I teach fourth grade at a very small community school (PreK to 8th, about 120 students total). About six years ago, as funds were continually being cut, we lost our Health/PE teacher. I went searching for ideas of things I could do to get my students outside and moving.
Soon, I ran across an email about the Walking Classroom and was able to get a set of WalkKits via a grant. I loved the idea of my students getting exercise while still covering content related to my standards.
We continue to walk twice a week and my students have learned so much! There are so many podcasts to choose from and many of the ones for social studies align perfectly with what I am already teaching. And, for assessment, I have my students doing the quizzes on Google Classroom, which I love.
This past year, I had a student who has always been very hard to motivate to do work. Most mornings, all she wanted to do was sleep on her desk. However, on our Walking Classroom days, she would get all her morning work done and come to me with earbuds in hand ready for her walk. I believe the exercise and fresh air was just what she needed. Honestly, it was pretty good for me too!
I think our favorite podcast would be Yankee Doodle (4-#57, Complete-#68) when we are learning about the American Revolution. The students sing as we are walking, and I know they are listening! I look forward to walking with The Walking Classroom for many years to come.
Patty Orgeron
Fourth Grade Teacher
Stephensville Elementary
Leave a Reply