Recess is arguably just as important as classes. 

When you were a kid, how did you feel about recess? It was likely the highlight of your day. You would get to cast off the worries of math class, and you could play four-square with your buddies. It was a magical time. You would run around the playground inventing games and gossiping. It was a necessary time away from your studies and allowed you to connect with your peers. It’s a huge part of being a kid. You need to get your energy out, or else you’ll be disruptive in class. You need time to run around in order to stay still when it comes time to. It’s part of the ecosystem of the school, and you need it to ensure that everything is running correctly. 

Teachers are often fighting an uphill battle in the classroom. Kids can be hard to control, and when a few kids are acting up, it can disrupt the whole class. But disciplining these kids while allowing everyone else to have the education they deserve is a tricky line to walk. You don’t want to single anyone out, but the kids who are behaving well end up getting the same punishment as everyone else, and that’s not fair. So teachers are constantly having to negotiate how to deal with moments like these. But the good kids usually end up suffering for it. That’s what happened in this story, at least.