taking away outside time as punishment at dc

[zarapipe]

Dd rides the bus from her public pre k to am after school program. Today the 4 year old teacher didn't let the kids go outside bc they were "disrespectful." Dd is in the after school program, not the 4 year old room but I still am upset this happened. Because they didnt go oit no one did, even the after school program. This summer she will be in the 5 year old room there before she starts kindergarden.

Thoughts? Should I say something? The kids most likely went out in the am. They go out 2x per day.

[Deleted]

Stopping unruly 4-year-olds from running off their excess energy outside! What a bright fucking move!

Yes I would say something. That is an entirely inappropriate and frankly asinine form of discipline.

[Deleted]

I'd be pissed. Thats not something to use as a discipline tactic. If anything, they needed to go outside and run their energy off even more.

[cjeanette]

All of the kids? I would have an issue with that. They would need to have done something pretty awful for me to think the collective group deserved this.

[loreleigilmore]

It sounds like a no recess day for bad behavior. I generally would rather it be child specific but this would not bother me as a consequence for inappropriate behavior. It would only be problematic if it was daily because then the teacher has either unrealistic expectations or cannot redirect/control the kids.

[iheartbanjos]

What? No. Not cool. I cannot understand this thought process.

[karinothing]

It all depends. The other day DS and a few other classmates drew on the floor. They had to stay back and clean up while friends went outside. They could go outside while done. IMO that was appropriate.

There is an age when withholding privileges like going outside is acceptable. Especially with warnings. So it all depends on the facts in this situation. Were they warned about consequences? Did they choose to disobey even though they were warned. I think at 4 kids can understand actions and consequences. So again, depends how it happened

[Deleted]

I'd really rather they had to go run laps for punishment than withholding outside time. Taking away the thing most likely to improve their behaviour just seems so dumb. My kids have been so much better since it got warm enough for them to be outside hours a day.

I don't see recess as a privilege so much as a need. Kids need to be allowed to move and to be outdoors, just like they need to eat and pee. That shouldn't be a minor decision a teacher can make any time the class has a "bad day".

[panicked]

Per regulations for the daycare I run(through the army), outside time cannot be taken away as punishment. I can get shut down if I withhold it for anything other than weather/unsafe conditions. Raise hell.

[karinothing]

This is a not to uncommon punishment in ES. Not saying that makes it okay, it just isn't unheard of

[cjeanette]

Apr 29, 2015 17:02:03 GMT -5 karinothing said:

This is a not to uncommon punishment in ES. Not saying that makes it okay, it just isn't unheard of

In C's 5 years of Elementary the entire class has not once lost recess.

He has.  E has.  Never the whole class.  There needs to be a specific action that causes the loss of recess after many warnings.

Just "being disrespectful" would have parents up in arms.  Too vague.

[Deleted]

Apr 29, 2015 17:02:03 GMT -5 karinothing said:

This is a not to uncommon punishment in ES. Not saying that makes it okay, it just isn't unheard of

I think it was more common in our elementary years. not so much now as it's a come back at you move and not effective. It's more punishment for the teacher actually. both my district and dc have rules against this.

[karinothing]

Apr 29, 2015 17:45:01 GMT -5 cjeanette said:

Apr 29, 2015 17:02:03 GMT -5 karinothing said:

This is a not to uncommon punishment in ES. Not saying that makes it okay, it just isn't unheard of

In C's 5 years of Elementary the entire class has not once lost recess.

He has.  E has.  Never the whole class.  There needs to be a specific action that causes the loss of recess after many warnings.

Just "being disrespectful" would have parents up in arms.  Too vague.

Yea well that i agree with too. I think it is harder to give kids individualized recess loss due to ratio issues, that don't exist at the ES levels, but not sure pre K follows that

[karinothing]

Apr 29, 2015 18:02:59 GMT -5 @justdairy said:

Apr 29, 2015 17:02:03 GMT -5 karinothing said:

This is a not to uncommon punishment in ES. Not saying that makes it okay, it just isn't unheard of

I think it was more common in our elementary years. not so much now as it's a come back at you move and not effective. It's more punishment for the teacher actually. both my district and dc have rules against this.

I think it is common now. Not saying I agree

www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2013/10/nixing-recess-the-silly-alarmingly-popular-way-to-punish-kids/280631/

[Deleted]

Apr 29, 2015 18:05:33 GMT -5 karinothing said:

Apr 29, 2015 18:02:59 GMT -5 @justdairy said:

I think it was more common in our elementary years. not so much now as it's a come back at you move and not effective. It's more punishment for the teacher actually. both my district and dc have rules against this.

I think it is common now. Not saying I agree

www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2013/10/nixing-recess-the-silly-alarmingly-popular-way-to-punish-kids/280631/

Huh. Interesting. I do live in a state with a pretty strong healthy kids initiative and my last two districts were pretty strong on it for a lot of socioeconomic reasons so that sways my opinion i guess. Either way it makes me sad.

[drloretta]

DD's school has a policy that outside time won't be taken away as a disciplinary measure. So yes I'd say something

[momof2boys]

My son is in 4th grade and if kids are talking or not paying attention she takes outdoor time away from all the kids, not just the ones that are talking. It a "team" thing. The problem is my son has ADD and NEEDS the outdoor time to run away and burn off energy. I could tell within 5 minutes of him being home if it had been taken away from them, b/c he would be moody, unsettled and would just run circles around my living room.
I ended up talking with the teacher and she agreed that some kids need that time and would no longer take it away.

[curbsideprophet]

I would not be happy with this.

[scribellesam]

Taking away outside time from my child would make whatever problem there is ten times worse. Anyone who doesn't realize that about young children is an idiot.

[Deleted]

I can understand allowing a single unruly child to miss out on their outdoor play as a punishment but not all of them. In DD1's kindergarten class they will lose popular outdoor activities (no tricycles or going for a walk instead of playing a game) but they still take them outside because them need that time.

[redheadbaker]

Apr 29, 2015 16:55:46 GMT -5 @tokenhoser said:

I don't see recess as a privilege so much as a need. Kids need to be allowed to move and to be outdoors, just like they need to eat and pee. That shouldn't be a minor decision a teacher can make any time the class has a "bad day".

^ This! I would be REALLY upset if the class was kept inside as a group as punishment. 

[barefootcontessa]

My son's first grade teacher regularly has kids stay in for recess who fooled around and did not complete their work. She tells them they already used up their play time. I have zero problem with it. It is more of a hassle for her because that is 20 minutes she would otherwise have to herself.  A group punishment as in every child?  No way she would do that.