Teacher Finds Innovative Way to Keep Students Interested

We love teachers who think outside the box when it comes to their students' education.

Elementary school teacher Stephanie Burnett was having difficulty keeping her 6 and 7-year-old students engaged during class. She decided that the best way to keep her first grade students in line was to change the way they sit.

The Eustis, Florida educator spent her own money replacing the chairs in her classroom with bright yellow exercise balls, typically used during yoga or gym workouts to improve stability. She discovered that the balls not only improved her students' posture, it sharpened their focus and had a positive effect on their grades.

Stephanie introduced the ball the previous year for one student who couldn't sit still. After seeing how much his behavior improved by sitting in this squishy seat, she decided to have every student in her class use the exercise ball. After just a few weeks, Stephanie saw that all of her students had developed longer attention spans and were scoring better on their tests.

When she senses that her students are getting restless, she leads 10-second "wiggle breaks" that encourage movement. The kids enjoy being allowed to bounce on the balls, and rein it back in when the lessons resume.

"They're a lot more engaged," Stephanie tells the Orlando Sentinel. "They're more focused, and it takes away the negative aspect of movement. A big push right now is, 'Sit down. Be Quiet. Let's focus on your work.' And this helps get their wiggles out."

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