One S.M.A.R.T. Teacher

You’ve made it through the first few weeks (perhaps months!) of the school year—what an accomplishment! 
As routines begin to take shape and your classroom settles into its rhythm, remember that every small step you take with S.M.A.R.T. is building powerful foundations for your students’ growth.

Last month we focused on building in the Alligator Crawl, highlighting the tremendous amount of brain-body connections it builds. Do you remember from training the other HUGE movement for building a solid foundation?

Crawling on hands and knees! That’s right….it is the Creep or Slap Track. Let’s use this month to make this a non-negotiable in your S.M.A.R.T. routine.

Why?
Crawling on hands and knees may look simple, but it’s one of the most powerful movements for early learning. This cross-body action helps strengthen the brainstem, building the foundation for balance, coordination, and focus in the classroom.

How?
Model, if possible, a tabletop position on your hands and knees. Gently move forward slapping the palm of your hand on the card in the track, watching that hand. It is important to emphasize that going “slow is good” so that a smooth simultaneous creep is happening. This allows the visual system to be tracking back and forth, from hand to hand.

Where?
Creep (Slap) Tracks are a great activity to add to your course around the room. It is narrow and takes up about 12 feet of space. We also love using creeping on hands and knees as a transitional movement from one area to the other. We can’t tell you how many times we have seen this movement going down a hallway too!

A note of caution….
Do not fall into the teacher trap with this activity! What is the trap you ask? Read on in our Time Saving Tips section…​

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