Pictured Above: NAES teachers have fun moving during an activity at the January 3 Professional Development. Mike Kuczala was demonstrating an activity that could be used in the classroom to combine movement with the reviewing material.
Teachers in the New Albany School District (NASD) understand the importance in keeping their students active and moving thanks to a Professional Development Workshop sponsored by the John D. Bower Foundation. Mike Kuczala is the Assistant Director of Instruction at the Regional Training Center in Randolph, New Jersey, an American Fitness Professionals and Associates Certified Nutrition and Wellness Consultant, and the co-author of The Kinesthetic Classroom: Teaching and Learning through Movement.
This past August, four staff members from the NASD attended a John D. Bower School Health Network Grant Workshop in Jackson where Kuczala was a presenter. Those attending were: Dr. Charles Garrett, Superintendent of Education; Jamey Wright, New Albany Elementary School Principal, Tammie Reeder, School Health Coordinator; Robbins Rogers, Physical Education Teacher; and Margaret Floyd, Director of Child Nutrition. After that presentation, Reeder began working with the Bower Foundation to arrange for Kuczala to speak to the entire teaching staff of the district.
Kuczala was the featured speaker in the January 3rd Professional Development Day speaking to middle and high school teachers during the morning session and elementary teachers in an afternoon session. He informed the teachers that one out of every three children born in 2000 in the United States will be a diabetic, that this is the first generation of children that will not outlive their parents, and our culture is one of “sitness rather than fitness”
Kuczala presented and explained a framework that uses a six step process in using movement in the classroom:
· Preparing the brain to learn
· Using brain breaks
· Supporting exercise and fitness
· Creating classroom cohesion
· Reviewing material
· Teaching material
He encouraged teachers to use movement thoughtfully and purposefully in the classroom because movement is a critical component to learning. “Teachers are to become a facilitator of learning and a designer of a classroom environment,” Kuczala said. “And movement is a great way to do that.” He gave demonstrations and ideas of how teachers could easily add movement in their classroom while teaching lessons, reviewing material, and giving brain breaks.
“We are fortunate to have had Mr. Kuczala speak to our entire teaching staff this week and to encourage our teachers to use simple movement and exercise to benefit all of our students,” said Reeder. “We know that students who are active, healthy, and physically fit do better in school.”
Pictured below: NAMS & NAHS teachers participate in activity designed to use movement while teaching new material in the classroom. This activity focused on teaching circumference of circles in a math class.
