My school is located in a rural community. We have 250 students that come to us from various situations, but the majority come from households that struggle financially. Every student receives free breakfast and lunch. School has become a place for them to feel safe and know that they can get the things that they need. Being able to participate in The Walking Classroom has been wonderful for my students.
I currently teach fourth grade science and fifth grade social studies in a departmentalized situation, so I see 100 students a day. I was able to incorporate the WalkKits into both science and social studies, so that the students were able to get out of their seats and learn in a different arena. When the weather got colder or rain would interfere, we had a planned path in the school hallways.
To be honest, I wondered how my students would respond to the program. I thought that I would be constantly redirecting behavior as students adjusted to a new routine. However, I could not have been more surprised to find that this wasn’t the case. Every time I looked back at my class, I saw students following expectations and caught up in what they were listening to. It was amazing!
When we got back to the classroom, we got together and talked about the podcast. They were excited and eager to share what they had learned. The first time this happened, I knew that it was the beginning of a wonderful thing. Students asked to listen to podcasts every opportunity that they could. If we had 10-15 minutes before beginning a new task, they always asked to “take a learning walk”!
As a teacher, I want to make sure that my students do not fall behind and have the same opportunity to reach their potential, regardless of their life situation. The Walking Classroom can help me achieve this. Thank you for the role you have played in assuring that students everywhere from any background can break down barriers and be the best learners that they can be.
Jennifer Dunn
Fourth/Fifth Grade Teacher
Mason Corinth Elementary
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