RecessObs-L.Davis

							Lyndsey Davis                    Recess Observation                  October 25, 2012


                      PHED 4650 Recess Observation Report

1. Where was recess held?

      Kindergarten holds their recess on the playground directly outside of their

       classrooms.

2. How long was the recess period and what time of day?

      Kindergarten students participate in recess beginning at 12:00 noon, for

       approximately 30 minutes a day – weather permitting.

3. How many classes were in the recess area at the same time?

      All four Kindergarten classes have recess at the same time, which consist of

       approximately 76 students and 4 supervising teachers.

4. Briefly describe the game or activity in which the students were engaged.

      During recess there are many groups of students who play together. I

       witnessed some students playing tag, while other students raced around the

       jungle-gym or played on the teeter-totter – which is the most popular

       attraction on the playground!

5. Were the majority of the students being physically active? Explain.

      All of the students actively participate in recess; it’s their favorite time of

       the day! However, students that have pulled their behavior card for the day

       must stand along the playground fence for almost half of the recess period.

6. What problem behaviors did you observe and how were they dealt with?
Lyndsey Davis                    Recess Observation                 October 25, 2012


      I observe recess on a daily basis; however, on this particular day I witnessed

       children climbing the playground fence and children chasing other children

       with big sticks that had fallen off of nearby trees. Students participating in

       such activities were given a verbal warning to begin with, and repeated

       offences resulted in time-out on the fence.

7. Did you observe students working out differences independently? If yes, explain

what you observed.

      At a Kindergarten level, most students do not work out their differences

       independently. For example, one student tattled to one of the Kindergarten

       teachers at recess today because another student had stuck her tongue out

       at the first student.

8. What equipment was available for students?

      The playground available to the Kindergarteners is relatively large; it

       contains 2 swing sets, 2 separate jungle-gyms, a 4-person teeter-totter, and

       a rock wall tunnel.

9. Describe the level of teacher involvement.

      Teachers participate little to none during recess. The majority of the

       teachers try to utilize valuable time and grade papers that students have

       completed later in the day, while still supervising the students.

10. Describe any safety issues or concerns you noted in the activity area and/or

with equipment.
Lyndsey Davis                    Recess Observation                 October 25, 2012


      Previously, there were a couple of broken swings on the swing sets; however,

       I noticed today that the broken swings have been disposed of but new

       swings have not replaced the broken ones yet.

Briefly reflect on your reaction to the recess experience commenting on changes

or ideas you might have to make the experience even more positive.

       Recess is always a student’s favorite part of the day. It is when they get to

run around and let loose, releasing all of the energy that they have built up all day.

I love the size and equipment available to these children on this particular

playground. The Kindergarten playground at my elementary school was relatively

small, with limited attractions, and the 2nd through 5th grade playground was old,

rusty, and falling apart. The only changes I would make is the amount of

involvement of the teachers. I understand that their time is valuable, so they must

take advantage of every second, but the children would love getting that extra

attention from their teacher playing with them on the playground.