SARATOGA SPRINGS - Hallway strolls become mentally stimulating at Geyser Road Elementary school with the installment of a sensory pathway.
A sensory pathway certainly isn’t a new concept in the field of sensory processing and psychology, but it is new to the halls of Saratoga Springs School District.
There is a detour hallway at Geyser that is decorated with floor and wall decals, but its purpose is not aesthetic. These decals are strategically placed, creating a pathway where students can begin a quick activity that stimulates their minds and eases their jitters.
Occupational therapist Linda Moniot has been an employee of the Saratoga Springs School District for 23 years. She utilized her doctorate in sensory processing and sensory processing disorders to promote learning abilities among the students, both in special and regular education classes.
Over the years, Moniot noticed a pattern among some of the students – that they would drift through the halls aimlessly on breaks, be it a bathroom or a “brain break.” Minot thought that the proper solution would be to install a sensory hallway.
“All my walkers needing to take a walk (now) had a place to go that had a beginning and an end,” said Minot. “That was constructed and facilitated learning from a neurological perspective and then could go back to class having completed that.”
Moniot was adamant on creating a sensory hallway that utilized specific movements such as upper extremity weight-bearing exercises, proprioception, movements in various planes of motion and movements that engaged the vestibular system. In doing so, physical angst is mitigated while attention and focus are prompted.
Another characteristic of the hallway is varying displays of positive affirmations.
Photo provided.
“We want kids feeling good about themselves. A lot of times kids are feeling frustrated with the work, they need a walk - yes - you need a brain break, but they also need to feel good about who they are,” said Moniot.
Photo provided.Initially, the sensory hallway posed a concern, for possibly being a distraction to the Kindergarten and music classrooms located in the sensory hallway. However, it has yet to cause a disturbance and the teachers continue to show their support with the installment.
The sensory hallway is being utilized outside of hallway breaks by both students and teachers alike. The physical education teacher sometimes has students who struggle to complete the traditional warm-up drills go through the sensory hallway instead.
Creating the Sensory hallway was a team effort, to say the least. The AIS reading, AIS math, special ed, and 2nd-grade teachers
all had a helping hand creating the layout of the sensory hallway.
Moniot and the teachers mainly needed to find materials that were not only vibrant and easy to assemble but had a lot of longevity and easy maintenance. Being able to orchestrate the time, let alone gather suitable resources, presented a challenge. Luckily, the new principal, Michelle Whitley, was instantly on board to get this up and running.
“We have a very innovated, very child-centered, forward-thinking principal,” said Moniot. “And that’s the only reason this pathway is in existence.”
The sensory pathway is not just an interactive display, but a visual representation of a principal, teacher, and staff joining forces in the best interest of the children’s educational needs.
