Why You should Teach Your Students About Balance

Last school year students became occupied with evil clowns around the same time they attempted to flip water bottles for hours on end, videotaping it in hopes of become YouTube sensations, they dabbed their way through the school year, created what seemed like vats of slime, and ended with pockets full of fidget spinners ready at a moments notice.

These crazes, although definitely irritating at times reminded me of something that I don’t necessarily spend a lot time of teaching in my class. A need for balance.

Now, I know this dates me, but I vividly remember my brother watching the movie Teen Wolf a dozen times when we were kids. Sometimes on repeat. He wasn’t an obsessive kid or really into werewolves. He simply liked the movie.

And kids don’t understand balance.

My son, who as I write this is about to turn 5 years old, has a strong aversion to sleep and to bed time. He is bucking nap time and if you ask him, he will tell you – “he doesn’t need sleep”. He still has a pretty early bedtime and still is expected to go to bed at the same time each night. However, despite my unwavering adherence to his routine, he now does whatever he can to keep himself awake. He has conversations with himself. He plays with his stuffed animals. He gets stuck in his blanket. He loses his stuffed animals. He loses his blanket. He basically wills himself awake long past his body’s desired rest time. It’s an exertion of independence. A struggle of powers. A battle of wills.

All because, kids don’t understand balance.

If kids understood balance my brother would have realized that Teen Wolf didn’t really have anything new to offer him after the first few times through, my son wouldn’t still be awake an hour and a half past his bed time and then exhausted come dinner time the next evening, and kids would see that mastering bottle flipping wasn’t a necessary component of math class, that fidget spinners didn’t NEED to be spun in full view during their classmates’ social studies presentations, and the text on their phone that just vibrated in their pocket doesn’t need replied to immediately during art class.

But kids don’t understand balance.

Our students have many, many redeeming and endearing qualities, but the nature of being a kid, learning from mistakes, and a developing mind and body produce some traits that are, at times, challenging. Our students can be impulsive and at times they are erratic. The have seemingly decreasing attention spans. They seek approval from parents, peers, and yes, you.

For all the fidget spinning, binge watching kids out there – I suggest we, as teachers leverage our position as figures they look up to (whether they admit it or not) and overtly teach balance.

The first lesson is – balance is good for you.

In an age of instant access to everything and immediate gratification, letting students know that taking a break is good for them and that diversifying their interests is a healthy practice helps students to understand that balance is important. You can do this by giving students examples of healthy limits, providing them examples of how to strike a balance in their lives and letting them share their own ideas of what balance in their lives might look like.

The second lesson is – balance is a life skill.

Teaching students that balance is important not just now in their lives, but as they enter future phases will serve as a memorable life lesson. Give students the opportunity to brainstorm scenarios where maintaining balance is vital to their success now and in their futures. This exercise, which takes very little time, will provide students a perspective of balance that connects.

The third lesson is – balance is a process.

Letting students know that achieving balance is an ongoing progression that may never be really truly achieved, is a hard lesson. But, do you have perfect balance in your life? Do you give your family, friends, work, home and yourself enough of you? Of course not. But you know that striving toward a better balance is important to your happiness, as well as your mental and physical well-being – and your students should know this too.

Sometimes building resiliency is about looking inward and sometimes building resiliency is about looking outward.

How can you make your day go smoother? How can you help your students’ days go smoother? Try teaching students how to achieve a more balanced approach to their interests and responsibilities. By having a conversation about balance you can reference it when the new wave of flipping, spinning, slime/fidgets take hold. Best of luck!