Do Unfinished Work During Recess or Unstructured Time

Why should I do it?

• It provides students with limits, boundaries, and motivation 

When should I do it?

• When students fail to complete class work due to behaviors
• When students “forget” work at home or “lose” work a lot 

How do I do it?

• Give students warning prior implementing this intervention
• Establish a structured consistent routine and write it on a poster for how, where, and when students will carry out the consequence
  • for example, during afternoon recess, against the wall by the door, sitting down with a book to write on and the incomplete assignment, and without any talking
• Give student choices, like stop behaving that way and finish a certain amount of the assignment now or you will have to finish it later during recess
• Deliver the warning or final consequence with a calm neutral tone in a matter-of-fact way and walk away to avoid a debate, argument, or power struggle
• Some parents can get really confrontational when their children miss recess to do work, so you may want to call parents and explain you will be trying the intervention with their kids, and their kids may talk and/or complain to them about it
• You may consider doing a simple student/teacher homework or class work contract with this as the consequence for failing to complete work due to behaviors or “forgetfulness”