Get Students Moving
Strategies to Get Students Moving/Learning in Class
Why Students Should Be Moving.
Brain research shows we need to move to learn. In Brain Rules by John Medina he states that " physical activity is cognitive candy" and that "movement boosts brain power". This does not just apply to kinesthetic learners, but we all benefit from moving and stretching. It gets the blood flowing, it boosts creativity, and it breaks up the monotony of sitting in those hard old seats!
Some Strategies To Try:
1. Crazy Drawings:
- Have students form pairs - backs to each other
- One student gets a picture/photo prepared earlier from the stack ( material is relevant to what you are currently studying)
- Student holding the card needs to give good oral instruction to the other student, and the student needs to draw what is being described without seeing the original picture.
- Pair shares and then explains to the rest of the class what the drawing is and how it holds significance to what is currently being taught.
- Variation of this build the 100, 000 pyramid, set the timer and have the pairs play that old game show version using material from class.
2. Crazy Question Strategy :
- Group students into teams of 4
- Teacher selects a list of vocabulary words or a set of question from whatever you are currently studying
- Have the students complete a series of movements to receive each question. To get the first question, have the students jump to the sky and slap the floor with their hand - repeat five times; second question, have them hop on one foot while turning in a circle 10 times; third question, run in place for 30 seconds, fourth question, do imaginary jump rope as fast as possible for 10 seconds and for the final and fifth question, have them complete all previous movements.
- When series of moves is completed, students sit down to receive their material until they have completed all five questions
3. Gallary Walk: ( My standby - go to - favorite of all)
- On the walls around the room or out in the hallway, post chart paper.
- Have students using post-it notes to answer critical thinking questions about your lesson
- I have in the past used music to begin and end but if I am in the hallway, I use a timer.
- When we come back into classroom, students take colored index cards and on one side of the index card they write down one thing they learned and on the other side what they liked best and what they liked least
- If time permits I have them share with a partner, if not, they leave it for me on the way out the door ( actually they always leave it with me for their exit ticket).
Not Only Are These Good Strategies to Get Students Moving But.......
These strategies also hit the four areas we need to be working on with our ELLs (all students for that matter) - The Listening, Speaking, Writing, and Reading Skills.
Lead Learner - Social Studies
Have questions or ideas - please feel free to stop by and ask/share. We are in this together!!!
Email: kaylin.burleson@centerisd.org
Location: Room 324
Twitter: @KbsRiders12