Walking Classroom Spotlight

I was spotlighted this month in The Walking Classroom's newsletter. We have been having sub zero temperatures here in Wyoming and we haven't been outside to walk in a few weeks and the students are itching to get outside! I'm pretty honored to be featured in their newsletter and here's the link.

Also, below is highlight about our classroom:

Teacher Feature

Tammy Bourne

Lakeview Elementary

Gillette, Wyoming 

While we haven't made it out to Wyoming yet to actually meet Tammy, her upbeat emails always written in a bubbly bright pink font have made her stand out from the beginning! An adopter of The Walking Classroom since August, she has been busy spreading the word on her blog, Facebook, Twitter -- you name it! We love getting updates about how the program is going and seeing pictures of her students out on their walks! We are thrilled to have her as an adopter and are excited to highlight her as this month's teacher feature. 

Where were you born, and where did you grow up?

I was born in Bellflower, CA. I grew up in Murrieta, CA and moved to South Dakota in 2006 when my husband retired from the Marine Corp.  We moved to South Dakota and went back to college to earn our degrees in teaching. In 2010 we moved to Wyoming.

How long have you been teaching and why did you decide to become a teacher?

This is my 6th year teaching. I have wanted to be a teacher for as long as I can remember. However, life and family got in the way from me doing it right away. I got side-tracked for a bit, and worked in the insurance industry for 16 years. I am now a teacher and am loving it! 

When have you been your "best self" as a teacher?

When I am my "best self" as a teacher I feel it's during reading time. I love teaching reading and helping my students to comprehend the books that they are reading. One of the things I am really proud of as a teacher is having a large classroom library. I entice my students to read a variety of genres and they read lots of books.  Last year the majority of my class read over 40 books apiece.  It was so awesome! 

As a teacher, for what are you most grateful?

As a teacher, I am most grateful for my students. I love teaching and seeing the look of understanding that crosses their face when they understand a concept that we are learning. 

What are some educational resources that you utilize to help cover the curriculum?

Some education resources that I use are The Walking Classroom, Stephanie Harvey's Toolkit, Notice and Note, Comprehension Connections, STEM Science Materials, Pinterest, Math in Focus, Teachers Pay Teachers and so many other wonderful resources. 

Please describe an experience that you and/or your students have had with The Walking Classroom.

The Walking Classroom has provided my students with a new way of learning. They love getting outside and walking together. One day this week when we were out walking we had some great conversations after our walk. We have been studying Christopher Columbus in class, and we solidified our learning by listening to podcast about Christopher Columbus. When we returned to the classroom it was evident that my students had broadened their knowledge. I love The Walking Classroom! 

Still Walking!

We have had some glorious days outside for the month of October in Wyoming! With that said we have been enjoying our walks outside listening to our walkkits from The Walking Classroom! I blogged recently about how our classroom received a classroom set of walkkits FREE from a generous donation. If you haven't looked in to this great resource for your classroom you should really do so! My students are reaping the benefits of exercise while learning. They are also really gaining deeper knowledge of content that is supported by the Common Core Standards. Their listening skills are getting stronger as well. They love walking outside, and we have been so fortunate that our weather is cooperating with us as well.

Please check out The Walking Classroom on their website here, or their Facebook page here, or follow them on Twitter here.

The Walking Classroom

Our classroom has been awarded a grant this year for the "Walking Classroom". We are so fortunate to have this amazing resource in our classroom. My students absolutely love it, and they can't wait to get outside to walk and learn! What is the "Walking Classroom" you ask? The question is answered below and is taken right off the "Walking Classroom" website.

The Walking Classroom Institute is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the health and education of all students.  The Walking Classroom program is an in-school obesity intervention that promotes health literacy and develops and supports lifelong fitness habits for all students while addressing different learning styles.  The method combines standards-aligned academic content and exercise during the regular school day.

Using WalkKits pre-loaded with a year's worth of standards-aligned audio content, students walk, listen and learn.

The podcasts are directly aligned to the 4th and 5th grade English Language Arts Common Core State Standards(link opens new browser window).  Most podcasts last about 15 minutes, and each podcast is supported by an extensive lesson plan which includes a comprehension quiz. 

The teacher binder for the "Walking Classroom" is above. This binder is filled with 95 lessons that encompass all of the Common Core Language Arts standards. It's amazing. In addition our classroom was given 21 little WalkKits, which are little IPodish things preloaded with podcasts, and the students head outside to listen and learn. The Podcasts are filled with interesting topics from Idioms, Christopher Columbus, Westward Expansion, Slavery and so much more.

The pictures above are of us enjoying our walk around the school. My students are thrilled to be out listening, walking and learning. Today we learned about Negro Baseball leagues and how they finally were integrated into the Major Leagues. However, I'm so excited because in the next few walks, we will be learning more about Explorers. Currently, we are studying explorers in Social Studies. Now, we can integrate our Social Studies content in our reading/listening time and will learn more about this fabulous topic through the Walking Classroom.

If you are interested in learning more about the "Walking Classroom" and how to apply for your own grant. Please click here. Currently, there are Walkkits for both 4th and 5th grade classrooms. 

Please let me know if you have any questions? We are going to continue learning while walking and getting fit!