In my Waldorf teacher training program it was common to hear seasoned teachers complain about how different the children walking through their classroom doors were today than they were in past generations. Many of the problems were unwieldy: too much media , parental, housing, and food instability… One that did feel fixable was that, in past generations, children walked to school. They arrived with pink cheeks and seemed ready to sit down and focus. Today, in Los Angeles at least, walking to school is a rarity. The morning school scramble often involves rushing, cajoling, yelling, and then culminating in a hasty drop off at the front gate just in time for the bell. Children who enter the classroom with this build-up are going to have a hard time being able to sit down and focus, especially the littler ones.
One teacher shared that the first thing she did with her kindergarteners each morning was take a long brisk walk around the periphery of the school. She said this one simple act preempted so many problems. The exercise made the children less squirmy and more able to sit still and focus during class.
Homeschoolers can learn from this! If you could do one thing to help minimize the resistance involved in the transition to distance learning, zoom fatigue, or reluctant homeschooling, it would be to schedule in time for movement before you begin the school day. It does not have to be much, though in my experience the younger the child, the more they need. It does not have to be a walk, if going outdoors is not possible. Jumping Jacks are great. My kids love when we go outside and I give them an obstacle course: run to that tree, circle it 5 times, skip to that signpost, zigzag run back and high five me. Timing them can get anything to happen more than once. We live in a condo with no outside space, and at one point had a mini trampoline in our living room for just this purpose. I would challenge them to do 50 jumps (snowflakes and cannonballs were a hit) and as soon as I saw those flushed cheeks, I knew my kids would be ready to do some schoolwork.
There is something nice about walking to school . We do not do it every morning,, but when we eat breakfast, get ready for the day, then start out with a walk, it feels like a perfect transition into focused learning time. We have a relaxed walk just connecting with wherever we are, and when we near our home, I’ll remind us that when we walk through the front door, we will head straight to the table and get to work.
It is important to prioritize exercise time throughout the day as well. These can be short spurts. Turn on a song and have a quick mid-day dance party. Set the timer for 5 minutes and jump around and get silly. For parents with more time, going on a quick bike ride during the day is great. For older children, dog walking and gardening chores can answer multiple needs.
When you sit down to create a weekly homeschool schedule please remember to add in movement time. It’s not just for the kids, we all need it.
