For many middle school students who are balancing school work, extracurricular activities, and busy social schedules, the art of juggling may seem like second nature. Now, thanks to a creative Montclair educator, students at Glenfield Middle School are physically learning how to juggle, too.
In her first year teaching physical education at Glenfield, Samantha Buttitta – known to her students as Miss B – was awarded an Educational Excellence grant from the Montclair Fund for Educational Excellence (MFEE) for a collection of juggling balls and scarves to use in her gym classes for students in sixth through eighth grades.
Buttitta learned to juggle at summer camp when she was in middle school, and it’s a skill she’s carried with her through life and wanted to introduce to her students.
“Teaching students to juggle is like riding a bike,” she said “It is a skill that students can hold onto for life. It incorporates team building and leadership skills, along with focus and coordination. Learning to juggle can also give students the opportunity to improve their fine motor skills and patience.”
MFEE recently got to visit a sixth grade class to see the lessons in action. After a fun warm-up activity, Buttitta demonstrated the basic motion for how to juggle two scarves. When kids seemed to get the hang of that, they added a third.
Students start with scarves because they float and fall slowly. When they’ve mastered that, they’ll move onto juggling balls, and eventually, maybe bowling pins. As their skills progress, students will work together to put on a little performance for their classmates. Those who learn quickly can build confidence by helping their peers.
During MFEE’s visit, the Glenfield gym was filled with music, excited laughter, and the sound of students encouraging one another. A lot of scarves landed on the floor. One even got stuck in the basketball hoop. But to the students' delight, many of their scarves stayed aloft, too.
“It’s much harder than it looks,” one student said.
“Juggling is fun!” said another.
But perhaps the most telling comment was this: “Hey, I think I got it!”
For Buttitta, this is the sentiment that motivates her most. She said sometimes students are hesitant, but she encourages them to try something new.
“There are so many things we can learn,” she told her students.
That’s a good reminder for us all.
Each year, MFEE funds $60,000 in grants to Montclair educators for classroom innovation, professional development and social-emotional wellness. MFEE will be spotlighting more of our grantees throughout the school year. We are grateful to our donors who make this work possible. Donate to support more innovative ideas!
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