You didn't finish your homework? I'm taking recess!

Okay, hear me out on this one. (Know that I am particularly referring to 5th grade and below!) This is such an important topic that is often overlooked. Instead of thinking deeper into it, we just say “you are staying in from recess” or “you are doing it during your lunch”. If this is you, I need you to hear me out. That is not the answer. We need to back track and understand instead of just punish. I also want to make it known that I am at fault for doing this, sometimes it feels like the easy way out, and we take it!

First let’s talk about the importance of recess and lunch. This will set the framework for why we CAN’T take that away.

1. Brain Reset - When students rest their brain and fuel their body they come back to class in a much better mindset. They are able to pay attention, stay on task, and retain more information.

2. Physical Development - You have to remember, they are KIDS! They need to move. Physical activity improves energy levels, focus, and mood. Think about it, when your students come in from recess are they mad or happy? Most of the time they come back happy! Movement makes them happy! Science literally tells us this. When kids play outside it releases a "feel -good" chemical called dopamine. They FEEL BETTER!

3. Social - Recess and lunch are where kids practice real world skills. They learn how to share, problem solve, work as a team, manage their stress levels, and how to resolve conflicts. These are all skills they will need when they enter the workforce, so let them learn this young!

Teachers, this is SO important. Even more important for students who might struggle in the classroom.

Now you might say, “Okay Alyssa I get it, I need to stop taking recess away. What can I do instead?”

Yes!! Let’s dive in!

1. Ask them why! Why did they not finish their homework? Often times the reasoning goes something like this ⬇️

   1. They didn’t have help.

   2. They had sports (SPORTS ARE IMPORTANT!).

   3. They had to help with siblings.

   4. They were playing with friends.

   5. They were confused.

   6. They were exhausted from a long day at school.

   7. All the homework stressed them out.

Take this into account, you can’t assume that they just didn't do it to spite you. There is always a reason. Once you identify the reason you can move forward.

2. Moving forward means identifying the overarching cause of non-completion and how you can adjust as their teachers. Below you will find some examples and what to do for each of them!

   1. They did not have the time/were doing other things. You have 7-8 hours in your school day. Can you find 5-10 minutes everyday that gives students a small amount of time to work on homework? Here are some options. Work is not my whole life, so why should school be theirs?

      1. First thing in the morning! Instead of morning work, let them work on their homework for the week.

      2. 10 minutes before dismissal. This is often a non-productive part of the day, so set this time aside for them to work on some extra work.

      3. Complete during their small groups! During one of their rotations let them work on some homework! This will give them a solid 15 minutes to work on it! (If you are not doing small groups, you should!!)

      4. When they finish another assignment, let them do their homework. It just makes sense!

   2. They are stressed/anxious with all the work.

      1. This is a tricky one, especially because each student is different. You need to think about this in a variety of ways. First, think about if the homework you are assigning is necessary, or is it busy work? If the homework is assigned just to be assigned, that is not a good reason. Is it assigned to help them practice what they are struggling with? If the answer to this is yes, maybe you can reduce the amount of questions you give them. Cross off a few to make it more manageable. You can give students different amounts of problems. Give them homework that they NEED, not what is easy to give.

   3. They were confused/needed help.

      1. Sometimes parents are not able to help students with their homework, and that is not the students fault. Prior to students taking their homework home, ask them “will your parents be able to help?” If the answer is no, find time in the day to help them. Set aside time for this (and don’t take recess time!).

Here is my (possibly unpopular) opinion. Don't assign the homework if you don't have to. Students are in school all day, let them be kids after school. Let them play, spend time with their family, engage in sports or events, and just take a break. If you find that you need to give them homework for extra practice, give them their homework for the week on Monday. Let them complete it on their own time throughout the week. Give them opportunities to complete it in the classroom (if they don't, it is on them). They will have projects and reports to complete at home, so maybe just take a step back with the homework.

At the end of the day, our students need recess and lunch just as much as they need reading and math. These moments of movement, connection, and reset are what make learning possible. When we protect that time, we show our students that we value them as whole person, not just as test scores or homework checklists.

Have you found a creative way to hold students accountable for homework without taking away recess? I’d love to hear your ideas in the comments!