Dear Kid Whisperer, 

I am a teacher who does recess duty with a large group of 4th graders. We have daily problems with students not lining back up to go back into the building. This problem keeps happening, no matter what we say to the students who aren’t quickly lining up. How do we solve this problem? 

You are making a common mistake.  

You are trying to solve a behavioral problem by talking. This will make things worse. 

I am going to show you how I have solved this problem as a teacher, principal, discipline specialist, and school volunteer coordinator by taking consistent and calm action. This takes two people at first. We’ll call that second person Kid Whisperer #2. As always, I will be the Kid Whisperer. 

Kid Whisperer blows a whistle at the end of recess time. Kid Whisperer waits five seconds. Then Kid Whisperer puts up five fingers with that hand raised high in the air while standing in the middle of where students are supposed to be lining up. 

Kid Whisperer: (Loudly) If you are ready right now, you will have five extra minutes of recess tomorrow. 

As Kid Whisperer waits five seconds, Kid Whisperer #2, standing at the backmost area of where kids are playing and holding a clipboard, starts slowly walking towards the lines of students that are slowly forming.  

Kid Whisperer #2 (to students who are still playing): What’s next?  

Kid Whisperer #2 (to students who are still playing): Where should you be? 

Kid Whisperer #2 (to students who are still playing): What should you now? 

For students who react to these Gentle Guidance Interventions by moving with sufficient quickness towards their line and joining it, no further action is necessary. For all others: 

Kid Whisperer #2: Oh, shucks. This is unfortunate. I’ll help you to do some learning later. 

Kid Whisperer #2 writes the students names down on the clipboard. 

Kid Whisperer: (Loudly) If you are ready right now, you will have four extra minutes of recess tomorrow. 

Kid Whisperer does this for the three, two, and one minute offerings. Kid Whisperer doesn’t expect, need, or want Kids to be ready. Kid Whisperer waits five seconds and puts his one finger down (index, not middle) and makes a fist. 

Kid Whisperer: If you are ready right now, you will come in at the same time tomorrow. 

Kid Whisperer waits five seconds. With his fist still high in the air, he then takes his index (remember, always index) finger and, with his hand still high in the air, points it down. 

Kid Whisperer: If you are ready right now, you will come in one minute EARLY tomorrow. 

Kid Whisperer continues this with the numbers two, three, four, and five. If and when students meet expectations (in straight, calm lines is best, silence isn’t necessary or logical at this point) he allows lines to enter the building after saying the following: 

Kid Whisperer: OK. Tomorrow, you will come in from recess (however or early or late they chose to come in with their actions). If Kids never become cooperative through the “five minutes early” statement, Kid Whisperer will simply announce that they will all come in five minutes early.  

Any lectures or warnings about students being ready are unnecessary and counterproductive.  

The next day as Kids are going to recess, Kid Whisperer #2 intercepts the students who were not sufficiently cooperative the day before in quickly lining up even after the use of Gentle Guidance Interventions. 

Kid Whisperer #2: Oh, shoot. You all caused a problem for us by not getting in your lines right away when it was time to come in from recess. I’m going to solve this problem by having you all just spend the whole recess on your lines, so I don’t have to worry about that today. If you can stay on your lines for all of recess, you can try playing at recess tomorrow. Otherwise, this will be your spot every day until you can be successful at being on your lines correctly and in a timely manner. I’ll like you know matter how long it takes for you to become an expert at this. 

By taking action about behaviors, instead of talking about behaviors, you can effectively teach kids about behaviors.