Stuff you learn doing recess duty

[Lord Ash]

So.

At my school (a 1-6 grade school) all teachers have to do "recess duty" once in a while; basically you stand around at recess and make sure no one gets killed. The kids get broken into two groups when they are outside playing. The 5th and 6th graders go out together and basically ignore each other and usually spend time either playing football or chit chatting in groups of boys and girls. Then you have the entire 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grade out together (four classes per grade) and the name of the game is "prevent injuries."

In my time on recess duty, I have learned a few truths:

1) If someone is chasing you and you want them to stop, just stop running. No one chases someone who doesn't run away.

2) If someone is chasing you, they probably like you.

3) Getting stuck at the top of a rope ladder and having to get rescued by a teacher once does NOT ensure you will not immediately get stuck again at the top of the ladder.

4) There is no game on earth as popular with 1st and 2nd grade boys as "Karate Fight."

5) There is no game on earth that gives 1st and 2nd grade boys bloody noses like "Karate Fight."

6) Fourth grade boys who are playing touch football A) inevitably morph into fourth grade boys who are playing tackle football and B) inevitably forget the idea of downs and just start throwing the ball around and crashing into each other, and into the 2nd grade girls who wander into the field because they are not paying attention.

7) "Red Rover, Red Rover" is a VERY destructive game... third grade girls can hold onto each others hands with a power that is unexpected, and can throw out clotheslines that would make Arn Anderson proud.

8) Recess is the best time to talk to your informants and find out who is misbehaving when you aren't watching and who is going out with who.

9) There is no kid on the recess yard as valuable as the athlete who is also real good at getting the outsiders into the game and making sure everyone treats them nicely.

and finally

10) The stricter you are with a little kid, the more they want you as their teacher when they get older.

So... those are some facts I've learned on recess duty.

[rthomas]

Does Number 8 pertain to teachers or kids?

[Lord Ash]

Teachers; I have my CIs at almost grade level and in a few different social groups... hey, you've gotta keep a pulse on things, and as a teacher you always want to know everything that is happening:)

[blublood]

As a former little girl who clotheslined everybody at Red Rover, I appreciate this list! :) Wistfully, I hope that "Karate Fight" will pass by the time my little boy gets to that age, but of course even if it does, it will immediately be replaced by another game with equal or greater potential for broken noses.

[DukieInKansas]

We used to call #6 Smear the Queer and whoever had the ball was the Queer. It was a coed game. We were a bunch of politically incorrect little hooligans. But, then again, it was before politically correct was a thought.

[allenmurray]

So.

At my school (a 1-6 grade school) all teachers have to do "recess duty" once in a while; basically you stand around at recess and make sure no one gets killed. The kids get broken into two groups when they are outside playing. The 5th and 6th graders go out together and basically ignore each other and usually spend time either playing football or chit chatting in groups of boys and girls. Then you have the entire 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grade out together (four classes per grade) and the name of the game is "prevent injuries."

In my time on recess duty, I have learned a few truths:

1) If someone is chasing you and you want them to stop, just stop running. No one chases someone who doesn't run away.

2) If someone is chasing you, they probably like you.

3) Getting stuck at the top of a rope ladder and having to get rescued by a teacher once does NOT ensure you will not immediately get stuck again at the top of the ladder.

4) There is no game on earth as popular with 1st and 2nd grade boys as "Karate Fight."

5) There is no game on earth that gives 1st and 2nd grade boys bloody noses like "Karate Fight."

6) Fourth grade boys who are playing touch football A) inevitably morph into fourth grade boys who are playing tackle football and B) inevitably forget the idea of downs and just start throwing the ball around and crashing into each other, and into the 2nd grade girls who wander into the field because they are not paying attention.

7) "Red Rover, Red Rover" is a VERY destructive game... third grade girls can hold onto each others hands with a power that is unexpected, and can throw out clotheslines that would make Arn Anderson proud.

8) Recess is the best time to talk to your informants and find out who is misbehaving when you aren't watching and who is going out with who.

9) There is no kid on the recess yard as valuable as the athlete who is also real good at getting the outsiders into the game and making sure everyone treats them nicely.

and finally

10) The stricter you are with a little kid, the more they want you as their teacher when they get older.

So... those are some facts I've learned on recess duty.

Much of the intervention, research, training, and consultation I do is in the area of peer-to-peer social dynamics, and how that impacts teacher's ability to impact behavior and keep kids academically engaged. The number of the items on your list that are the focus of serous educational psychology research is quite high. Your observations are astute.

[CathyCA]

I always despised my week of recess duty when I taught school. That 20 minute recess was my only time during the morning to go to the bathroom. I was always miserable by lunchtime when I had yard duty.

[Lord Ash]

Much of the intervention, research, training, and consultation I do is in the area of peer-to-peer social dynamics, and how that impacts teacher's ability to impact behavior and keep kids academically engaged. The number of the items on your list that are the focus of serous educational psychology research is quite high. Your observations are astute.

Ohhh... interesting! I have to go back to the professions thread and re-read yours:) Or maybe I could just ask for more specifics here? And if you have any GREAT TRUTHS about keeping kids academically engaged, please feel free to share, I can always use help:)

As for "Karate Fight" disappearing... I don't think it will ever happen. It might get renamed ("WWE Wrestler Fight," "GI Joe Fight," "Ninja Fight") but the flying of fists and feet and the end result I think will always be the same:)

And I don't love recess duty, although as the resident scary sixth grade teacher it is a good chance to make impressions on the little ones, both as the nice guy and as the snarling meanie:)

[aimo]

As a former little girl who clotheslined everybody at Red Rover, I appreciate this list! :)

Me, too! I actually had a friend whose grandfather took his old reel-to-reel home movies of her birthday parties and made them into a video. Like going back in time, there was video proof of me playing Red Rover and taking down one of the biggest kids in class with a clothesline! Of course, I grew up with two older brothers, so . . .

[Windsor]

Me, too! I actually had a friend whose grandfather took his old reel-to-reel home movies of her birthday parties and made them into a video. Like going back in time, there was video proof of me playing Red Rover and taking down one of the biggest kids in class with a clothesline! Of course, I grew up with two older brothers, so . . .
Hansborough

I loved Red Rover....ladies of the DBR OTB - channel your ol' playground days and join hands for a pre-game game of Red Rover....

Red Rover Red Rover Send Hansborough over

(visualize the clothesline!)

[OZZIE4DUKE]

Hansborough

I loved Red Rover....ladies of the DBR OTB - channel your ol' playground days and join hands for a pre-game game of Red Rover....

Red Rover Red Rover Send Hansborough over

(visualize the clothesline!)
Oooh! I love it!

[DukePA]

Hansborough

I loved Red Rover....ladies of the DBR OTB - channel your ol' playground days and join hands for a pre-game game of Red Rover....

Red Rover Red Rover Send Hansborough over

(visualize the clothesline!)

Oh Hell Yes!!! 'Tis done :D We'll also kick his shins for good measure :cool:

[hughgs]

We used to call #6 Smear the Queer and whoever had the ball was the Queer. It was a coed game. We were a bunch of politically incorrect little hooligans. But, then again, it was before politically correct was a thought.

So, I'm teaching my 3 year old this game, but instead of tackling you simply touch the person. Gets us to run around, etc., etc. However, I'm having a problem coming up with a better name than "Smear the Queer" so that we can talk about the game. Anyone have some better names? Thanks.

[sue71]

Oh Hell Yes!!! 'Tis done :D We'll also kick his shins for good measure :cool:

I rather liked Singler's elbow on our behalf. :D

(I kid, I kid.)

[Johnboy]

So, I'm teaching my 3 year old this game, but instead of tackling you simply touch the person. Gets us to run around, etc., etc. However, I'm having a problem coming up with a better name than "Smear the Queer" so that we can talk about the game. Anyone have some better names? Thanks.

We called it "Kill the man with the ball" after our parents objected to "Smear the Queer". I suppose you could call it "Catch the Man with the Ball" if it's touch.

[captmojo]

We called it "Kill the man with the ball" after our parents objected to "Smear the Queer". I suppose you could call it "Catch the Man with the Ball" if it's touch.

We called it "Tackle the man with the ball", but your "Kill" sounds a lot more akin to reality. Also, this seemed to be the only object of the sport. :confused:

[DukeFencer]

I spent a year volunteering as a PE teacher at Carter Community School near East Campus. The only supplies we ever had was one ball - varied from a basketball to football to kickball. We came up with all kinds of games (all involving running, throwing, and tagging,) and called most of them "Ultimate Ball". For a twist we could go with "Extreme Ultimate Ball," and in one of the other classes they used "Freedom ball" (way less cool.)

As far as names for games go, I took a coaching class last fall aimed at parents teaching U6 and U8 soccer, and we went through a ton of great drills/games to use at practice. The leaders emphasized giving games a crazy name, and I used it this fall in my elementary school soccer program and found it really works. We had a lot of "Extreme Dragon Knockout" and "Dragon Chase" (Dragon was a popular theme which seemed to get everyone riled up to play.) None of the names made any sense or related to the actual game but no one every questioned it and the kids loved it - and remembered the games a lot more than when we used more traditional names.