RTC Launches Training Program for Teachers: The Kinesthetic Classroom

RANDOLPH, N.J., April 7 /PRNewswire/ -- Teachers have always known that some children learn better by doing.  A new training program co-created by teachers Traci Lengel and Mike Kuczala now gives teaching professionals the practical tools they need to reach these children.  This groundbreaking course is now being offered by The Regional Training Center (RTC), a leading provider of professional development programs for teachers in NJ, PA and MD.  The course, which is titled The Kinesthetic Classroom: Teaching and Learning through Movement also led to the recent release of a book that is co-published by RTC and educational publisher Corwin.

"While educators have long been aware that there are children who learn through movement, kinesthetic learning is getting more attention as a result of concerns about childhood obesity, and the fact that many children who are kinesthetic learners have also been misdiagnosed as ADHD," notes Lengel.  

These children are often fidgety and distracted in class and are easily bored.  Teachers find these students challenging because their behavior can impact the entire class.  While some instructional courses have briefly touched on the subject, this course is among the first to focus specifically on the issue.  

The new training program is based on sound research in neuroscience and cognitive psychology, and gives teachers practical suggestions on how to incorporate movement into all kinds of learning activities at every grade level in a way that will benefit the whole class.  

"Current research shows that children who learn through movement retain more and perform better in school," notes Lengel.  "Kinesthetic learners, for example, do well in things like chemistry class where they are participating in experiments, or in athletics where they are playing a sport, or in music class where they are singing or playing an instrument.  They remember things by connecting a physical activity to a subject."

The RTC course, however, takes physical activity beyond PE lessons, special classes and lunchtimes to show educators how they can integrate movement as part of classroom teaching and learning and subsequently improve attention span and help the brain master new information.  Moreover, the course is taught kinesthetically, so the teachers themselves learn better.

Founded in 1993, RTC is a unique provider of educational training programs for K-12 educators that improve their knowledge and classroom teaching skills with both graduate degree and non-degree continuing education.

RTC's courses are unique in that they teach educators how to teach, rather than what to teach.  The courses are led by teaching professionals who facilitate a highly-experiential, peer-to-peer learning model.  Based on the best practices of fellow teachers, this type of hands-on training is designed to give educators additional tools and strategies to create an optimum learning environment for students.

For more information on The Regional Training Center and the Kinesthetic Classroom: Teaching and Learning through Movement course, please visit www.thertc.net or call 1-800-433-4740.

SOURCE The Regional Training Center