Get Those Students Up and Movin'!

It's already the middle of February, and I'm finally getting a blog post going for 2018.  I've been inspired for this post through my job of supervising college students while they observe and teach in 4th-9th grade classrooms.  One thing I have noticed lately is how teachers are getting their students up and moving during the teaching and learning process.  This is another positive sign that student centered learning is becoming more of a priority in classrooms.  In one classroom, the teacher had 2 big signs taped to opposite walls of the classroom; one said True, and the other said False.   As she displayed some truths/non truths about water and water usage, the students moved to the side of the room with either True or False.  She then asked them to share why they chose what they did.  This was a great way to get kids engaged in the lesson, and get debate and discussion going. More importantly, it also helped to break up the monotony of information delivery.  In another classroom students were moving around the room solving math problems and discussing their answer choices with a partner.

The specific practice of student movement in the classroom is supported by research.  This article is one I have my college students read that reveals some of the brain science of our limitations for paying attention.  When you've got some extra time, this article is definitely worth the read.

This idea of getting students moving has inspired an idea for some new products in my TpT store.  These products are scavenger hunts with a mystery puzzle built in.

The teacher simply displays the problem and answer cards in pairs around the room.  As students solve a problem, they walk around the room to find the answer and then write down the mystery letter that corresponds with each answer.  They continue to solve all of the problems and collect all the letters that spell out the mystery word.  I think this is a much more engaging way for students to practice math skills rather than doing a boring worksheet.  They are up and moving, blood pumping, and fully engaging in the activity.  So far I only have 2 topics, but I plan to make many more.  Leave me a comment on what topics you would like to see.  I'd also love to hear some ideas on how you get your students up and moving throughout the day.   I encourage you to get those students moving;  they will thank you for it!