Why Not Ride to School

 A recent Bicycling article (strongly) suggested that students who exercise in the morning are better prepared to learn in the classroom, particularly students with ADHD.

This research fits what we, as teachers, intuitively know about children and learning.  Active and fit children who have had an opportunity to play vigorously or - as they grow older – train - are calmer, more focused, and have an easier time learning in the classroom.

Some schools have taken this information and acted on it.  The Sterling Hall School in Toronto, long a leader in boys’ education, has implemented quality daily physical education for its youngest boys for years.  Further, Sterling Hall has never sacrificed recess time for the sake of more academic time.  Their boys are also welcome to use ‘standing desks’ and a number of rooms have been outfitted with fitness balls as an option beyond the standard chair.

Most schools, however, choose to ignore the reality that our students are, increasingly, not getting enough exercise.  This is not totally because school administrators aren’t paying or don’t care – rather, it is trying to fit these findings into an existing model of school.  The classic questions come up: “Who would teach that?”, “Where would we do it?”, “Whose timetable does it fit in to?” “What about our morning reading period?”

I put to you today that these questions, which are a matter of staffing, should be secondary.  The statement should be “we’re going to implement this for the benefit of our students.”  Why?  Because we know it’s the right thing to do.  As a wise man once said: “When the why becomes clear, so too does the how.”