Hey all- As a "Happy Monday" gift to his faculty (note the sarcasm), my AP announced at our staff meeting that we're all expected to implement 30 minutes of movement into our daily teaching schedule. I'm not sure when exactly I'm supposed to do this. It's in response to backlash since PE has been cut back on, which I get, but I don't have time and I don't know what to do with the kids. Do any of you have a similar program that you can give me advice/hints about? I have tried dancing as a mid-morning break in the past, but I feel like the kids always get rowdy afterwards and I'm wondering if either: a.) I'm doing it wrong, or b.) this program is a terrible idea that's going to make my classroom hell. Any advice/condolences/similar experiences??
We move to our spelling words. Tall letter we lift our arms, hanging letters we squat and put our hands by our side for "regular" letters. Spelling and PE at the same time!
I don't know how to teach little ones, but I can share a few math vocab ideas that I've heard from others. Use whatever you can find to put a grid of 1x1 squares on the floor. Say perimeter and have them step the squares around the edge to figure out the perimeter. Say area and have them step on each square to figure out the area. Come up with movements that go with all of your vocab, like they do in the Power Teaching approach. Exercise and a kinetic aspect to the learning.
I use hula hoops and jump ropes for spelling. Also, I know i read somewhere that they were giving away free yoga dvds if you do them in class. What if you implement that, toward the end of the day or to start the day. Also, scholastics has this ball that has things that make you get up and do something. Instead of just asking them a question for discussion, I make them do an action then answer the question.
Everyone gives so many great suggestions. We aren't required to do movement, but since I've got wiggly first graders, I have to since they get pretty antsy when sitting for more than 10 minutes. We sing songs (ie: i have a pop up book of wheels on the bus that they like), or if I'm teaching science I'll say, "Show me what a _______" does. At the end of each week, we stand in a circle and I have a soft Nerf frisbee. You catch it and say something you learned. Then you throw it to someone else and they share. If someone doesn't get a turn to catch, I throw it to them. We also do this with a beach ball sometimes. Perhaps at the end of each day, your kids could toss the ball around and share something they learned? Or they could at the beginning of the day share something they want to learn (KWL) I wold also ask other teachers on your team and at your school what are THEY doing for some ideas. That's how I figured out how to quasi conquer my arch nemesis -- READING ROTATION! (i like working with the kids in the group but I still dislike having kids moving around my room unsupervised!!!!!)
Wow! Thanks everyone for the great responses and ideas! My only concern now is that I feel that sometimes my kids get kind of rowdy after moving around (i.e. after gym and recess). They seem less focused than before. Is that your experience? I just worry that we'll lose valuable time as I try to redirect their attention after the physical activity is over.
Keep the physical activity short or try to complete them prior to leaving the classroom (before lunch, recess, music, going home, etc). Or build it into questions as you go through the day and just keep moving the lesson along...
Also, consider having hand signals. That helps my first graders settle down from the movement. I normally hold a hand in the air with the peace sign and they've been taught that means they do the same. If just one kid does it, another sees their hand up and then they'll do the same and they all settle down quickly. I also do the "1, 2, 3 eyes on me" I would recommend that you sit the kids down and talk with them about about your expectations for when you guys do movement in the classroom. EDIT: The first day we talk about my expecttions and practice them. The second day there's always a knucklehead or two that want to test the boundaries and break the rules (ie: not stopping moving when I give the signal, being so rowdy and hyped up they kick/hit someone because they're not looking around them, etc) I give them ONE warning, then send that person to their seat. It kind of makes an example out of them. The kids then realize, "If I don't follow Ms. Em's directions, I have to sit by myself." So it kind of reigns them in
Brain Gym might also be an option for you... all our PreK and K teachers went to a workshop on it last year. It has some really good movement ideas that are easily incorporated into your regular activities, and some that are good for settling kids down as well as some that are good for getting them up and going (cue the time when they all give you the blank expression). http://www.braingym.com/ is the website... I'm not sure if there are examples of their exercises on there, but probably a quick google search could turn that up.
Also, you might want to create lessons that are more kinesthetic in nature. I do a noun hunt with my kids. It's great because they get to move around outside as they hunt for nouns. Also, this year I have made my walls very interactive. That at least gets the kids up and they can work with the information on the walls as they move around.
Another good one is a "gallery walk". When your doing work that requires drawing or coloring, give the students time to get a nice start on it and then have them stop. They leave their work on their table/desk where it can be seen and walk around the room in a line looking at what others are doing with theirs.
