Tips to Transition After Recess
Brooklyn asks about some tips to transition after recess:
“I have a student who is having a really hard time transitioning back to the classroom from recess. He will lie down on the playground and refuse to move. And now some of my aides have been using food to bribe him back to the room- now it seems like he is just expecting the bribe, though sometimes that won’t work either. Help!”
Oh my gosh, I remember the toils of an elementary teacher. I once had a student who hated coming back after lunch and would refuse to budge from the lunch table. I wish I knew then what I know now- that situation would have ended much differently than it did.
Sigh- hindsight is 20/20…
The Recess Transition
It sounds like you are having an issue with a student transitioning- what makes this super hard is that recess is so rewarding and it is hard to end the things we love. There is a post over on the blog that I will link in the show notes at the bottom so you can check that out, but really want to address your transition problem specifically as it relates to recess.
Tips for BEFORE Recess
Here are a few ideas for before recess starts…
1. Set the Expectation. Please, please, please add a visual where the rules for recess are laid out. It may include quiet voices in the hallway, keeping hands to self, or asking politely. Then be sure to add in lining up at the bell and walking back to class. Then review the rules before recess starts.
2. Try Drills! Head outside so you can practice the procedures for ‘End of Recess’ while there is much less stimuli, distractions, and ample time to make teachable moments.
3. Social Story! Use a social story to clearly outline what the routine is for recess including before, during (with some behavior rules sprinkled in) and end to clearly say the steps to coming in. Wrap it up with a nod to the fact that we will have recess again tomorrow.
During Recess
And here are some things to try during recess…
4. Race to Tag Teacher. About 5 minutes before recess, play Tag Teacher. The kids go out and play, you signal, and then all the kiddos race to tag you. Run this a few times as a game, and the final race is to tag you and then follow you in. It helps to make the initial transition more of a game to make it more enjoyable and add a peer piece.
5. Get One More! Set a timer for the student that goes off 2, 3, or 5 minutes before the final bell. Then the student has a clear warning that recess time is ending and some time to get in their ‘one more’… one more slide, one more swing, one more bounce. Sometimes knowing you are getting your ‘one more’ is golden.
6. This Then That! You can also try a First-Next-Then chart to use with the timer. When they check in at the timer, you refer to the first-next-then and establish what the thing is they are going to do, next the bell will ring, and then they will line up. Be sure to sprinkle the reward in when they line up with some positive praise or other preferred item.
Tips for AFTER Recess
Finally, here are a few ideas for when recess is about to end and while heading back to class…
7. Ring That Bell! When recess is about to end, you need a clear signal that time is over. Usually there is a bell or whistle. Can the student ring it? Having that all important job may be the motivation he needs to enjoy transition time.
8. Bonus! Set up some incentive to get some bonus time- maybe if your student lines up okay today, they get a special pass to go out 2-3 minutes early the next day. Can’t wait that long? Try offering some freetime the last few minutes of the day or right when y’all get back to class. Either way, there is some great ways to incentivize there.
9. I’ve Got the POWER! Give that student choice when they do get lined up, like getting to be line leader, deciding what the task will be when they get back to class, or making them in charge of bringing in all the balls. With great responsibility comes great power… or something like that. An important job like this can help!
10. Transition Item! Just to be clear and communicate expectations to the student, sometimes holding an object to signal the transition can work wonders. Maybe they hold and carry the basket of jump ropes or the teacher’s clipboard. Something consistently that will help to cue the transition and the expectations.
Also, as an extra note, remember the function of the behavior. If you have a student who is refusing for attention, you may need to switch up the script a little. Check out the post on function of behavior and think about what is really motivating your student to refuse.
Get YOUR Question on the next Episode of The Nook!
Thank you so much for the question Brooklyn. I am going to send you out some free classroom materials from the Noodle Nook store so that you can get things going in your classroom. Good Luck. Those of you listening, if you want to have your question answered on The Nook, head over to NoodleNook.Net and click on Podcasts to submit your question.
Posts mentioned in this episode:
