After+Recess+Class+Ritual

Lynn Mayberry-Burke, grade 2 After Recess Check In Ritual Standards: 4A, 4B, & 4C Materials: none needed Time: 15-30 minutes (depending upon the amount of time available) Goal: Helping children find solutions for recess problems Lesson Steps: Gather the students in the meeting area and have them sit in a circle. Have the children show thumbs up or thumbs down to describe how their recess went. This will allow the teacher to get a general sense of how recess went. Have the children turn to a shoulder partner and share what they enjoyed the most about their recess. If a child a problem during the recess, have him/her describe the problem to their partner and how s/he solved the problem. If the child was unable to solve the problem, have the shoulder partner help him/her describe which Kelso’s Choices would have been helpful to use. After the partner sharing, I ask the children if there are any children who would like to share with the whole group. I try to have some children share positive experiences as well as children who feel that they have a situation that others could learn from. We emphasize conflict resolution and ways to avoid conflicts during recess. Assessment/Activity: The kids really enjoy this ritual. It helps them feel that their voice is heard and their feelings validated. It also gives the children a chance to share their excitement about the fun they had during their recess. If you don’t have a lot of time after recess for a debriefing, then you can just do the partner sharing. For a lot of kids this is satisfactory. This is a great opportunity for the teacher to check in with the whole class to make sure everyone is included, respected, and connected. This is also a great way to build peer supports and leadership. The teacher can follow up with individuals or groups about more serious or unresolved recess issues.