School Groups

What it looks like:

Discover the surprising educational benefits of learning to juggle, a simple skill with profound applications in learning and life.

While juggling may seem unimportant, the process of learning it offers a transformative and energizing metaphor for learning itself. The most valuable lesson is breaking down complex tasks into achievable goals: “learning to learn.” Students can choose to apply the lessons of juggling to any subject or activity.

Workshop Details:

- Who: The Juggling Metaphor workshop is designed for small groups of up to 30 people (typically one class at a time, such as a gym class). I can also offer an introductory assembly, using up to ten student volunteers to demonstrate the learning process and promote the in-class session.

- What: This is an experiential session focused on the steps of juggling three balls. The core of the workshop focuses on continuous one-ball tosses with incremental challenges (e.g., purposeful drops, blind tosses, varying heights) to reinforce practicing at one's current level and making small, marginal gains.

- We spend the majority of the time on single-ball tosses (approximately 45 minutes).

- We then quickly add two balls to observe the difference.

- We conclude with three balls, focusing on rhythm, timing, and space to create a continuous flow, demonstrating how small changes can lead to seemingly complex "tricks" and open up endless creative possibilities.

This experience provides students with a lifelong memory and a tangible model they can reflect on to enhance their ability to "learn how to learn."

Where:

This activity can be done anywhere your group can stand together, preferably in a circle, an arm’s length apart.

Why:

This experience provides students with a lifelong memory and a tangible model they can reflect on to enhance their ability to "learn how to learn." Please consider using this juggling metaphor to augment and reinforce your students' learning.

Yours truly, Sir Drop-a-lot, Aladar Reusz