Your First 7 Days with The Walking Classroom

As teachers, we know you are all too aware of the importance of establishing clear and consistent rules and procedures during the first few days and weeks of a new school year. The same thing can be said about beginning The Walking Classroom with your students.

It is understandable that you want to hit the ground running and get your students out walking right away. However, you will thank yourself later for taking the first 7 days with The Walking Classroom to slow down and begin establishing clear expectations, procedures, and rules.

Follow the suggested timeline below and also check out these PowerPoint presentations:

• Introductory Lessons PowerPoint – 4th Grade
• Introductory Lessons PowerPoint – 5th Grade

Suggested Timeline

Below is a brief overview of how we suggest you begin implementing The Walking Classroom over the course of seven days:

Day 1

Class discussion about the importance of physical activity.

Day 2

Introduce the program and send home letters and permission slips.
*There is a copy of a letter to families and permission slip in the appendix of your Teacher’s Guide.

Day 3

Distribute WalkKits and let students become familiar with how they work and the procedure for retrieving and returning the WalkKits.

Day 4

First Class Walk without audio – Students will get familiar with the path they will walk, and the importance of following the rules, especially walking with the pace care and cabooses if you do not have a track.

Day 5

First Class Walk with audio listening to Podcast #1

Day 6

Second Class Walk while listening to Podcast #2

Day 7

4^th Grade – Third Class Walk while listening to Podcast #3
5^th Grade – Third Class Walk while listening to Podcast #2 for a  second time
*Once either grade has listened to the podcast titled “Introduction to The Walking Classroom” two separate times, they can be introduced to comprehension quizzes and listening journals.

Day 8 and Thereafter

Choose the podcasts that are most related to your curriculum and continue walking, listening, and learning!

For more in-depth instructions for the first seven days, see your Teacher’s Guide.

To Make Things Easier…

The introductory PowerPoints for 4^th and 5^th grade follow right along with the suggested activities during your first seven days with The Walking Classroom. They provide students with visuals and help them better understand the key health materials covered during the first few lessons. We strongly encourage you to use the PowerPoint to guide your introduction of the program.

We’d love to hear what else YOU do to introduce The Walking Classroom and make sure that you establish clear expectations for a successful program all year long. Respond in the comment sections below with any ideas/tips/suggestions for the first seven days!