I work with students with cognitive challenges. Although we only started using The Walking Classroom this past fall, the students already love it. It has been very useful to reinforce the concepts that I teach in the classroom. We walk three times per week for twenty minutes. Because the weather is very hot in Texas, we start walking at 8:30 a.m.!
We live about fifteen minutes from Mexico, and most of my students are Hispanic and are English Language Learners. The Walking Classroom allows my students to practice their listening skills and acquire new content vocabulary. The podcasts cover key concepts, are interesting and are easy to understand.
I like to discuss the podcast upon returning to the classroom, and I use exit tickets to monitor the students’ comprehension. One of my favorite podcasts has been U.S. Preamble and Constitution (4-#58, Complete-#72). We listened to it around Constitution Day (September 17), and the podcast was an excellent resource to review the vocabulary and reinforce the topic. The students listened to the podcast three times to grasp the concept and then created posters to illustrate the six goals of the Preamble. Afterward, we visited the general education classrooms to recite the Preamble on Constitution Day!
Parents and school administrators also like this program because it promotes a healthy lifestyle. Nowadays, most children spend hours in front of the television or playing video games at home. Not only does The Walking Classroom promotes academic knowledge, but it also encourages physical activity.
I’m currently sharing the Walking Classroom with another teacher, and his students are equally thrilled. It does not surprise me. The Walking Classroom is an excellent resource that every teacher must have!!
Martha Villegas de Oliver
Special Education Teacher
Domingo Trevino Middle School
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