How can I sum up a day in my ICT first grade classroom; BUSY! They are a busy bunch that consists of 13 boys and 13 girls. Sitting still is highly overrated. These children are always on the move. Bouncing and squirming in their chair for a 50 minute lesson is a lesson of its own.
I have the pleasure of teaching 26 different learning, emotional, behavior disabilities and even a handful of gifted students on a daily basis.
100% of my class receives free lunches, 73% of the school receives free lunch, making this a Title One school. My students are full of energy each and every day they walk through my door. Getting them to sit still is a chore in and of itself. Most of my day consists of telling my students to sit down and focus making lesson completion a chore. The expectations of first graders with the Common Core is grueling enough. Getting them to stay focused on the task at hand by sitting still on a hard surface for sometimes more than an hour is, well, torture.
My Project
My students need 26 exercise/stability/yoga balls. I have done my research and found that there are three main purposes for using the exercise balls as chairs and incorporating movement into the classroom. For one, movement increases blood flow to the brain, which is better for brain function. Better brain function means more LEARNING! Movement also helps children "get the wiggles out" which aides their natural need to move. This will help them focus by expending the excess energy they build up throughout the day. Sitting on a stability ball supports and builds their core muscles. Pediatricians are finding that children in the last 10 years are suffering from poor core strength due to the practices that are used while they are infants and small children (swings, back to sleep, car seats/ carriers, strollers, activity rings). They are not developing the same strength as previous generations. This also helps develop large motor muscles, which support small motor muscles (think writing and hand strength).
My students really need to be able to focus and absorb the information being taught to them.
More focused students equals increased (quality) work production. Increased (quality) work production equals more students learning. More students learning equals a happy teacher and classroom. Having stability balls as chairs is my first step in reaching this goal.
More than three‑quarters 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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