You are a college-educated professional with multiple degrees. People with similar qualifications are engineers, lawyers and scientists. You also have recess duty twice a week and every other Friday. It can be trying, but you can survive.

Have a schedule and a plan

There needs to be an equitable schedule among everyone who has recess duty. This should include a clear method of determining who else might be called on for duty if an aide or another teacher cannot do it. Nothing is worse than finding out you have duty five minutes after recess has started. Putting this schedule together can be tedious. Make sure the person making it is rotated every year. If no such schedule exists, approach the other teachers about it. If they refuse, discuss it with your principal. Having such a schedule improves student safety and promotes accountability because it significantly reduces the chance that students will be left without supervision on the playground.

If you are a substitute teacher, seek out this schedule. Teachers often volunteer a substitute for recess duty, which isn't very fair. If you are consistently asked to do recess duty as a substitute, talk to your principal about it. If your principal is always asking you to do recess duty, you may want to consider substituting for another school.

While discussing recess with other teachers, make sure you have a consistent set of rules and expectations for the following:

• At what temperature students should wear jackets
• What the rules should be for games (see below)
• How students will line up and return to the building

Be prepared

This may sound obvious, but you want to be ready. Even if you are not scheduled for recess duty, you could be called into action, so don't wear capri pants or a short-sleeved shirt if there is any chance of cold weather. Keep a light jacket in your classroom. If you are fond of open-toed shoes or flip-flops, keep a pair of shoes and socks in your classroom.

Hopefully, your school has a walkie-talkie to communicate to the office and a first-aid kit for playground use. Regardless, program the phone number to the office into your cell phone and memorize any codes or procedures needed to get into the building. If you are a substitute, be aware of how to get to the nurse's office. Always wear a watch.

Make sure your students are prepared

If temperatures are in the 50s or below, insist that students wear a jacket. Train them to wear a jacket on request without fail. If a student claims not to have one, check her locker or the coat room. If she does have one, put it on her and take some recess time away. Next time that student will find her jacket and put it on. It is useful if there is a supply of jackets available for students who do not have one. If your social worker or counselor does not have one, you may suggest it. Local churches will usually be happy to collect coats for students to use. The lost and found will work in a pinch.

Students can always remove their jackets when they are on the playground if it becomes warm enough. Have them pile their jackets next to wherever you stand when you line them up to return to the building so you can make sure everyone gets their jacket back. Never allow students to remove their shoes on the playground.

Supervision

You are in charge of all students on the playground. Check out the layout of your playground and determine if there are any blind spots. Keep students out of those areas. Do not allow students to sit behind trees or bushes. You are well within your right to ask any students hanging out in far corners to come in closer. Do not negotiate; be assertive.

Clear procedures and rules are always for the best. There should be clarity in who takes the next turn jumping rope, how foursquare is played, and what direction to swing. Remove from play any student who knowingly disobeys the rules, and have him sit in time out for five minutes if he argues. Post rules for games. Kickball innings last until everyone on the kicking team has had a turn. When playing foursquare, the student entering the game gets to serve the ball. Prohibit the hundred silly rules students invent during foursquare. These rules are usually just an excuse to get someone out. In tetherball, no child can play more than two rounds in a row. This keeps all students engaged and removes competition, which generates malice and arguing. Do not get roped into being a referee for games. If there is considerable arguing, follow your hunches and remove problem students from the game. They can play something else, but they can't play that.

Be aware students will frequently tell you someone else did something. Sometimes these are legitimate complaints and sometimes these are attempts to manipulate you to get someone else in trouble. Ask yourself these questions:

1. Is the student reporting something that happened to him? If it isn't and it is not a grievous problem, tell him to mind his own business.
2. Is it really a problem or is it something the student just doesn't like?
3. Is a response needed? If so, what is the best response?

Often, the best response is to simply move into that area. Student behavior changes remarkably when an adult is present. You can also remove the student causing the problem for that area or activity. Genuine problems like bullying will need to come to the attention of the student's teacher, or your school may have some sort of recourse such as detention. Have such a student sit out the rest of recess.

Problems will often arise at the literal last minute as students line up. You have to make judgments quickly in these situations. You can often handle things at the beginning of next recess, and problems that happened some time ago that a student brought up at the very end of recess can probably be dismissed. The same goes for last-minute requests to go to the social worker or nurse: If whatever problem the student is having didn't prevent her from recess, then it should not prevent her from going to class.

It is always a good idea to participate briefly in a game, such as foursquare or jump rope. This earns points quickly with students and adds to your "street cred." Don't do anything you really can't do, however. If you can't lay up a basketball to save your life, then don't do it on the playground.

Crime and punishment

Students will often need to spend time at recess for misbehavior in the classroom. Furthermore, you may often have to take students out of recess as a consequence for misbehavior there. Have a designated place within close earshot of you for students to wait their time. Encourage teachers who assign recess time to provide a list of names and times. Separate the students to minimize talking, alternating them boy, girl, boy, girl to reduce the temptation to chat. If they still talk, add to their time. If students are to walk laps, have them verbally give you a count as they pass you, and make them do an extra lap for any lap in which you spy them cutting a corner.

Injury and illness

Kids will get hurt on the playground or may become suddenly ill. Immediately call the office and let them know the student needs the nurse. You need to have a way to get the student back to the building safely. Usually the student can simply walk back. If it is a great distance or if the entrance is not visible from the playground, someone must accompany the student. If there is more than one adult on the playground, one of you can accompany the child. If not, call for help from the office.

If a student hurts her foot or leg and cannot walk easily, send another student or two with her to help her walk. Every kid loves to be a hero and you will not have a problem finding a volunteer. Otherwise, don't send students along.

Recess duty can be daunting, but remember to stay calm and be prepared. You will find that it is not too difficult.