Live a balanced life – learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some.  – Robert Fulgham

One of our greatest failures in public education is our lack of balance.  We often talk out of both sides of our mouths.  We talk about the importance of educating the whole child, and then we pull students from recess or specials for intervention.  We know that exercise is essential, yet we stack students in classrooms for inside recess.  We say standardized tests aren’t key to future success, yet our data teams spend hours analyzing test data.

Let’s bring balance to our classrooms and our public schools.  All of the research demands that we provide time for physical activity and exercise.  Play is essential for young people; it makes class time exponentially more effective.  Our young people must draw, paint, dance, sing, and PLAY.  As educators it can’t be about excuses or schedules . . . it must be about what is balanced for the students we serve.