Culture Affirming Kinesthetic Movement in the Classroom

Love Elementary School Grade 3 teacher Maya Porter applied for and received a AEF for a Teacher Mini Grant:

“I recently began attending a multi-month training series by Alameda Unified School District in the area of Culturally Responsive Teaching. One of the aspects of culture-affirming classroom management is allowing for kinesthetic behavior that is high-movement oriented. ”

“I want to first thank you and all AEF supporters for your generous gift to our class. We were so excited to learn that you approved our request for a class set of flexible seats to support culturally responsive teaching!”

“Students’ faces lit up as they walked into their new and colorful seats. I knew they would benefit from the added kinesthetic movement but what I did not expect was that these flexible options would inherently allow for more collaboration and social-emotional learning for students. Now, I see students readily picking up their seats to join their fellow classmates during a challenging math lesson in order to problem-solve side-by-side. Your generous gift makes our classroom more open, inviting, and comfortable for all students. THANK YOU!”