at her school. Students struggle to get along and follow rules.

 

Emily  7:45

Ah, that Gaga pit strikes again. Yeah, those should come with a warning label like may cause extreme emotional reactions and friendship breakdowns.

 

Heidi  7:56

They’ll probably sell fewer of them.

 

Emily  8:00

But seriously, this is probably the most common issue that teachers mentioned, not just about Gaga, but about everything. Cece shared that student led organized games get too rough. They’re often resorting to physical fights. The students involved get restricted from playing, but then when the restriction is over, they’re back to their old ways before long, it’s like playground amnesia or something.

 

Heidi  8:22

Soccer and basketball seem to have the most problems, based on what we heard from you. And Carrie specifically mentioned boys getting too physical and competitive. And I have definitely witnessed soccer games that start with a friendly passing and end with someone declaring that they’re never playing with these kids ever again as they stomp off the field.

 

Emily  8:39

Yeah, it can be like World Cup level dramatics on an elementary school soccer field, like the falling to the ground, the clutching of possibly not even touched limbs. Yeah, they’ve got Oscar worthy performances out there.

 

Heidi  8:54

So what’s the solution, right? One approach that we have seen work remarkably well is to actually teach recess games at the beginning of the year and throughout the year when needed. I know your stomach dropped when I said that, one more thing to teach, who has time. But Carmen shared that this has been the best year in terms of recess behavior in a long time, because at the beginning of the year, her team rotated through each class, teaching them recess games and rules.

 

Emily  9:21

Yes, and we have shared this idea before, teaching the games explicitly makes such a difference. When everyone understands the rules, there is just so much less to argue about. And it might sound like a lot of extra work up front, but it really pays off throughout the year when you consider how much less time you have to spend breaking up these recess fights. It’s It’s like spending 20 minutes teaching kids how to properly clean up the art center versus spending the entire year finding dried glue and marker caps everywhere. You know that investment of time is really worth in the long run.

 

Heidi  9:53

For those schools with Gaga pits or other specialized play areas that tend to cause problems, Jacqueline mentioned that they do a serious tutorial for kids at the beginning of the year and refreshers throughout the year when things get out of hand. They also have a recess supervisor stationed near the Gaga pit to referee and address issues before they escalate. Students know that if they argue too much with the referee, they lose Gaga pit privileges for the day or even the week. That would be crushing.

 

Emily  10:19

Oh man, the Gaga pit police. I love it. You know, it’s serious when you need a dedicated supervisor for like, one little, small octagon of the playground. But what I love about that approach is that it’s proactive rather than reactive. You’re not waiting for problems to happen and then deal with them. You’re setting up expectations right from the start.

 

Heidi  10:41

Angela shared a great tip for handling competitive sports play. She watches over kickball and touch football and makes her presence known in a positive way by cheering and making calls. When she sees students getting hyped up, she pulls them over for what she calls an adrenaline talk and helps them breathe to learn to control it.

 

Emily  10:59

I love that. And sometimes for students who really struggle with social skills, a little extra support can make a big difference. Jacqueline mentioned that they had friendship clubs for some students to work through issues and learn management skills at recess a few times a week.

 

Heidi  11:16

Yeah, I definitely had classes where that was a necessary part of our daily life, and friendship club sounds way better than you need to keep playing nicely group. Marketing is everything with kids.

 

Emily  11:29

So problem number three is something that will surprise no one who works at an elementary school, the students are claiming they’re bored. Valerie mentioned they have a huge yard, but according to the students, there’s nothing to do, which leads to poor choices and behavior problems. Vicki shared that when she has gone out with her students, they don’t seem to know how to run and play and they just want to stand around or stand next to her.

 

Heidi  11:55

Ah, the classic, there’s nothing to do while standing in the middle of a giant playground with balls and slides ans basketball hoops everywhere. And then when they do find something to do, it’s something wildly inappropriate, like trying to see if rocks can fly over school building.

 

Emily  12:10

Yeah, exactly. Or they’re using the classroom scissors that they snuck out to dig a massive hole at the edge of the field for reasons, I guess. These days, it’s true that kids are really used to being entertained, and so sometimes they genuinely don’t know what to do with unstructured time.

 

Heidi  12:29

And as Angela pointed out, many kids may not have experience creating their own fun. She suggested teaching a few games and making sure that there are basic supplies available, like kickballs, sidewalk chalk and jump ropes.

 

Emily  12:40

Melanie recommended teaching basic group games like duck, duck, goose or red light, green light. She also had a great idea about sending a notice to parents asking for help gathering some simple equipment that you can add to the playground.

 

Heidi  12:53

That’s such a smart idea. Spring is the perfect time to ask for donations of sidewalk chalk, jump ropes and balls. As Melanie pointed out, lots of families have leftovers from Easter baskets this time of year.

 

Emily  13:03

And another approach to handling equipment, because some of you mentioned that’s a pain point in your classroom, is to create a recess equipment checkout system so that things actually make it back inside. Your students can be responsible for checking out and returning items, which adds another layer of structure to recess time, and usually kids are more likely to take care of their equipment when they know it will be obvious if they come back in with a knotted jump rope.

 

Heidi  13:30

Now, problem four is a big one, inconsistent rule enforcement between the adults that are on duty. Kim mentioned this specifically.  She teaches sixth grade, and said their afternoon recess runs smoothly because all three teachers are on duty every day so that the rules stay consistent. But lunch recess is problematic because the adults on duty don’t stay consistent with the rules they’ve established.

 

Emily  13:49

Oh, and that causes so much confusion. Plus, kids are surprisingly good at figuring out which adults allow what behaviors.

 

Heidi  13:57

Oh, they’re on to you from the jump, they know.

 

Emily  14:02

I swear, they have like a secret spreadsheet that they all are like contributors on, so that they know exactly how to work the system.

 

Heidi  14:10

They are strategic little masterminds when they want to be, but you know, not when it comes to math.

 

Emily  14:15

So true.

 

Heidi  14:17

This is, unfortunately, one recess issue that is very common, especially when you have different staff members, teachers, aides, administrators, all taking turns on recess duty. It’s confusing for students when the rules seem to change depending on who happens to be watching them, and it can be frustrating for teachers who establish clear expectations in their classroom, only to have them undermined by other adults during recess.

 

Emily  14:39

And I’m going to be honest, this problem specifically is a tricky one to solve. Now the ideal solution here would be to create a simple, visible set of playground expectations that all staff agree to enforce. You could post these rules on the playground and review them regularly with both students and staff. You would also want to establish the consequences for breaking rules and how to handle common scenarios like equipment disputes or injuries.

 

Heidi  15:07

But what makes this so tricky is that it involves getting all of the other teachers and staff on board, which, as you know, is no small feat. I would recommend talking to your team first and seeing how they feel about things. Maybe you could just start with getting everyone who has recess at the same time as your class on board, or you can always go to your admin and express your concerns and suggestions.

 

Emily  15:25

If the admin does decide to adopt school wide recess rules, regular check ins as a staff about recess expectations is super helpful. Maybe once a month at staff meeting, take five minutes to discuss what’s working and what needs adjustment. I know another thing for the staff meeting agenda, but it’s better than having the same playground problems all year long.

 

Heidi  15:46

Another approach is to assign specific zones for duty teachers to monitor so everyone knows the responsibility area. This helps ensure the whole playground is covered and rules are consistently enforced. It’s like creating a perimeter defense against playground chaos.

 

Emily  16:02

And Towanda shared a great point, if you have several reports about your students in your absence, consider showing up to help correct the issue sometimes. It shows both your students and the duty teachers that you’re invested in making recess successful. Plus it gives you a chance to see firsthand what’s going on, instead of trying to piece it together from 25 different kid perspectives.

 

Heidi  16:24

Well, we don’t know any magic solutions to solve recess problems once and for all, unfortunately, but you can help improve these four common recess behavior issues by applying the ideas that we shared today. So make a plan for students to work through recess drama when they return to class. Give your students opportunities to practice working together and handling conflict. Teach Kids how to stay busy at recess and make a plan for rule enforcement. You know, to the best of your ability, at least.

 

Emily  16:53

Now for our teacher approved tip, where we share an actionable tip to help you elevate what matters and simplify the rest. This week’s teacher approved tip is try a three day recess reset. That’s fun to say. Choose one game that’s causing the most issues and reteach expectations for three days in a row. Freeze Tag seems to be a huge source of drama on many playgrounds, so let’s use that as our example.

 

Heidi  17:18

Here’s how to make this work. On day one, gather your students before recess and spend just five minutes reviewing the rules of freeze tag, or another game that’s causing headaches. Be super specific, not just play fair, but exactly what that means in this seemingly simple game.

 

Emily  17:32

Right. And the key is to make it visual. So for freeze tag, we’re actually going to go outside and mark clear boundaries for the game, and we’re going to demonstrate exactly what counts as being tagged. Is it any touch or does it have to be a two finger tag? What position do you freeze in, like a statue or crouch down? How long do you have to stay frozen before someone can unfreeze you? You got to get into the nitty gritty.

 

Heidi  17:57

The biggest freeze tag arguments that we’ve seen come from kids claiming they weren’t really tagged, or arguments about boundaries. So day one is all about getting everyone crystal clear on the details.

 

Emily  18:08

Then on day two, have a couple of students demonstrate the right way to play. But here’s the important part, they also get to demonstrate the wrong way and how to handle it. So show what happens when someone claims they weren’t tagged and model how to respectfully accept being frozen without a 15 minute debate.

 

Heidi  18:27

Why do the children make this so hard? Role playing is gold in these situations. You could have them act out scenarios like what to do when you think someone is unfreezing people too quickly, and how to handle it when the same person is it for too long.

 

Emily  18:42

You can make it fun by having your most dramatic students play the what not to do parts. They usually ham it up pretty good, which makes the lesson memorable.

 

Heidi  18:50

And then on day three, you observe the game in action and give specific positive feedback after recess. I noticed Sophia froze right away when she was tagged without arguing. That kept the game moving for everyone. Public recognition can go a real long way.

 

Emily  19:04

The beauty of this three day reset is that you can repeat it anytime things start sliding, maybe after a long weekend or when a new student joins the class. And once you’ve gone through the process a few times, students start to internalize the expectations and even teach each other.

 

Heidi  19:19

That is the best part. And while the reset is about one specific activity, you’ll notice the positive effects spill over into other recess activities too. Those conflict resolution skills are transferable. So this might feel like it’s taking you lots of time, but it’s really saving you time.

 

Emily  19:35

So give the three day recess reset a try, small investment that pays huge dividends for your classroom culture and your own sanity.

 

Heidi  19:44

To wrap up the show, we are showing what we’re giving extra credit to this week. Emily, what gets your extra credit?

 

Emily  19:49

I’m giving extra credit to lemon crisp Kit Kats.

 

Heidi  19:53

I forgot about those.

 

Emily  19:54

I know I tried them last year and fell in love, so I was super excited to see. I’m back again this year, but I do believe they are seasonal, so if you want to try it, you better jump on it. And not all stores even have them. I have kind of found them a little tricky to find so, but it’s worth it. The hunt for the lemon crisp Kit Kat.

 

Heidi  20:13

They’re an excellent spring treat. You might need to stock up and throw some in your freezer.

 

Emily  20:18

Mm hmm. What are you giving extra credit to Heidi?

 

Heidi  20:21

My extra credit goes to Mucinex Instasoothe sore throat drops. That’s a mouthful, literally and figuratively, I guess. These are like cough drops, but for sore throats, I give them a 10 out of 10. If you get spring allergies that come with that burning, aching throat that is so miserable, grab some of these today, I promise you will be so happy. But even if you don’t get allergy sore throats, I’m gonna say, grab some of these anyway and just tuck them into the back of your desk. A couple of weeks ago, Emily and I talked about five simple things you can do in April to prep for back to school. Well, think about grabbing a bag of these throat drops as your sixth suggestion. When back to school rolls around, you will be so grateful to have these on hand those first few days back you know how it is when your throat is so sore from talking non stop for six hours. We’re all about the little wins here.

 

Emily  21:14

I love it. And that’s it for today’s episode. Give some of these ideas a try to handle your most difficult recess challenges, and don’t be afraid to try a three day recess reset.

 

Heidi  21:28

We hope you enjoyed this episode of Teacher Approved. I’m Heidi.

 

Emily  21:32

And I’m Emily. Thank you for listening. Be sure to follow or subscribe in your podcast app so that you never miss an episode.

 

Heidi  21:38

You can connect with us and other teachers in the Teacher Approved Facebook group. We’ll see you here next week. Bye, for now.

 

Emily  21:45

Bye.