Our new ‘push wall’ has been a huge hit with our 2nd-graders. The push wall is typically used to help regulate the tension associated with feelings of anxiety, anger or frustration, but our kiddos have loved it for just taking an extra break and helping create a more mindful experience of the muscles in the body when they’re feeling wiggly. To simulate the feeling yourself, push your palms together as hard as you can with your elbows perpendicular to the floor and hold for three seconds. That tension created in their shoulders when pushing the wall can help students realize they’re holding tension there, making it harder for them to focus. Drawing their attention to that feeling allows them to release it and gain greater control.
— Cassandra Regan and Rebecca Stevens, 2nd-grade integrated co-teaching class teachers, Brooklyn Arbor School, Williamsburg
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