Engaging minds through physical activity
Social emotional learning. SEL. What is it? Seems like a buzzword these days. The concept of SEL is not new, as it has been around for decades. The Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL, n.d.) defines it as: “The process through which all young people and adults acquire and apply the knowledge, skills [...]
Movement in our schools has never come under the spotlight quite like it did in 2020/2021. With the concern of contract tracing, student-student contact, student-teacher contact, and the overall spreading of COVID-19, we have seen more and more schools reduce the movement patterns of their students. In reading blogs, social posts, and speaking with educators, [...]
Thanksgiving is right around the corner! Reflecting on what you’re thankful for is a big part of the holiday, but why not use it as (another) way to introduce activity throughout the school day, whether at home or in school. Read through these fun Thanksgiving-themed activities and put some gobble in your wobble this holiday! Thanksgiving Scavenger Hunt Things [...]
With kids at home until the fall, we can’t think of a better activity than movement mazes to keep them active and occupied. You may have seen these popular movement mazes taking classroom hallways by storm. Now, the reality is distance learning and working remotely from home. But that hasn’t stopped teachers, parents, and students [...]
Monday Start with learning and teaching some beginner yoga poses. Here are a few to start with: Cat and Cow Pose • Begin on hands and knees --Hands beneath shoulders and knees beneath hips --Back flat, eyes looking at floor • Inhale and arch spine upward, tuck tailbone, bend neck, and look underneath body (Cat) [...]
You may have tried the whole “activity break” thing and didn’t feel like it was successful, or that students acted crazier after their break than they did before. In many instances, especially if the idea of activity breaks is fairly new to the students, the novelty may excite them, and they will need strategies for [...]
Most classroom teachers don’t know the research surrounding how activity, such as Brain Energizers, can increase student achievement, improve behavior, and improve focus. I feel it’s our job to teach our peers the importance as well as how to implement these practices. There are so many ways to do this for our peers: Ask your [...]
As colder weather approaches for most of us, it is wise to think about ways we can still provide the activity and movement breaks that children inherently need and want, even if time outdoors is not an option during school time. Research supports the notion that children are more active during spring than winter, and [...]
The brain/body connection is not exclusive to elementary age students. In fact, it does not discriminate. This magnificent relationship is ongoing, extremely subtle, and critical to the teaching and learning process at all grade levels and content areas. Using thoughtful and purposeful physical activity is no less appropriate in a high school trigonometry classroom than [...]
Smooth and timely transitions are key to a successful classroom! Oftentimes, valuable instruction time can be wasted if students can’t easily transition from one activity to the next. The biggest thing I try to get out of my transition time is that my students are calmed down quickly and ready to focus. Here are five [...]
