5 Easy Strategies to Get Students Up and Moving
You know that feeling when you’re stuck in an all-day PD session, sitting in those hard plastic chairs, being talked at for hours? It never fails that the presenter is up there saying, “Don’t do a sit-and-get with your students” while literally doing an all day sit-and-get with the adults? 😅 By the end of the day, your brain is fried, your legs are stiff, and you’re counting the minutes until you can move.
Here’s the thing…our students feel the exact same way when we ask them to sit through 60-90 minutes of back-to-back lectures, even when the content is good. Research proves that movement in the classroom increases focus, motivation, and even test scores because it boosts blood flow and oxygen to the brain.
So let’s talk about why we need movement and how you can bring movement seamlessly into your high school business and marketing classes without chaos, complicated lesson prep, or feeling like you’ve turned into a PE teacher.
Why Movement Matters
So here’s the question, if we as adults can’t sit still and stay focused during hours upon hours of PD, why do we expect our students to thrive during an eight hour school day where they spend the majority of their time sitting? The truth is, the brain just isn’t built for “sit and get” all day. Research shows that even short bursts of physical activity help reset attention spans and improve focus (University of Michigan’s Center for Research on Learning and Teaching). When students connect learning to movement (what researchers call embodied cognition) they’re actually forming stronger neural connections that make the content stick!
It’s not just about brain science either… A 2022 study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health found that movement increases motivation, joy, and participation in secondary classrooms. So, what does that mean? Well, when kids are up and moving, they’re not just more engaged in the moment, they’re also more likely to remember and apply what they’ve learned later.
And here’s my favorite part…adding movement doesn’t just make class more fun, it mirrors the real world of business! In marketing and entrepreneurship, students will need to pitch, network, collaborate, and think on their feet. So why not build those habits right into our lessons?
If you’re already battling glazed-over eyes, low energy, and the dreaded cell phone, incorporating movement is one of the simplest ways to break that cycle and feel like your content gets an instant refresh!
So now that we know why movement makes such a difference, the next big question is: “How do we actually make this happen in a high school classroom without it turning into chaos?”
The good news is you don’t need to overhaul your entire lesson plan or turn your room into a gym. A few simple structures can get kids up, moving, and learning in ways that feel natural and purposeful. Think of these methods as “plug-and-play” routines you can keep in your back pocket for when the energy starts to dip or when you want students to really connect with the content on a deeper level.
Here are five of my favorite movement protocols that work beautifully in Career and Technical Education Classes. The best part? They’re super easy to set up, even if this is your first time trying them!
5 Easy to Incorporate Movement Protocols
1. Gallery Walks
What is it? A gallery walk is a simple strategy where you set up different prompts, questions, or visuals around the room, and students rotate through to interact with each one. Instead of sitting and taking notes, they’re up on their feet reading, analyzing, and responding. At each stop, students might answer a question, leave feedback on a peer’s work, or add their own ideas to a chart or digital board. It’s an easy way to turn passive learning into active engagement.
Why it works: Gallery walks are the ultimate low-prep, high-payoff activity. They get students moving in pairs or small groups, talking to each other, and engaging with content in bite-sized chunks instead of all at once.
How to set it up:
Pick your prompts, questions, visuals, etc. you want students to analyze.
Post them around your space (on chart paper, printed slides, or even taped-up ads). Pro tip: Use the hallway or an open area if you don’t have space for students to easily move around your room.
Split the class into small groups or pairs, give them sticky notes, a graphic organizer, or some other way to record their answers and assign each group a starting spot.
After a few minutes, call “rotate” and have them move to the next station until they’ve made it all the way around to answer the prompts.
👉 Want to make this even easier? My Marketing Gallery Walk Bundle has ready-to-go gallery walks for each unit of instruction. Just print, put on the walls, and you’re ready to go!
2. Four Corners
What is it?
Four Corners is a strategy that gets students quite literally taking a stand. You ask a question with four possible answers or perspectives, and each corner of your room represents one choice. Students move to the corner that matches their opinion, then talk it out with their corner crew.
Why it works:
This activity pushes students to commit to an answer, hear from others who agree with them, and then listen to different perspectives during the share-out. It’s active, it’s discussion-driven, and it gets every student involved, even the quiet ones who might not normally raise a hand.
How to set it up:
Label each corner of your room A, B, C, and D (or with the four content area options you’re studying). Make sure to make the signs big & visible!
Pose a question with four possible answer choices.
Have students move to the corner that matches their response.
Once in their groups, let them discuss their reasoning before having each corner share with the class.
Optional: allow students to “switch corners” if their thinking changes after hearing new ideas.
If you want to check some four corners style activities, I’ve got the following ones in my TPT store: Get Moving With SWOT Analysis, Classifying Factors of Production Activity, and the Classifying Management Functions Activity.
3. Speed-Dating Style Discussions
What is it?
Think of this protocol as structured networking practice for your students. Two lines (or circles) of students face each other, and with each new partner, students get a short amount of time to share their response to a prompt. When the timer buzzes, one line shifts down, and suddenly everyone has a new partner and a new conversation.
Why it works:
It’s fast-paced, interactive, and keeps energy high. Students practice clear communication, active listening, and critical thinking in short bursts. Plus, because they rotate through multiple partners, everyone gets more chances to participate without the pressure of speaking in front of the whole class.
How to set it up:
Arrange desks or have students stand in two facing lines (or inner/outer circles).
Give a prompt that can be answered in 60–90 seconds.
Start the timer. Both students share their responses.
When time’s up, one line shifts down and everyone gets a new partner.
Repeat with new prompts or keep the same one if you want lots of perspectives.
4. Human Graph / Line-Up
What is it?
A Human Graph (or Line-Up) turns your classroom floor into a giant opinion scale. You give students a continuum/spectrum, for example, “strongly agree” to “strongly disagree,” and they physically place themselves along the line to show where they stand.
Why it works:
It makes abstract opinions visible. Instead of just saying what they think, students literally show it with their placement. The spread across the room sparks instant conversation, and students can see right away how their classmates think differently about the same topic.
How to set it up:
Clear some space and mark out your line (painter’s tape on the floor works great!)
Give students a scale (agree/disagree, most important/least important, risky/safe). This step is important! The teacher must define and showcase the scale for the activity to be successful. Sometimes it’s helpful to label the scale on the line on the floor. That at least gives students a place to start when lining up.
Read a statement and have students place themselves along the line.
Ask for volunteers to explain their position, then move on to the next statement.
Optional: let students shift their spot if the class discussion changes their thinking.
5. Carousel Brainstorm
What is it?
Carousel Brainstorm is like a rotating group brainstorm session. You set up different charts or prompts around the room, and groups of students rotate through, adding their ideas to each chart/prompt. By the end, every chart has been touched by every group, and you’ve collected a ton of ideas in a short amount of time.
Why it works:
It combines collaboration with movement. Students don’t just brainstorm in their same group the whole time; they build on what other groups have already written, which leads to deeper thinking and more creative ideas.
How to set it up:
Post large sheets of chart paper (or use digital options) around the room, each with a different prompt.
Divide students into groups and assign them to a starting chart.
Give them a few minutes to respond before calling “rotate.”
At each stop, groups add new ideas or expand on what’s already there.
Wrap up with a walk-through or class discussion to highlight the best ideas.
What I love most about these protocols is how naturally they fit into business, marketing, and other CTE courses. Our content is all about collaboration, communication, problem-solving, and thinking on your feet, which are the EXACT same skills these movement strategies reinforce. When students are up moving, they’re not just more alert and engaged, they’re also practicing the kind of real-world interactions they’ll need in the workplace: pitching ideas, debating perspectives, brainstorming solutions, and adapting on the fly. In other words, these aren’t just classroom activities; consider these activities a dress rehearsal for the future careers our students are headed toward.
At the end of the day, movement isn’t just about getting students out of their seats; it’s about getting them into the learning! A simple gallery walk or quick speed-dating round can take a class from glazed-over eyes and bored to lightbulb moments and excitement.
My advice? Start small, try one new movement protocol this week, and watch how quickly the vibe in your room shifts.
And if you’re sitting there thinking, “This all sounds great, but I don’t have the time to reinvent the wheel right now,” I’ve got you covered. My Marketing Gallery Walk Bundle is the easy button. The included gallery walks are editable, classroom-tested, and take only minutes to set up. Print the prompts, tape them up, and let your students do the moving (and the learning). You get engagement and a break from the dreaded sit-and-get. Win-win.
Because let’s “be so for real right now” as our students would say haha…our bodies were not built for sitting still all dang day. 😉
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