Opinion
Student Well-Being Letter to the Editor

Schools Must Combine Exercise and Learning in the Classroom

March 28, 2023 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

To the Editor:

The article “Students Need More Exercise. Here’s How to Add Activity Without Disrupting Learning” (March 3, 2023) was an excellent depiction of why it’s important for students to add movement into their daily school routine.

The shift to get kids out of their seats and moving has been around for a while, but many schools struggle to implement it due to the pressure of test scores and not having enough time. The New York City school system has introduced Move-to-Improve, a program that provides resources and materials to teachers and physical educators that demonstrate how learning and exercise can work hand in hand in the classroom.

Working in city schools can become problematic as many buildings do not have a gym, forcing students to have physical education classes in basements or small rooms. A program like Move-to-Improve could be a great way for schools in other states to provide teachers with ideas and visuals that can be utilized in the classroom or a small gym.

In order for any of this to have an impact, the first thing that needs to happen is appropriate professional development for all teachers and staff who work with students on how to incorporate these activities during academic instruction. Allotting ample time, in which staff learn and practice exercises and movements suitable for small spaces with each other, will encourage them to use these methods with their students. The important follow-up to all this will be allocating time to share what has been working and what new ideas came out from this.

Kinga Polonska
Physical Educator
Brooklyn, N.Y.

Related Tags:

A version of this article appeared in the March 29, 2023 edition of Education Week as Schools Must Combine Exercise and Learning in the Classroom

Events

Teaching Profession K-12 Essentials Forum New Insights Into the Teaching Profession
Join this free virtual event to get exclusive insights from Education Week's State of Teaching project.
Jobs Virtual Career Fair for Teachers and K-12 Staff
Find teaching jobs and K-12 education jubs at the EdWeek Top School Jobs virtual career fair.
Mathematics K-12 Essentials Forum Helping Students Succeed in Math

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Student Well-Being The Number of Students Getting Free School Meals Is in Flux. Why?
New York has become the latest state to make school meals free to all students regardless of income.
5 min read
Cafeteria worker Nuria Alvarenga serves lunch to students through a service window at Firebaugh High School in Lynwood, Calif. on April 3, 2024. Demand for school lunches has increased after California guaranteed free meals to all students regardless of their family's income.
Cafeteria worker Nuria Alvarenga serves lunch to students through a service window at Firebaugh High School in Lynwood, Calif. on April 3, 2024. Demand for school lunches has increased after California guaranteed free meals to all students.
Richard Vogel/AP
Student Well-Being Student Well-Being Report Shows How Kids Are Doing in Education and Beyond
Student well-being has seen some progress, but education continues to decline.
5 min read
Students work together on an assignment about ecosystems and environmental impacts during a 7th grade science class.
Students work together on an assignment about ecosystems and environmental impacts during a 7th grade science class. Education continues to decline in the latest report on children's well-being.
Allison Shelley for All4Ed
Student Well-Being What School Leaders Learned When They Talked to Families About Absenteeism
A district enlisted its community to find out why students were missing school and responded accordingly.
5 min read
Image of a school bus driving on the road in the rain.
Willowpix/iStock/Getty
Student Well-Being Opinion Social Media Is Awash With Bad Health Advice. This Lesson Can Help
Why a librarian and health educator teamed up to teach students the red flags of misleading claims.
Nicole Murphy & Cynthia Sandler
4 min read
This image portrays a young woman deeply engaged with her smartphone, seen through a distorted, swirling blur effect. The artistic composition highlights the concept of doomscrolling, brainrot, digital addiction, social media immersion, and the modern reliance on technology. The surreal perspective creates a sense of detachment, illustrating how screens can shape and blur reality.
E+/Getty