To prevent this from occurring, I would hold each of the student's hands prior to announcing it is time to go inside so there is no time for them to escape you. If this doesn't work, I would talk to the principal about the possibility of getting another teacher/adult to go outside with you. Parents of the students should be notified, as well.

This is a dangerous situation. I'm surprised you are alone on outside playtime duty. I'm wondering if the area is enclosed or if the students can get into physical harm easily ie close to a road. If it is enclosed, I would start taking away time that they can be out there. If there is a hazard they can get into nearby, my advice is not about you being the only adult. Before it happens again, I think you have to tell admin and security that you need another person with you when these students are outside. Eloping can become escalated in an instant. If there is a second person, you can keep them in your sights while they alert others for help!

I would resort to sending the student to the office, or not allowing them to have enjoyable outside time.

Maybe giving them roles as line leader or teachers helper can help give them a sense of responsibility to get in line and line up to be prepared to go inside. I think by also letting the principal know of this behavior so he or she can come out to observe this happening in real time would also be helpful. If it continues to get worse I would contact parents.

Sitting down with the students or even all of the students and explaining that they need to stop this behavior is a good way to go. There could even be a consequence for not listening to these directions. Some time could and maybe should be taken from their outside time (a sort of time out). Another way to go without punishment could be to give these students a particular role for lining up and going back inside, such as a line leader and a head counter. This will give the students a job to do and keep them from running away.

You could possibly take disciplinary actions such as reducing recess time. I do not know if this is an ethical issue, but this behavior definitely needs to be addressed.

I think it is important to know that a punishment doesn't have to be related to the misbehavior. I say this because my first thought was to take away their outside time but Im not sure that would be achievable.. How old are these students? Depending on age, you could give them lunch detention or you could deny them something they enjoy like computer access or treasure box

I would say reminded the classroom of the outside rules (if there are none, make some) and if they are not followed then students will need to sit out for a certain amount of time. So if they students run away, remind them the next day they will need to sit with you until a certain amount of time and remind them that they are losing outside time for not following playtime rules.

I would implement some kind of reward system that encourages them to come inside. Maybe when it is time to come in, if they quickly and easily line up to go inside, they can have extra computer time in the morning before class starts.

I would definitely not be going outside with these students without other assistance. If if still occurs, then maybe going outside just is not longer an options until you know they will follow the rules and behave appropriately.

Explain to them that could be dangerous. Also try not to be the only teacher. If they continue put in place consequences. Meaning reduced play or outside time.

That definitely sounds like a tricky situation, especially with safety being a concern. One approach could be to have a calm, consistent consequence for when they run away, like a short time-out or loss of a privilege. You might also try setting clear expectations before going outside, letting them know the importance of listening and staying close when it's time to go in. Sometimes, giving them a small, special responsibility like helping you lead the line or being a “line leader” can help keep them engaged and more accountable. Also, having a backup plan for times when you’re alone outside, like a designated spot for students to gather, could help keep everyone safe. Stay consistent with your response, and over time, they’ll likely start to take it more seriously.