By Brooke Sydnor Curran
Last month, we were so excited to meet with teachers from across Alexandria public schools to talk about building a “culture of movement” inside and outside their classrooms.
Entitled, “Movement Matters in our Schools: Learn Why & How to Implement It,” the professional development session—facilitated by M2L Director of Programs Jen Wiser, Community Engagement Manager Rebeca Gore—was designed to inspire them to get their students moving as a tool for improving student behavior, attendance, focus and engagement!
Sound like a tall order? It’s really just the simple science of neurogenesis, the process of growing new brain cells. Because that’s what movement and exercise do: They improve our cognitive and mental health. In fact, they improve a vast array of brain functions: Thinking, understanding, learning, and remembering, working memory, executive functioning and even our moods.
Little Mosquito🦟
I kicked off the PD as the keynote speaker for both the morning and afternoon sessions—for a full day of teacher learning. I shared my story and inspiration for launching Move2Learn, formerly RunningBrooke, in 2009. It goes like this: Growing up, in school I was called “mosquito,” “the problem student,” because I literally couldn’t sit still. I was constantly disrupting my classmates or whomever and whatever was going on around me.
Those labels hurt, and they stuck with me into adulthood—until I stumbled on the benefits of movement. First walking, then running. They calmed my distracted, wandering, sometimes anxious mind.
Aha Moment🤔
Then, one day, I had an “aha” moment: Why aren’t we doing this for students? Why aren’t we incorporating movement into their day to help them focus? Which led me to launching the organization in 2009, taking a holistic approach to empowering today’s K-12 students to learn better and feel better—and helping the teachers who teach them—using the science of movement.
My presentation resonated in the room, and I totally get it. One teacher in her feedback on the session said, “My students this year are little mosquitos, but they don’t know how to move yet. Move2Learn’s programming will be super beneficial for them to do and be their best.”
Another said. “I loved hearing Brooke’s story. It really supported the WHY of what we are doing.”
A Sad Fact🙁
It’s a distressing reality that our teachers are frantically seeking solutions to managing their classroom. Post pandemic, we’ve seen a 56% increase in classroom disruptions. It’s one of today’s biggest stressors for educators, leading to more burnout in the field of education than in any other industry in the country.
Another scary statistic: Teachers have only 5 ½ hours a day to teach. Yet they lose 6 ½ minutes PER HOUR to disruptions. The hidden cost of classroom disruptions and behavioral challenges can add up to 10 to 20 school days of lost instruction time.
This is why Move2Learn is at the forefront to help combat their fatigue—for them and our students.
One of our teachers who attended the PD said, “I desperately want to effectively manage my classroom without being a tyrant or being boring.”
We hear you and are here for you!
