Hello,
My name is Christi Dunn and I had the pleasure of attending Coach Calhoun’s M2L presentation at Hinds County School District’s Professional Development day. I am reaching out per request with my personal story and how M2L has made an impact in my life.
In 2013, I was diagnosed with ADHD after having gotten into trouble over the years for not being able to stay seated, talking, or just finding ways to focus (I was that pencil tapper). I was fortunate enough to have two teachers in elementary school, and many more during my high school years that would allow me to sit on the floor instead of my desk, or find tasks for me to do that would allow me to release this energy in a productive manner. Those same teachers in high school predicted I would be a teacher; however, my intention had always been to become a doctor, but my life would take a surprising turn in 2013.
In 2013, I made the decision to change my major one final time from PreMed to Special Education after the joy I had volunteering at North Mississippi Regional Center. Between 2014 and 2015, I had the pleasure of student teaching at Scott Center in Oxford, MS where I would be introduced to M2L as every teacher utilized the program for brain breaks, sensory breaks, and even as a way to help improve the gross motor skills for many of our students. The shy kids I would see struggle to get from point A to point B would end up being motivated to participate and eventually gain the confidence to help improve their motor skills and utilize these skills outside of the M2L breaks. I knew then and there that this would be something I could use in my own classroom.
Fast forward to 2023, and I am now in the middle of my 9th grade, teaching individuals with special needs. As those I student taught under, I myself have utilized M2L to help with gross motor, and that same program that was intended for movement has also served as a motivator for my non-verbal students who rarely communicate to get out of their shell and dance, even my wheelchair-bound students.
While a lack of technology at times can prevent me from utilizing M2L, I find other ways to incorporate movement into learning, including asking academic questions during Mother May. When I have my students participate in this game, not only does the excitement of getting to play a game in itself motivate them, but I have observed my most difficult of students succeed in answering questions they would have normally struggled with when in a simple sit at your desk scenario.
As someone with ADHD, I myself struggle to keep still and in one place, so I keep this in mind for my students as well. As a result, there are many times that we will have lessons on the floor, outside, whatever we can do to keep students motivated.
Coach Calhoun ended the session with a poem about crying for a boy, and this truly touched my heart. During my first year teaching, I had two boys that would give me trouble; however those very boys that anyone would have given up on ended up being the two boys that would make the most progress in my room that year. Losing these two as students due to unfortunate circumstances definitely made me she’d many tears.
Fast forward to year four as a teacher, and I would be introduced to a student who had struggles of his own who even the admin wanted as little to do with him as possible to the point I would be questioned for trying to extend his time in the classroom. This same student ended up being the most active student at our field day despite this being his first field trip.
During this time, I had much going on that would push me to look for another position elsewhere, but I cried over the decision because in my heart, I felt like I was leaving him behind, but I would have the opportunity to return to this position where the SPED director would not hesitate to inform me I would have my former students, including the one I had made this connection with. He would eventually make strides with me once again that he was not making while I was away and would eventually exit high school.
Coach Calhoun made an excellent point about how teachers caring makes an impact on students, and that while they might not remember what we teach, they will always remember how we made them feel. Going from first learning about M2L in 2014, to hearing Coach Calhoun present different ways we can accomplish handling different behaviors and just general ways we can help our students feel understoodl
Thank you M2L for not only caring about the needs of our children, but for supporting the teachers along the way in a way that allows us to do better for our students, while also becoming more confident in our field.
