Body Shots & State Changes

Learning requires energy.

 

 

Educators are brain-builders and keeping the brain in an optimal learning state is a challenge. Knowing that a good percentage of our students are body-based learners means that we must creatively engage their bodies throughout the learning process.

We have learned two tactical tools to do just that:

 

1. Body Shots

 

Body shots are quick, sometimes subtle methods for engaging the body. The more they are practiced, the more in-grained they become in the teachers way of working. They help to buy the teacher a few more minutes of attention span. A few examples of great body shots are:

 

"Turn and look this way"

"Turn and face me"

"Turn to a neighbor and say..."

"Everybody take your....and do this...."

"Give your partner a high five and say..."

When a body shot isn't enough to please the restless kinesthetics, then move up a level to a full state change.

 

2. State Changes

 

Level 2 of behavior management and optimal learning state maintenance is a full blown state change. These often require students to actually get up, move their bodies, perform a task and re-assemble for the next piece of learning/instruction.

Remember that the method of delivering an effective state change without losing any control goes as follows:

 

"In ten seconds..."

"When I say ....." (trigger word and auditory loop)

"You will have....seconds to...." (time limit)

Give a maximum of 3 clear instructional chunks.

"Go." or other trigger word.

Use music at appropriate volume and pace to drive movement.

As soon as the music dips, immediately begin with next learning .

 

Practice makes progress. Use these as needed and even get the students to help. Choose a Captain Kinesthetic to cue you when they need a body shot or state change.