While lesson planning this weekend, I got up no less than seven times. I needed a sparkling water, then a snack, then to use the restroom. I shifted my posture every few minutes, first with my laptop on the counter, then my lap, before I moved to the couch. I stopped to chat with my neighbor, to read an article, to check my twitter account. A task that should have taken me less than 45 minutes (at least, according to our contract), took about three hours. But it got done, and it was very good.
This is how I do my best work: I listen to music, I take breaks, I watch something in the background.
Why then are young students asked to sit in silence and stillness for so much of their learning day?
In most classrooms, it is typical for students to complete their work at desks. Yet more and more, workplaces are encouraging their employees to not sit. In fact, research shows that sitting for long periods of time negatively impacts not only physical health but also brain health. Yes, such studies focus on adults -- but influencing behavior to encourage more movement should start in the classroom.
I admit, chaos sometimes reigns supreme when movement is involved. For some reason, when bodies move, mouths tend to open. For newer teachers (or tired teachers, like me in May), sitting in seats is just easier to manage. However, the trend of movement in the classroom is gaining momentum, with websites like GoNoodle offering synchronized options that simultaneously encourage physical activity and mindfulness. Even fidgeting is acceptable.
Except when it comes to state testing.
This year, students in grades 3-8 will prove their learning over the course of no less than 6 unit tests spanning anywhere from 60 to 90 minutes. That is no less than 360 minutes In total silence. They must sit in normal chairs. They cannot use fidgets. Just a pencil, a piece of scratch paper, a computer and their testing ticket.
We are making great strides in encouraging students to learn in comfort, but testing remains a great effort in stillness and silence. Instead of preparing them to be ready for the real world, we are testing them in unrealistic and unfair conditions that measure not just their learning, but also the stamina and endurance it takes to sit in silence.