LIFE WITH MORE
r ec e s s
As soon as the kids are dismissed, my harried routine begins: I check all their assignment journals, lay out my papers for the after-lunch lesson and, if I’m lucky, go to the restroom. Then I look up at the clock and realize I have 10 minutes for my own lunch before having to pick up the class again. Ten minutes isn’t enough to sit down, eat and talk with other adults. And that’s not to mention the lack of playtime the students are getting: With a combined 35 minutes for lunch and recess, students surely aren’t getting enough of a cognitive break or sufficient movement and fresh air to help them accomplish all that we ask of them during a normal school day. And I’m not alone in this belief. There’s now a growing movement in educational circles to add extra recess, developing alongside a movement for less or no homework. Teachers who have added more recess in other states are reporting higher student engagement and more focus from kids throughout the day. And that’s a start. But I think we need to do more.
The Finnish model Finland has been in the educational spotlight, particularly in the last decade, for having some of the top test scores in the world. Educators from all parts of the globe have visited, studied and toured Finland’s model for education to figure out: What are they doing right? Michael Moore’s 2015 documentary — Where to Invade Next — highlights the no-homework culture of Finnish schools, which also offer some of the shortest school days/years in the world. If you’ve done any research into the Finnish model of education, you’ve heard this phrase before: Less is more. Here’s where the extra recess comes in. Finnish students are given more breaks, both outside and inside. Lessons are concise and focused. And here’s the key: That means teachers are getting breaks, too! I’ve talked to so many teachers who are giving 110 percent — and there’s nothing left. How can we possibly be expected to enrich brilliant minds and produce top test scores, when we have our own basic needs (bathroom and meal breaks) that aren’t being met? Some people think teacher breaks are just as important as breaks for students. Most parents out there have had to deal with a teacher who’s less than perfect. What a struggle it is to have a child who doesn’t want to go to school, or who says the teacher is mean or crabby. Maybe those teachers just need to retire. But I can’t help but wonder, do those “bad” teachers just need a break? Which of their needs aren’t being met? Of course, any union representative will argue that teachers have breaks. And, yes, legally, we’re given minutes for prep time as well as a lunch break — not to mention time for lesson planning before and after school and the occasional teacher work day (in which students aren’t in session). But is this enough? No. As I mentioned above, that prep time goes way too fast. And most of the teachers I know are willing to give up their lunch time in a heartbeat if they see a student who’s struggling or hurting, or just can’t get it together. It’s who we are. We wouldn’t be here otherwise.
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October 2017 • mnparent.com