People walking by Megan Langdon’s 7th-grade science classes at Lynn Camp Middle School might be surprised to notice the absence of chairs. Students in the class are balancing their way to better postures, improved attention, and even higher achievement by replacing their traditional classroom chairs with yoga balls.
Early in the school year, Heather Martinez, site coordinator for Berea College’s Full-Service Community Schools Program, approached Langdon with the idea of using yoga balls in the classroom.
“I must admit that I was skeptical of this idea initially,” said Langdon, who teaches 7th-grade science at Lynn Camp Middle School. “But after completing my own research, I found that this simple change could offer my students a better learning experience.”
Research shows that when students sit on stability balls their brains are more stimulated and focused on learning. What might seemingly could cause distraction is actually helping students focus.
“I appreciate the opportunity to implement these into my classroom,” Langdon said. “Although I have only had the stability balls a short time, I have already begun to see improvements in student behavior and engagement. I believe the positive results of using stability balls in the classroom will continue.”
Funding for this initiative was provided through a Department of Education Full-Service Community Schools grant, a five-year program ending in 2019 implemented through Berea College. The program focuses on increasing students’ academic performance, community service and engagement, and career exploration as well as family engagement.
Posted on November 23, 2016