Bags, Balls and Brains in the classroom

June 10, 2006

The Balls, Bags and Brain gym class that was taught at Jordan school this past spring was a wonderful experience for me and for the students. As a parent volunteer, I saw first-hand how these activities can change the dynamics in a classroom.

When instruction began, the class was disorganized and noisy. The students had difficulty working in a circle, standing calmly and working together. Shirley Kelley and Linda Faste introduced simple patterns using sand bags and racquetballs which clearly challenged the students’ abilities to track and to work in a rhythmic way. Some of the students didn’t even want to join the group.

Shirley and Linda persisted, however, and their patience paid off. By the last third of the program, I noticed that students who had resisted joining the activities gladly came to the circle. Others, who had been disruptive with the balls or bags, were now calmer and focusing on the patterns. And what I found very exciting, was that the students were working as a group, they did the patterns together with an amazing sense of rhythm that I had never suspected they would achieve. Often they did them quietly, which was a huge shift from the beginning.

I hope that Linda and Shirley will return to the classroom to continue the progress they have achieved. The students enjoyed the program and were often smiling at their achievements. They have learned that with persistence and patience, they can do what they may have thought was not possible.

Regards,
Carol Scott Ferkol, parent