Your first Q & A made me smile. It reminded me of a comment I made to one of my first grade classes last week. I asked "First grade, why do have to keep acting like first graders?" (I use humor a lot as a coping mechanism with my younger kids.)
On a more serious note, whenever I notice I have made a mistake with my students, I own it the next time I see them. I'll say 'I have been thinking this over and this is my decision because....' or 'When this happened, I couldn't teach and others couldn't work because....I want to be fair. How do you think we should solve this problem?" Letting your first graders have movement, especially during times of indoor recess is a great idea. Have you also thought of implementing centers that students rotate through on the days you know they are going to be wound up (indoor recess, assembly day, unusual weather patterns, etc) ? At one of my schools I have a set of Kapla blocks and learning activities that go with them. The blocks are a nice break sometimes because the kids have to stand and move in an organized fashion, as well as think in three-dimensions and contemplate cause and effect. The students love manipulatives, and it allows me a time to take notes about their behaviors, thinking styles, and level of elaboration with a given material.
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