GREENSBORO, N.C. — A Greensboro elementary school is taking a new approach toward recess. As a way to get the community involved, the principal at Washington Montessori Elementary School started a recess buddies program, and it’s also working to reduce the number of disciplinary incidents among students.
What You Need To Know
The principal at Washington Montessori Elementary School started a recess buddy program
The goal is to get the community involved with students and reduce disciplinary incidents
The school’s principal hopes this program inspires other schools to create something similar
If you ask first graders what their favorite part of school is, there’s a good chance they’ll say recess. It’s also Tayler Middleton’s favorite time of day.
“I really just enjoy just loving on the kids and interacting with the kids,” Middleton, a recess buddy at Washington Montessori Elementary School, said.
During his breaks at work, Middleton is a recess buddy. The program was spearheaded by principal Paul Travers, and it allows for volunteers from the community, like Middleton, to help out at the school and spend time with the kids at recess.
“I wanted to get some people, men from the community engaging, specifically some of our parents engaged, some of our community members engaged,” Travers said.
Middleton has four kids in the Guilford County school system and while none of them go to this school, he wanted to help because of the impact he felt he could make.
“We all know that the male figure influences a lot in a child's development growing up. I just think that there's an opportunity within the school system, especially the younger grades, for more Black males to be involved,” Middleton said.
Travers noticed, through a different program, that when students had guidance during recess they were less likely to have disciplinary issues.
“Really, help students be able to figure out when in conflict, how do I resolve that and then also give them access and our families access and students access to different people in the community,” Travers said.
On this particular day, Middleton incorporated the word “integrity” into recess. The idea is that even these 30-minute visits, playing games outside together, will have a big influence on these students and include lessons they can take with them.
“The next time we have recess, their teacher is going to let me know who practiced integrity throughout the week, or the next couple of weeks, and those are going to be my helpers. Being able to see that rotate is going to show me that it's starting to set in, and it's starting to click, and they're starting to develop some good habits,” Middleton said.
Right now, Washington Montessori Elementary School has eight recess buddies, but they’re always looking for more people to get involved.
Travers also hopes this program inspires other schools to create something similar.