Recess is a word that kids of all ages enjoy. It's their time to hang out, run in the free open space, and enjoy a game of imagination/pretend - where the rules and characters' abilities keep changing. Hey everyone. Nimo here. In this blog entry, I will be stating my views of the $18 million grant that is sweeping the nation and changing the meaning of recess.
As stated above, a grant was issued from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation that spread this influenza of "recess-coaches" to 170 schools and counting. In case you don't know, a recess coach is a person that is hired to keep watch of the kids and deal with "behavior problems."
The idea of a recess coach is quite disturbing to me. When I hear the word recess coach, I picture a parent coming in and ruining their kid's play time. How so? By enforcing them with a book of politics, law, and physics. I believe that having a recess coach isn't the best idea.
As a kid, my parents were the ones that taught me right from wrong (common sense). Having a recess coach present at the playground is like having a second pair of parents directing you how to behave when it comes to "playground etiquette." Kids already have one pair of parents and don't need another, especially in a space where the child is free to roam and explore the beautiful scenery and texture of nature.
I believe that the recess coaches would hinder the kid's life lesson when it comes to a mistake that they have committed on the playground. The kids need to experience first hand the mistake that they have committed and understand that there are consequences. How are they going to accomplish this when they have a recess coach breathing down their necks watching their every move?
I ask that you understand that this is just my opinion. Looking on the bright side of things, without a recess coach present at the playground, the child wouldn't learn "playground etiquette." The benefits of a recess coach are that they are there to try and reduce the rate of bullying that has, surprisingly, risen over the past years. According to an opinion piece found in the New York Times, the writer states that, "The National Education Association estimates that in the United States, 160,000 children miss school every day because they fear attacks or intimidation by other students."
Rebutting the benefits of having a recess coach is the point that I have been trying to expand on in the previous paragraphs - the child's development would not be that of a child's. The child won't be able to experience what it's like being a child - they won't be able to climb and experience the complicated structure of the playground!
What do you think? Should we start having recess coaches? What do you think are the benefits of having a recess coach versus not having one present at the play structure? State your opinion in the comment box below. I leave you all with one love and happiness. God bless.
Subscribe