We are a community of learners with many strengths and needs. Many of us are reading and problem solving below grade level and many live in homes where the family spends most of the income on rent in order to live in a good school district.
My students are solution oriented kids who strive to succeed, and they come up with creative solutions to societal issues.
When I mentioned alternative seating, they immediately went to searching for alternatives to the box desks we currently have and came up with all kinds of options. They are resourceful and are working on building good habits as we spend time in class discussing nutrition and hydration.
My Project
This summer, our state legislature put a new law in place increasing the amount of time required for physical activity per week in schools. This prompted many conversations in the community about how we can meet all of the state mandates for education - academic requirements weren't reduced, but this is an additional time mandate. Grownups have gone back and forth on the issue, and I thought it would be interesting to see what my students thought.
When I asked the students what they thought about the law, I expected them to be ecstatic about more recess; I was surprised when they said they're worried about missing more class.
Then they came up with an idea to address both! Many of my students know they are functioning below grade level and are beginning to feel internal pressure to catch up so they can move into middle and high school more prepared. They dream of days in college, and are self-aware enough to understand they need focused attention to their deficits now to be successful then.
Students have spent time online looking for ways to be able to move that also increase academic focus and attention. They found several articles about bicycle desks and decided that was the ticket! They can get physical exercise AND read or problem solve simultaneously. The students who have ADD and ADHD were the most excited because they're thinking the bikes might really help them stay more focused.
More than a third of students from low‑income households
Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more
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