In February of 2020, I had the pleasure of speaking at the South Carolina Early Childhood Association Conference in Charleston, SC. I was amazed and humbled by the more than 200 people who came to my session on physical literacy. Even more, I was energized by the enthusiasm for the need to get our early learners moving to build the brain organizing and neural wiring they need to achieve success in elementary school and beyond. Kudos to each and every one of them!
When I finished speaking, several people approached me to discuss this important topic further. One wanted to share the most amazing idea. It was so good, I wanted to spread the word.
Most classes have a Line Leader, Door Holder and Caboose. Many classes have an Electrician (whose job is to turn the lights out) or a Plumber (whose job is to make sure faucets aren’t running). But how many classes have a Minister of the Walk?
This is genius. The Minister of the Walk’s job is to decide HOW the class will move from their classroom to their next destination. Will they tiptoe? Walk backwards? Crab walk? Skip? Gallop? The choices are endless, the benefits are enormous, and the honor is huge! Can you imagine how powerful it feels to be in charge of getting the whole class to the playground? Can you imagine how meaningful it is to have the whole class moving, per your instructions, in front of the rest of the school?
Besides the emotional and social benefits, the Minister of the Walk ensures children are using big body movement in a safe way, and guaranteeing that they are incorporating most of the skills and strengths in the Pop, Hop & Rock™ system into the day. They are also using their joyful energy in a positive way, limiting the damage done when they run into each other (which they will!). The beauty is that if a crash occurs while bear crawling or tip toeing, it will strengthen spatial, body and directional awareness without injury or tears.
In my job, I love for children to run. I set up the environment so running can be encouraged safely. But, I also understand the need for adults to call “Walking Feet” reminders to exuberant children when it isn’t safe to run, like when you are heading down the hallway to carpool. And though I understand the necessity of it, when I hear that reminder to slow down, a part of me cringes. The Minister of the Walk eliminates all of these concerns and relieves me of even the slightest flinch.
I applaud the creator of the Minister of the Walk, and you can be sure that I will do all kinds of missionary work to bring others into the fold. Let’s see how many Ministers of the Walk can be ordained in 2020!
Let us know if you have a Minister of the Walk or if you have initiated this enlightened role this year on our facebook page at facebook.com/pophopandrock.
Here’s to the Minister!
Amen.
Photo by Alberico Bartoccini on Unsplash
