How to include physical activity in lesson plans
Physical activity involves bodily movement as a result of skeletal muscles that consumes energy. Examples of these activities include walking, jumping, and dancing. Teachers working in birth to Pre-K kids care facilities should consider the aspect of physical activity and make it vital in the lesson plan.
Physical activity is crucial in lesson plans since children love playing. Dorothy Strickland, a professor at Rutgers University, elaborates on how the lesson can be physical. For example, kids can solve mathematically related issues while still playing with blocks. The actions are both a learning process and a brain activator. Mark Mason and Gail Holtz, the kindergartens’ teachers in Hawken School, explain how physical activities can be incorporated in the lessons plan to yield flexibility. As the kids try to adjust the blocks that do not fit the game well, they grow and become flexible in thoughts. The children will activate their brain cells through physical activity hence good in solving classroom work.
Moreover, when the kids get the opportunities to play, they decide on what happens. The notion is discussed by Juanita Copley, a professor in the instruction and curriculum department. Instead of just asking kids to count numbers while seated, a teacher may ask them to jump and sing the numerals, hence incorporating physical activity. In a situation where the kids pretend to be doctors attending to patients, they are actively involved and learning.
A teacher may also read a story on going to the moon passing through mercury and Venus and involving them. Since mercury is hot and rocky, the teacher will ask the kids to jump and be quick at such a point. In Venus, the kids will pretend to be fighting with a strong wind. In such a situation, the children will have learned about mercury and Venus and done some healthy physical exercises. In the article of developing skills in the 21stbcentury by using blocks, kids learn a lot from their teacher. Mrs. Michelson, a kindergarten teacher, listens to the kids’ stories on how machines can make beds. She then asks the children to create the machines on the block center by first drawing the same on paper. By doing so, the teacher engages the kids physically while they learn.
How to address the need for physical activity in a class
The best way to teach children the importance of physical activity is through practicals. Actions make the children active in class and improve concentration. To address this issue, the educator may take 2 hours reading to the kids and ask them how they feel at the end, and most definitely, the class will be bored and inactive. The educator should then come back for the same lesson, and after every 10 minutes of reading, he or she should ask the kids to stand and stretch. After every 30 minutes, he should give the children a story related to the topic that requires them to take action, for example, as illustrated above on the story of going to the moon. The kids will find the second lesson fun, motivating, and engaging as compared to the first one. The illustration will be an effective way of teaching the children the importance of physical activity
What you plan to implement into your future teaching practice
The world has changed, and the use of social media is greatly valued. The aspect is termed as a vice when dealing with kid’s physical activities, but I plan to make good use of it. The COVID-19 pandemic will also push me to turn social media into a powerful tool for kids since physical contact is not encouraged. I plan to download games and songs into the tablets for the kids to use in classrooms. The kids are required to do like songs or games direct practically. My motive is to use social media as a learning platform while engaging the kids physically.xxx