Who Is Monitoring Recess?
Every parent wants their child to be treated with respect by his peers. Every parent wants their child to feel safe in school—not to be punched, not to be kicked, and not to be made fun of by his classmates • Full Article
By a Lubavitcher who healed from bullying
Every parent wants their child to be treated with respect by his peers. Every parent wants their child to feel safe in school—not to be punched, not to be kicked, and not to be made fun of by his classmates.
Every teacher wants their students to be safe as well. But truth be told, teachers are often instructed that they do not need to be present in the playground. When the children have a break, the teachers are also given a much-needed break. The recess monitors take over.
I assume this is how the system has worked for many years in most schools.
I personally have an issue with this established system. I don’t think it’s enough for children to be given lighter supervision during breaks. This is specifically when physical and emotional hurt can happen. I think that it is specifically during breaks that a child can experience physical and emotional hurt.
We all hope that children come to school with the strength to stand up to a bully. But from my experience as a recess monitor, this is not always the case. Perhaps this is especially true in very large schools. Some children are vulnerable. A child may be on the quiet side and may even be afraid to tell a staff member that he is being hurt. Some children come from a home where pain is present.
I personally remember being silent about the bullying I experienced.
Lately, we have been seeing headlines about the terrible effects that bullying can have. But it is not only the cases of bullying that make it to the headlines. Many children experience bullying that never makes the headlines. Some are excluded from games, others are called denigrating nicknames, and some are even physically hurt or threatened with physical harm.
There is no blame. But it is time for change.
The time is ripe for a new era in recess supervision. An era in which recess monitors receive professional training on how to identify bullying and how to intervene.
An era in which recess monitors and principals meet weekly to discuss the environment in the playground and how to make things better.
An era in which recess monitors are properly evaluated for the job and perhaps offered better pay to attract capable candidates. Otherwise, it may be challenging to find the right candidates for the job.
I would like to conclude with a blessing that school staff continue to do their holy work of educating our children. School staff work tirelessly to be there for our children and to give them the best possible experience during their formative years.
And to parents: Please let your child’s teacher know how much you appreciate their work. They have a big class, and they are working hard.
May we merit very soon the time when there will be only bliss and peace with the coming of Moshiach now!
12
Join ChabadInfo's News Roundup and alerts for the HOTTEST Chabad news and updates!
Related Posts:
Most Popular
New Videos
Editor's Picks
