When you think about it, we expect a lot of our kiddos when they're at school. We expect them to be well-behaved, pay attention, be attentive and listen, and keep their energy in check. That's hard to do when you're a kid! With the exception of recess and maybe gym class, kids are sitting at their desks in their classrooms for hours everyday while they're in school. That's a lot for any kid to manage, but it can be especially hard when you have a kid with sensory issues. Fidgety kids or kids who need to release energy and anxiety through physical movement may struggle with the expectations of being in a traditional classroom. Luckily, a lot of teachers and classrooms are becoming more aware of that and are making changes to help those kids. Some teachers allow kids to keep fidget gadgets at their desk. Some have replaced regular chairs with fidget chairs and desks. And one school has gone even farther than that, by creating an entire sensory hallway. This is a really cool thing, and a step in the right direction.
Roland School, in rural Manitoba, wanted to make their school an inclusive place where all kids felt they could be themselves, and felt supported. Administrators recognized that not all kids have the same need or learn the same way. So to encourage kids to do what they need to do in order to learn, they installed a sensory hallway. The hallway, called the Sensory Path, encourages kids to run, walk, skip, jump, and hop down the hallway. The school was inspired by a program in Alberta called "Don't Walk in the Hallway", which aims to take a passive environment (a hallway, for example) and make it an active one.
Brandy Chevalier, the principal at Roland School, says the school is committed to educating their students, but while being mindful of their overall wellness. This sensory hallway looks absolutely amazing, and we wish more schools would get on board! Every kid is different, and we can't expect them all to adhere to the same set of rules and standards. Some kids have needs that we should be meeting, and a little thing like a sensory hallway goes a very long way.