Coach's Corner
DC-G Middle School December 2015
Movement Throughout the Day
You just got done with an 8 hour meeting. You sat for most of the day. How does your body feel? Are we asking our students to experience a similar situation everyday? How do you incorporate more purposeful movement into your classroom?
Ways to incorporate more movement:
1. Stretch break
3. "Give one, get one" strategy
Students stand and find another student to share notes with. Each student "gives" a note, and each student "gets" a note. The partners can also think of a question to ask the whole class for review purposes.
4. "Voting with your feet" strategy
Use with multiple choice questions. These can still be higher-order questions. :-) Post the letters A, B, C, and D around the room. Show students four options and have them go to letter they think is the best answer. Letter D could always be the answer "other" that way if students don't think the answer is given, they still have an option to choose.
5. "Corners" strategy
Think of four questions/thinking statements over your topic. Write each on a separate chart paper. Place in the corners of your room. Divide students into groups. Have a recorder write down students' thoughts. Groups move to the next poster after about 5 minutes. The group should read what the previous group(s) thought, add to it, or circle items they had questions about.
6. Incorporating drama
Have students act out events or stories. This can be done with or without dialogue. Is it more or less powerful with words?
7. Physical representations of content
Work independently, with a partner, or small group to demonstrate important aspect of concept.
Click the link below to share ideas of how you use movement.
Engagement
Levels of Engagment
Resources
More articles about movement for students:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2014/07/08/why-so-many-kids-cant-sit-still-in-school-today/http://www.cnn.com/2014/03/30/living/no-sitting-still-movement-schools/
http://www.ascd.org/publications/books/104013/chapters/Movement-and-Learning.aspx
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/why-sitting-all-day-is-killing-you/
Video about movement in the classroom:
Dallas Center-Grimes Middle School
Email: kjohnston@dc-grimes.k12.ia.us
Website: dcgschools.com
Location: 1400 Vine Street, Dallas Center, IA, United States
Phone: 515-992-4343
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DCG-Middle-School-721573377896031/?fref=nf
Twitter: @DCGMS