Experiences in job shadowing this semester also taught me more about being a kind and compassionate teacher. I had the opportunity to shadow Katie Ondrejko and she is the kind of teacher that is very passionate about her job and her students. When I was in her classroom, I could see how much her students meant to her and how much she meant to them. Almost every student in the classroom came up and hugged her and then Katie went on to ask about how their weekend was and how their family was doing. She takes the time to truly get to know not just the students, but know their lives too. I believe you have to be very passionate about teaching to make this kind of effort. After comparing Katie’s style to my substitute at Longfellow, I realized how …show more content…
I have a relative that gets very mad every time her son gets his recess taken away so I have discussed this topic with her. I know that taking away recess is not ideal but I did not see why it was such a big deal. I have learned more about taking recess away and through this I have become dissatisfied with the way children should be punished in school because of assimilation of new information.
While I am dissatisfied, I have not reached the next stage of concept change I have just assimilated more information into my dissatisfaction of how to discipline in schools. There are a lot of negative aspects of taking a student’s recess away. When you take away their recess it takes away from them getting to burn some energy off. These young kids sit in desks all day and just because they did their homework wrong they do not get to go play and I do not think that is a fair trade off. Especially when children get their recess taken away because of being disruptive, these are the children that need to get out and move the most. Taking away recess not only takes away their time to blow off energy but it also takes away the child’s only change to get any exercise while they are in school. Children do not exercise in school enough as it is and taking away recess time adds to that. Taking away recess also has negative effects on the teacher. Recess is a time for a teacher to relax
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Longfellow Elementary was the first school were I got to observe an early childhood education teacher. While my experience with my substitute was not perfect, it taught me that I need to stay organized and calm when I am a teacher. Through field placement I assimilated new ideas into my concept of how to be a good teacher.
I also do not think I have reached concept change because I have not had a reason to. I am only a freshman and have only spent two classes so far learning about early childhood education. I do not think that two classes is enough to change an entire concept. There are four stages to concept change and I could not accomplish all four with the knowledge from just two classes.
While I have learned a lot this semester I have not undergone concept change. I have become dissatisfied with some concepts but I have not reached concept change yet. I do not think that two classes is enough time to reach concept change. As I further my early childhood education schooling, I believe I will be exposed to new situations and learn new information that will make me undergo concept
I picked this article because it used a school that was actually allowing time for recess, but it was not being utilized by a large number of the students. These results help prove that an effort for inclusion still has to be made. Only providing soccer does not give everyone an equal opportunity to
These are just some key points I would touch when trying to promote recess to school administrators or a school board. Recess is very important to our children and I think taking it out of their day to day routine will hurt them in the end.
In her Huffington Post blog article titled Here’s One Way to Wreck a Child’s Education: Take Away Recess, Haley Krischer takes an emboldened stand against the practice of eliminating recess; which is often done as a punishment or to make more time for instructional learning. I stand in agreement with Krischer. I do not agree with schools taking away recess for any reason with the exception of dangerous weather or environmental circumstances. Yet, research indicates how common the 86-ing of recess is occurring in schools. A study by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (2010) revealed 77% of school Principals reported taking away recess as a punishment, and 81.5% of schools allow students to be excluded from recess. Krischer begins the article by introducing her 9 year old son and his affinity for recess: “the only subject he will talk about”. She gives examples of how recess benefits her son such as other students who help him troubleshoot technology issues and challenging him to improve his sports skills. Indeed, the unstructured playtime allows children to explore their environment and develop new ideas and understandings of it and those within it (American Pediatric Association, 2013). Kischer also expressed that children need active play to combat restlessness and that this is especially important for children who may suffer from ADHD, noting that taking away recess as a punishment for misbehavior may be counterproductive and result in increased behavioral problems. A longitudinal study that followed over 10,000 students between the ages of 8 and 9 concluded that student recess of at least 15 minutes resulted in better behavior as rated by teachers (Samuels, 2009).
Everyone knows that recess is good for children, but most people do not know why, thus leaving room for schools to cut down or altogether cut out recess. This can damage children and inhibit learning. In 2005, an estimated 40% of schools had cut back or eliminated recess from the average elementary student’s school day (Bland). Teachers may need more instructional time to meet the new demand from standardized testing, but extended unstructured play is essential. It increases children’s cognitive abilities by promoting healthy chemical exchanges within the brain during physical activity, giving more room for creativity, and improving social skills.
Sindelar, R. (2004). Recess: Is it needed in the 21st Century? Clearinghouse on Early Education and Parenting, Vol. 18, Issue 1, 1-6.
However, Berkowitz did just that. In a perfect world school is somewhere that is fun, full of students and coworkers that get along with each other, and a place where children feel happy. On the other hand, students today are feeling the complete opposite. In today’s school students claim to feel as if they are prisoners not having a say in anything that takes place throughout the school day. Unfortunately as a student, I can see where the students are coming from and this perspective of school needs to make a turn for the better. I think that this is an important issue going on in the schools in America right now that needs to be addressed. If students are supposed to grow up and be independent individuals, then why are educators making all the choices for the students? Students are told where to sit in a classroom with assigning seating going through high school. I understand giving a seating chart to elementary students; however, students who are in high school and even middle school need to learn how to make choices. Teachers need to allow the students to sit where they want and if they are too distracted by friends the student needs to use their own judgment to change seats. This is how children are going to learn how to make choices on their own. In my opinion another aspect that needs to be stopped to create less of a prison setting and more of a learning environment is an idea that was also
Schools all over the country are considering, if not already applying, the removal of recess for elementary school students. Having recess has scientifically proven to play a substantial part in the social development of a child, their physical health, and the amount of attention they pay in the classroom. For example the Tennessee Board of Education says, "It is the position of the NASPE that all elementary school children should be provided with at least one daily period of recess of at least 20 minutes on length" (National Association for Sports and Physical Education). Keeping recess in schools could help lower the childhood obesity rate, help children to be more attentive in class, and assist in the development of their much needed social skills. These aspects are essential to academic healthiness and to your child succeeding academically. Removing recess could cause a dramatic decline in the graduation rate in the U.S.
The biggest lesson I learn during this class is time management. I have a 9 month old baby and he allows wants my attention. I had to rely on a family member to take care of him while I get a few hours to read the textbook and do the writing assignments. I had to truly focus on my work and not go to social sites because I barely had time to do so.
How students focus better after recess or all the future skills children learn at recess? There are so many good reasons for recess, yet people are still arguing against it. It has a big part in
Are teachers enforcing discipline mechanisms in a healthy way for children? Researchers would answer no to this question because of one major factor: removing recess from a child’s school day. In Jessica Lahey’s article, “Students Who Lose Recess Are the Ones Who Need It Most”, she states that “schools continue to take away recess privileges as a penalty for academic or behavioral transgressions”. Many teachers follow this procedure because they assume that they are teaching the child how to act with appropriate behaviors. However, it is a proven fact that eliminating a student’s recess results in a negative outcome. Therefore, recess should not be removed from a child’s school day because this recreation plays a role in their physical health,
Recess is a time of the day of equal importance to regular school subjects, and should be treated as such. In speaking with my mother who is a second grade teacher at Valley Forge Elementary School, I learned that inclusive play is something that her school greatly supports. Inclusive play is when students play organized, team-building games together, opposed to merely chasing each other on the playground or roaming around individually. Without proper supplies such as balls, jump ropes, and sidewalk chalk, less students can be included in inclusive play and, because of this, their social, cognitive, and emotional development
Ramstetter, Catherine L., Robert Murray, and Andrew S. Garner. “The Crucial Role of Recess in Schools.” Journal of School Health 80.11 (2010): 517-526. Academic Search Elite. Web. 8 Feb. 2012.
“More than 40 percent of school districts across the country, … have done away with recess or are considering it” (Mulrine). This is a ridiculously high number when considering all the benefits that recess has on young children. Children develop and improve so many basic skills, as well as just simply getting a brain break. Educators, however, believe they need more time in the classroom in order to learn more information. What they need may be just the opposite. Researchers of Albert Einstein College of Medicine have found, “ ‘Recess may play an important role in the learning, social development, and the health of children’ “ (“Let Them Play”). Specifically, fourth grade students and younger should be required
Studies have shown that kids who didn't have recess, instead of being refreshed and ready to learn, were brain-drained, as they have lost out on the opportunity to regain the energy needed for focus. (Barros) Many people believe that recess was a waste of time and that it should be taken away in high school, but without it students become brain-drained and do not have focus towards school. This means that recess is not a waste of time, as it makes students have more energy towards school, but makes class a waste of time for teachers. Many students that I encounter before going to the last class of the day or any class say things like “My brain is done working for the day”, “I just need a break”, “ I just want to go play a game”, or “I am tired of sitting all day.” Rarely do students get to go outside and play a game or go for a walk during the day or class, but on the days that they do, after the time outside or playing a physically active game, the students were more focused throughout the
As a teacher managing problem behavior in your classroom can be one of the most challenging tasks. Behavior problems can range from disruption of lessons to acts of violence against fellow students and teachers. Children’s emotional setbacks and life challenges can also contribute to behavior issues at school. A study done by the Justice Center and the Public Policy Research Institute found that six out of ten students suffered from an “emotional disturbance” and were expelled or suspended between seventh and twelfth grade (Firke, 2011). This same study showed that discipline varied greatly between schools. This report also revealed the urgent need for a more thoughtful technique in school discipline policies. In many cases teachers have exhausted their classroom management strategies without success. Behavior Modification is aimed at improving school and classroom behavior, and can give teachers additional tools to help them to deal proactively and effectively with behaviors that are disruptive to students and teachers in the classroom. When children are disruptive in the classroom it can cause a lot of problems for their classmates and their teacher. Yet, in the long run, it's the disruptive child themselves who is most impacted, on both a social and educational level (Epstein, Atkins, Cullinan, Kutash, & Weaver, 2008). Behavior modification techniques should be used in school, to change the negative behaviors, and increase the positive behaviors seen in these children.