Teacher…Teacher…this happened at recess!

Esther Leon • Cahn Fellow 2022

Just like learning to read, write and solve math problems is important to the academic success of our elementary aged students, so is recess time.  If a student has a negative experience during recess time, they will return to class thinking about the experience rather than the lesson.  Too many negative experiences will impact their performance in literacy and numeracy but also their attitude toward learning.  We need to structure our recess times so students are physically safe and engage in experiences where they not only have fun but also feel emotionally safe.  We also need to ensure that recess time is a time to put into practice the social-emotional learning core competencies they learn in class:  growth mindset, self-efficacy, self-management, and social awareness.  By partnering with Playworks, we set on our journey to provide our students with this experience during their recess time.