I wrote a huge long post and then deleted it by accident! Argh! Anyway I'll give you the condensed version. I have a student in my Jr. Kindergarten class who takes his sweet time getting ready to go outside for recess. He CAN do it quickly, but chooses not to. He acts up and loves attention, especially the negative kind. We've tried a few different incentives and we've tried ignoring him until he asks for help. I work in a private school that is huge on independence, even for 3 year olds. Any suggestions for getting him ready and outside quickly? Please note: We're in Canada and this is happening 6 times/day between arrival, recesses and dismissal. Thanks! Ms. O
I'm out of my element here, but I would think at least with recess, that the natural consequence of missing it would suffice.
Or.....depending on weather and the need for supervision of the other group: perhaps he has to gather his items and "finish" dressing in the threshold of the door. This would mean you can see the others. There would be less of an audience that way....and he would need the gear on to stay warm.
Sarge, there are actually pictures of me as a kid that look very similar... In fact, my mom has a series of pictures of me when I was probably two or three. My grandpa rolled me a snowball, I leaned over for it (you don't bend in a snowsuit)...and did a complete face plant!
Could it be that he simply hates the cold and doesn't WANT to go outside? Is there an alternative for inside play?
Get him started earlier than the others. My nephew's kindergarten teacher used to have her "slow" dressers practice putting on and taking off their snowsuits during center time. She didn't have to do it with students more than once.
He lives in Canada. You can't get around going out for cold weather:lol:. We are out every day for morning and afternoon recess unless it is 32F or colder in my school district.
I love that book. My students don't have a clue what a snowsuit is so I read that book when we study weather.
Since he strives for attention while dressing, have him dress where no one can see him...which is probably the room.
Ok - so we've tried the timer, missing some centre time, missing some outdoor time (as a result of taking so long, I'm not a fan of kids missing recess), and he loves it outside even in the cold, he told me today when I asked! Anyways, what we've decided to do is have him get ready in the room, while everyone else gets ready in the hall...hopefully with less audience and separated from some other perps, he will get ready quicker. Not sure what to do about the other issue though, which is his constant testing. He will deliberately do something he knows he isn't supposed to do, watching me and waiting for the reaction. Consequences matter not. Do I try to ignore it so as NOT to give him the attention, or does this let him think he can get away with things? He has a new baby at home and seems to be regressing a bit. I feel like I'm at a loss...
Is there another room where he can take his things and dress, with another teacher supervising, while the rest of your class goes out? If he's not affecting the others' recess, he might be inclined to dress a bit faster. If he doesn't, at least the rest of the class gets their recess time. As for the testing behavior, I wouldn't ignore it, but my only reaction would be to calmly and nicely lead him to a chair separate from the others. When I taught kindergarten, I sometimes had to do it over and over, but eventually it worked.
We're outside unless it's below 0 WITHOUT the wind chill. This is actually a new rule this year too- last year we were out when it was -13 (without windchill). They also send them out in the rain unless it's an absolute downpour. I figure it has to be a regional thing because no one would ever think of doing any of the above in the midwest. Here, they act like the kids will be completely uncontrollable and insane if they don't go out for even just one day- the idea of NOT sending kids out is just absurd to them. The announcement of the "can't go out if it's below 0 rule" this year was met with a huge indignant outcry. The kids never complain. If a teacher complains (usually one of us transplants who isn't originally from this area) they'll say, "suck it up! You live in the mountains!" For the OP, I agree with the suggestion to have everyone else go out and have this kid stay behind (with some kind of supervision- even in the hallway?) until he's finished. If it doesn't motivate him, at least you haven't let him ruin recess for the others.
We separated him from another monkey today and he got ready a bit faster. A bit. And then mom showed up after school and put his snow suit on him, so we're back at square one. I read Thomas' Snowsuit to them today and he loved it, but didn't seem to make the connection I'll keep fighting the good fight!
Actually, waterfall, growing up in WI we went out unless the actual temp. was below zero as well. Here in IN our rule is 32, and that seems slightly ridiculous to a few of us transplants from more northern states...
