Integrating Movement Within Your Classroom

Classroom Management Strategy: Movement

“Embedding movement into instruction is a well-documented approach for increasing learning endurance, improving student behaviors, and promoting student achievement” (Nagro et al., 2018).

Incorporating movement within your classroom could sound scary or like it could detract from the purpose of teaching which is students learning. Movement actually improves student academic achievements. The movement taking place must be meaningful, have purpose, and be structured. So more of an I do, you do, we do movement. One example of incorporating movement within a math class is through the use of a number line when adding and subtracting integers. The teacher can make number lines on the classroom floor with positive and negative numbers, project problems on the board, and have students in groups around the number line demonstrating problems. Ex: -1 + 3 the student would start on the negative 1 and go in the positive direction (right) three numbers, the student should land on 2. This just allows for further process for the students to visualize exactly what they are doing when solving these problems on paper.

It can also be very beneficial to incorporate movement with vocabulary words. This can be done with multiple subjects and grade levels. Adding a movement with a vocab word is just another way students can try to retain the words and definition.

In any subject area or grade levels, teachers can use gestures in order to capture students' attention. These gestures include pointing, tracing the air, hand motions, gestures can be seated or standing. Students will need to watch what the teacher does first modeling the gesture(s), turn and talk with a partner modeling the gestures, and then do the gestures on their own. "Gestures as a form of movement can be used to help students remember steps or a concept (e.g., creating an arm gesture for each step in the math orders of operations) or communicate their level of understanding by acting out a response" (Nagro et al., 2018).

Positive Environment = Positive Classroom Management

When educators incorporate movement within their classroom through gestures, song & dance, or even just simply standing and then reciting, it creates a positive classroom environment. A classroom of students will thrive off this type of environment because it makes them feel safe, included, and interconnected with their teacher and peers. A positive classroom environment leads to having a positive classroom management. Students will be engaged with the content, actively participating, and ready to learn each day. With consistently engaged students, there will be very little room for misbehaviors.

References:

Jones, & Jones, L. S. (1998). Comprehensive classroom management : creating communities of support and solving problems (Fifth edition.). Allyn and Bacon.

Nagro, Fraser, D. W., & Hooks, S. D. (2019). Lesson Planning With Engagement in Mind: Proactive Classroom Management Strategies for Curriculum Instruction. Intervention in School and Clinic, 54(3), 131–140. https://doi.org/10.1177/1053451218767905

Vigil, K., Love, M., & edt. (2022). Using Connectedness Cycle. In Handbook of Research on Future of work and education: Implications for curriculum delivery and work design. essay, Information Science Reference.

I hope this information of how to integrate movement within your classroom will benefit your classroom management. There are so many ways to get your students up and moving to help their attention span or keep them focused. Please feel free to reach out with any questions you may have!

abrunston1@murraystate.edu Ms. Brunston 5th and 6th Grade Teacher

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