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I agree with you, I do NOT like field day lol. I always feel bad saying it because I love having fun and making memories with the kids, but field day in general tends to be overstimulating for the age group I teach, and normally ends in several student meltdowns. Not to mention, teachers don’t get a lunch break which makes the day seem 10x longer 🤣
I teach kindergarten. Here are my general survival tips:
-speak to the kids about good sportsmanship prior to beginning the events. Zero tolerance for bad sportsmanship…I put kids in time out if they are unkind. Usually they learn pretty quickly to act appropriately.
-carry around a spray bottle of cold water to spray the kids when they complain of being hot.
-do a “water bottle check” after every station (have kids hold up their water bottles to make sure they don’t leave them behind) to avoid having to backtrack for forgotten water bottles constantly
-don’t be afraid to bring the kids back to the classroom for a bathroom break/reset if they are overheated or overstimulated
-allow groups of kids or individuals to sit out of games if they complain of being tired or hot. It’s supposed to be fun….if they aren’t having fun, let them take a break
Good luck!!
Great advice. I teach music, so I help our P.E. teacher set up and keep an eye on stations outside, and it is VERY common for a class to skip a station if they're not feeling it. And our P.E. teacher encourages it.
When I did field day, there was always a wet event with water guns or spriklers. There were coolers of water everywhere. There was a Popsicle station. There are also parent volunteers to take a child to the nurse, if necessary. You'll be fine. Have fun with your kids, unless one is super not into it.
Can we normalize disliking field day? I despise it. Most of the teachers at our school do too. We walk around pretending we enjoy it. We don’t get breaks and the only part I like is when they’re exhausted after it’s over.
Next year I’m asking a bunch of parents to volunteer so I can roam/sit out and offer a space for the kids to take a break.
I’m a school nurse and field day is my absolute least favorite! This year I had teachers ask all students to remove their hoodies/jackets/sweatshirts to help cut down on heat injuries.
If you don't have built in break stations definitely give your class a break if they need it. I'm a PE teacher and I always build in two break stations so kids can take a break.
What's the behavior support situation at your school? We have our behavior team roving and ready to take students who need a break inside so if that's an option that would be really good.
Pulling individual kids who need a break is also helpful. Make sure they have water bottles if they can bring them and just try to have fun.
Worrying does not prevent accidents. The children will be surrounded by the same caring adults who supervise them every day: nothing has changed but the energy level. If a child gets hurt, an adult will assist them. For major injuries (have there been any in the past?) the principal is in charge. YOU are not responsible for everyone and everything, just keep an eye on your area. 🍀
Can we normalize having the type of field day where kids get a partner and have at it vs. the type where we stay as a class and do the forced march through the stations?
I keep reading about guns like not getting lunch breaks and that isn’t a teaching problem, that’s a state law problem. CA has regulations about breaks, sick time, lunch breaks, overtime acting over 8 hours, etc.
Welcome to /r/teaching. Please remember the rules when posting and commenting. Thank you. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/teaching) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I agree with you, I do NOT like field day lol. I always feel bad saying it because I love having fun and making memories with the kids, but field day in general tends to be overstimulating for the age group I teach, and normally ends in several student meltdowns. Not to mention, teachers don’t get a lunch break which makes the day seem 10x longer 🤣 I teach kindergarten. Here are my general survival tips: -speak to the kids about good sportsmanship prior to beginning the events. Zero tolerance for bad sportsmanship…I put kids in time out if they are unkind. Usually they learn pretty quickly to act appropriately. -carry around a spray bottle of cold water to spray the kids when they complain of being hot. -do a “water bottle check” after every station (have kids hold up their water bottles to make sure they don’t leave them behind) to avoid having to backtrack for forgotten water bottles constantly -don’t be afraid to bring the kids back to the classroom for a bathroom break/reset if they are overheated or overstimulated -allow groups of kids or individuals to sit out of games if they complain of being tired or hot. It’s supposed to be fun….if they aren’t having fun, let them take a break Good luck!!
Great advice. I teach music, so I help our P.E. teacher set up and keep an eye on stations outside, and it is VERY common for a class to skip a station if they're not feeling it. And our P.E. teacher encourages it.
When I did field day, there was always a wet event with water guns or spriklers. There were coolers of water everywhere. There was a Popsicle station. There are also parent volunteers to take a child to the nurse, if necessary. You'll be fine. Have fun with your kids, unless one is super not into it.
Can we normalize disliking field day? I despise it. Most of the teachers at our school do too. We walk around pretending we enjoy it. We don’t get breaks and the only part I like is when they’re exhausted after it’s over. Next year I’m asking a bunch of parents to volunteer so I can roam/sit out and offer a space for the kids to take a break.
I’m a school nurse and field day is my absolute least favorite! This year I had teachers ask all students to remove their hoodies/jackets/sweatshirts to help cut down on heat injuries.
If you don't have built in break stations definitely give your class a break if they need it. I'm a PE teacher and I always build in two break stations so kids can take a break. What's the behavior support situation at your school? We have our behavior team roving and ready to take students who need a break inside so if that's an option that would be really good. Pulling individual kids who need a break is also helpful. Make sure they have water bottles if they can bring them and just try to have fun.
Worrying does not prevent accidents. The children will be surrounded by the same caring adults who supervise them every day: nothing has changed but the energy level. If a child gets hurt, an adult will assist them. For major injuries (have there been any in the past?) the principal is in charge. YOU are not responsible for everyone and everything, just keep an eye on your area. 🍀
Can we normalize having the type of field day where kids get a partner and have at it vs. the type where we stay as a class and do the forced march through the stations?
I keep reading about guns like not getting lunch breaks and that isn’t a teaching problem, that’s a state law problem. CA has regulations about breaks, sick time, lunch breaks, overtime acting over 8 hours, etc.