Let's Get Moving and Learning!
Boring! Every one of us has most likely experienced sitting in a classroom where content is being taught that isn't the most exciting and engaging material. As we know from experience, boredom leads to misbehaving in various ways. Students might start daydreaming, put their heads down, crave attention in negative ways, distract others or just stare out the window. They simply aren't engaged. As the end of the year approaches, many students may become harder and harder to engage. What can we do? My solution is to get up and move. All of the behaviors listed above are huge indicators that students need to get up and get moving. Scientists have provided a significant amount of evidence that the average learner, regardless of age, needs to briefly move their bodies every 20-30 minutes.
Do you have students who can't sit still? What if instead of always telling this student to sit still, you actually gave that student many opportunities throughout the day to keep moving?
Studies are now showing that when students use their body during the learning process it can have a huge effect, even if the physical movement isn't connected to what they are learning. When students are physically engaged in their learning they are more likely to retain it. Movement enables learners to maintain focus and many times avoid feeling overwhelmed or stressed. Movement in the classroom can also help with class cohesion. It can heighten student participation, build relationships and self-esteem. When kids are engaged it can boost their listening and communication skills. Also, who doesn't love seeing their students laughing and having fun? I personally cannot sit still and listen for hours, so how can I expect my students to do it. I want my students engaged and excited about what they are learning. I want them to be actively participating in their learning. I definitely do not want a group of bored, passively listening daydreamers. So I incorporate movement and physical activity into our day. If you think about it we encourage 3 out of 4 motor skills (oral, fine, and visual) constantly throughout our day. But we often forget the fourth motor skill-gross motor skills. Letting kids move in class isn't a break from learning. It is learning!
Childhood isn't meant to replicate adult life- sitting in little cubicles and desks day after day. Moving, exploring, running and activity is what children need to thrive. That is where they learn how the world works and their place in it.
-Karen DeBeus
Do you use physical movement in your classroom? What do you think of allowing students to learn through the use of their bodies? Here are some ways that I use movement in my classroom.
Brain Breaks can be brief and simple. While recess and P.E. are great, finding time for brain breaks during learning is important. Short brain breaks give students' brain and bodies a quick break and make their minds sharper. Thirty seconds to two minutes is enough time to make all this magic happen. Some examples of simple brain breaks are toe touches, marching in place, walking the classroom, squatting, jumping jacks, or a quick game of silent ball. If there is a paper that kids are finished with, I like to have them crumple it up and have a one-minute "snowball fight" and when I say "freeze", they pick up one piece of paper throw it away and move on to the next task. I love to use a site called GoNoodle. GoNoodle helps get kids moving with short interactive activities. This site has helped with attendance. If I do a GoNoodle first thing in the morning, kids are running to class so they do not miss it. The interactive activities keep kids engaged and motivated throughout the day. The ideas can be functional as well as fun.
Academic movement is crucial. Kids are learning all day so why not incorporate movement into your lessons. By adding more physical movement to our day, my class has become more productive and happy.
Kagan structures are a great way to get kids up and moving. It can be as simple as turning to partner/team member to engage in conversation to getting up and moving around the classroom to participate in Quiz-Quiz-Trade or Stand up, Hand up, Pair up. Teambuilding and classbuilding activities are great opportunities to get kids moving. I like to find ideas in the Kagan Silly Sports and Goofy Games book.
Math is also an easy time to incorporate movement. I love to have my students physically participate to solve word problems or fact. Eg. I have 6 girls and 4 boys. How many students do I have in all? Students love a make a human number line or each team create a shape using their bodies. Giving kids manipulatives to explore with is another great way to get them interacting during math. My students love to use linking cubes, dice, coins and rulers. My students are required to use their arms when talking about math signs. They make a plus, minus, and equals sign using their arms when reading a number sentence aloud. There is a great game called Knockout where the class is split into two lines and they compete against each to answer math facts, read words etc.. They then go to the end of the line to keep playing or to the "cheering section" if a mistake is made. They are up moving and praising each other throughout the entire game. Movement is happening all day long!
In learning environments where movement is integrated, students love being there. I strive to bring endless excitement to my lessons. I would love to add some of the ways you use movement in your classroom into mine. Alright, now let's get moving and learning!
Positively Teaching,
Randi Muehlen
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