I always enjoy using The Walking Classroom with my students, but the 2020-2021 school year made it an even more important part of our weekly routine! Getting outside in the fresh air was so good for ALL of us! It was such an enjoyable part of our day and the students couldn’t wait to get started on our walking days!
Throughout the school year, I tie our walking topics to what we’re learning in class. I teach ELA and social studies, so there are always fantastic choices to connect to our learning. (In fact, there are SO many great choices, I wish I had time for them all!) I try to choose science walks occasionally, too, which helps connect with what the students are learning with my co-teacher.
The end of the school year is always a challenging time to keep students engaged because testing is over and summer is coming. I love to get extra walks in during that time since it helps keep those active minds and bodies on the move! We revisit favorite topics, preview learning for fifth grade (I teach fourth grade), and we manage to discover a variety of topics that we don’t encounter in our regular standards.
I love to do “choice walks” at least a couple of times during the end of year craziness, too. This allows students to listen to ANY topic they want to learn about! They get so excited looking over the full list of topics and choosing their learning for the day. I let them know that after their walk, they will share their newfound knowledge with their classmates.
I will usually have students do a quick exit ticket (paper or digital) to share some things they learned about their chosen topic. We always have very interesting conversations filled with facts about a large variety of topics when we return from our walks, as well. The Walking Classroom saves the day when you have kids that are ready to MOVE!
Kari Lawson
Fourth Grade Teacher
Westwood Elementary
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