Tara O’Shea, a special education teacher in the Rockville Centre School District, appeared on “The Kelly Clarkson Show” to spotlight an innovative teaching approach that gets students out of their seats and learning while on the move.
O’Shea, who teaches at William S. Covert Elementary School, was seen on the nationally syndicated daytime talk show on Feb. 1 alongside Kathy Higgins, CEO of the Alliance for a Healthier Generation. They both promoted The Walking Classroom model, which combines physical activity with academics through audio-based learning.
The program allows students to listen to hundreds of preloaded podcast lessons while walking outdoors with classmates and teachers, blending core subjects such as English language arts and social studies with exercise. O’Shea said the goal is to keep students engaged while helping them stay active.
“It really supports every child,” she said. “It also is able to kind of marry, in a very beautiful way, technology and movement.”
O’Shea has worked in special education for seven years and is now in her fourth year at Covert, where The Walking Classroom has become a regular part of instruction for fourth- and fifth-grade students. She also has led professional development sessions to introduce the program to colleagues, who can implement it with individual students or small groups.
During a session, students head outside and put on headphones connected to podcast devices. Once instructed, they enter the lesson number assigned for the day so everyone can listen simultaneously as they walk.
“It feels like you’re giving kids a break — and it is a walk, which feels like a break — but you’re not sacrificing instructional time because it complements and supports the curriculum,” O’Shea said.
Although the program was originally introduced to assist neurodivergent learners, it has proven effective for many students, she said.
“The kids are able to digest and retain a lot of the information that they get while on that walk better,” O’Shea said. “They’re more awake, they’re more alert, and they’re more eager to learn.”
The format has also been used to support the district’s “passion projects,” in which students select topics that interest them, conduct research and present their findings. Some students have even created podcasts of their own to showcase their work.
“It kind of wipes away that perception of, ‘Oh, I’m just a kid. I can’t do that,’” she said. “’Like, you can do that.’”
After building an ongoing relationship with the leadership team at Alliance for a Healthier Generation and participating in the national nonprofit’s webinars, O’Shea was invited to join Higgins on the Feb. 1 broadcast.
“I was obviously a little bit nervous, but more so, just excited to be able to share what an amazing program it is on such a large scale,” she said.
School administrators said O’Shea’s work reflects the type of innovation happening across the district. Michelle DeMartino, Covert’s principal, said O’Shea located and applied for the original grant that helped launch the program at the school.
“I’m extremely proud of her,” DeMartino said. “It’s a great way to showcase the great things we are doing in Rockville Centre and specifically at Covert school.”
District leaders echoed that praise, saying the program aligns with efforts to support both students’ academic and physical needs.
“She’s an amazing teacher — we’re so lucky to have her,” Marie Dalton, assistant superintendent for special education and pupil services, said of O’Shea. “Seeing her on ‘The Kelly Clarkson Show’ is one of the many ways she exemplifies who you want in a teacher.”
Dalton said the district is encouraged by the positive response from students and staff and hopes to expand the program in the future.
While O’Shea welcomed the chance to share her experience on national television, she said what happens day-to-day in the classroom matters most.
“When you see them come and say, ‘I want to take it so bad’ and ‘I’m so excited,’ that’s one of the best feelings,” she said. “They’re craving knowledge, they’re eager to learn.”
