The Moment: Safe Routes Philly at Smith Elementary School

Students: 80 Students (4th and 5th Grade)
Date: Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Philly Neighborhood: Point Breeze (South Philly)

There are certain moments in teaching that are just simply priceless. These moments come in different forms. It can be when “the light turns on” and a student finally understands a difficult concept; or when a student basks in the glow of their success that you’ve helped them achieve; or simply when a child says “thank you”. Teachers effectively get to these moments more as they develop their craft. Through practice, and thanks to Diana’s help, I was able to develop my lesson, and on this day at W. G. Smith Elementary School, I experienced one of these moments.

During the lesson, we discussed the importance of wearing a helmet. I first put out the question, “What kind of people wear helmets?”

Little hands shot into the air, eager to answer. Responses included firemen, policemen, skateboarders, the Eagles, the Phillies, and the Flyers, skiers, snowboarders, construction workers, dirt bike riders, monster truck drivers, tree climbers, and bike racers.

I then said, “Ok now let’s think about why they all wear helmets. What does a helmet protect?”

They replied, “Our heads!”

I then asked, “and what’s in our heads?”

“Our Brains!” they said.

“And what does our brain do?”

Answers filled the room. “It helps us breathe! It makes us move! It makes us smart!”

“Yes! It helps us do the things we want to do, and it even does some things for us without having to think about it.” I responded. “Think about what would happen if you lost it.”

The classroom mood slightly sobers. I then continued, “all the fun would just STOP. All these people LOVE what they do, and they wear their helmets because they want to KEEP DOING IT.”

That’s when the moment happened. The class collectively settled and silenced, as if they all held their breath and stopped to think about what was just discussed. It was at that moment that they got it. It was at that moment that they understood the importance of wearing a helmet. I paused for a few seconds to allow for some time to absorb our discussion, and then continued on with the lesson. That moment was repeated in later class sessions as well. Hopefully that moment will be repeated in future lessons.

A special thanks goes out to Ms. Fox, Ms. Copeland, Mr. Waters, and Ms. Shovlin for allowing Safe Routes Philly some class time, and a VERY special thanks goes out to Ms. McClam for helping us make it happen! Here’s to 80 more students who are now safer in the streets of Philadelphia.

Ride Safe,

~Cy

Are you an elementary school teacher in Philadelphia, or do you know someone that is? The Safe Routes Philly team is seeking a couple of elementary school teachers (2nd grade and 5th grade) to help us pilot our new pedestrian and bicycle curriculum. We need your feedback. Please contact Diana Owens, diana@bicyclecoalition.org .