Spin During Class to Reduce Stress and Help Self Regulation
My students need a kid's spin bike and a mat to help active children to focus and perform better in school, to encourage physical activity, and to promote self-regulation.
At the front of my classroom is the quote, "Exceed Expectations!" I always encourage my students to go beyond what is expected of them and to strive to always work harder, practice more, be better, and to go beyond what teachers, parents, coaches, and friends expect out of them.
I teach fifth grade in a public school classroom.
There are 18 students in my class this year. I strive for a happy and active classroom where children enjoy learning and each other. My students enjoy being creative and aspire to do their best in school. The children come from a variety of backgrounds. Our school qualifies as a moderate poverty school.
My Project
My students, like students in any classroom, are active and exuberant about learning. Sometimes, however students can be anxious, stressed-out, or find it hard to concentrate for a variety of reasons. Many students like to move and find it hard to sit still and concentrate at the same time.
I have followed the success of teachers using these spin bikes in Canada with their students. Many students feel calmer during or after exercise of even a few short minutes in duration. My students would follow a schedule of using the bike for 5 minutes each throughout the day during lessons and work. Students feeling the need to exercise due to extra stress would be allowed to get extra time to spin. I have heard that students willingly give up their spin time to a classmate who really needs that time.
Students will learn self-regulation to stay calmly focused and alert. They will appreciate the benefits of a bit of exercise and movement in the classroom, and they can have fun doing so.
With a spin bike in my classroom, I intend to replicate the success it has had in Canada and hopefully be a model for other classrooms and schools.
My students' focus and attention in class should improve and classroom distractions should decrease. Students will learn the beneficial effects of exercise on their mood and alertness and students will learn how to control their own stress and impulses through self-regulation.
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