Educational therapy from Peloton: 15 quotes for diverse learners from ADHD to learning disabilities
There’s a reason that Peloton has over 1.5 million riders. We’ve heard from many of our families that their favorite Peloton instructors and rides have been a salve to help through a challenging pandemic year. If they can get us through a challenging time, then maybe some of the truths they share will help encourage our students with their academic challenges?
That’s why we decided to have some fun and do something different today! We’ll be sharing some of our favorite Peloton quotes and how they might encourage our diverse learners. I’ve divided the quotes into sections of encouraging words which may reach a particular type of learner. That said, no two students are the same, so feel free to take the ones which encourage you and your student!
Words of educational therapy we all need
“What you have to give, the world needs.” Aditi Shah
We all need to hear this, but our diverse learners can especially use this reminder! We spend a lot of time working on our students’ challenges, but it’s equally important to step back and realize that the world needs their unique offerings!
“What if you could?” Christine D’Ercole
When we talk about the “what ifs” in life, we tend to focus on the negative things that could come to pass. Next time your child says, “What if I fail?”, try flipping that on its head. Sometimes it helps to realize that the unknown can bring unexpectedly good stuff our way too!
“If cauliflower can be pizza, you can be anything you want.” Cody Rigsby
Cody knows how to give master advice in silly packaging! Try using this fun analogy to talk about dreaming big, thinking outside the box, and the power of creativity. And, if you give it a chance, cauliflower crust can be as delicious as it is healthy!
“Comparison is the thief of joy.” Denis Morton
Sometimes you have to swipe away your leaderboard and focus on yourself and your own milestones. Our kids need the same when it comes to their goals at school and in life! Denis reminds us to forget about what everyone else is doing and set and celebrate our own progress and goals.
“You’ve made it through 100 percent of your bad days.” Robin Arzon
A school day or homework attempt can be pretty discouraging. If you’re here and reading, it’s because you’re still working through the challenges. Robin shares a great reflection for the down days: we’re stronger than we think. We’ll get through this bad day, just like we’ve already gotten through 100 percent of the others.
“Next time your child says, ‘What if I fail?’, try flipping that on its head. Sometimes it helps to realize that the unknown can bring unexpectedly good stuff our way too!”
Give a little educational therapy to students with ADHD
“If you need to take an emotional lap, take an emotional lap.” Adrian Williams
Sometimes we need to hit the pause button on our schoolwork so we can have our meltdown, show our disappointment, or just get out some extra energy. Take an emotional lap (break) with your student and remind them that’s always OK!
“Every fall is an opportunity to refocus.” Anna Greenberg
We all fall down. It can be a hard day at school, a failed test, or another negative behavioral report from the teacher. Every one of these is an opportunity to learn about ourselves and keep growing.
“The hardest part is over. You showed up.” Jess Sims
Anyone have a student who has extreme trouble getting started? Staring at a blank page for a writing assignment or starting homework when something else is pulling hard for attention can feel incredibly intimidating. Remind our students that sometimes something that seems small, like making a small start, can be just the thing we need to push past our fears.
“I make suggestions, you make decisions.” Denis Morton
Every student has a moment when they realize their parents can’t actually MAKE them do anything. Every parent worries about when their child will realize this, and what it will mean for their relationship. Having a candid conversation with your child about the autonomy they have in their own life to create a successful outcome or create unnecessary struggles can be really empowering. Sometimes what our students need is to grow into the responsibility they truly possess.
“You have to be extra to be extraordinary.” Emma Lovewell
How many times have you felt your child was so extra? Extra energy, extra ideas, extra all over the place, extra hard to handle. Emma jumps in here with a great reminder that being extra isn’t always a bad thing.
“Remind our students that sometimes something that seems small, like making a small start, can be just the thing we need to push past our fears.”
Some words of educational therapy for students with learning disabilities
“Don’t compare your chapter 1 with someone else’s chapter 6.” Ally Love
Sometimes when I’m riding, I can get really discouraged by how far down I am on the leaderboard. The negative self-talk starts, “Even after I’ve worked and been consistent, my rank is somehow still not improving! I’ll never even make it to the top half of the leaderboard!” If I’m feeling this way about something with small consequences like a Peloton ride, imagine how our learners feel about something as important as school! It’s a good reminder for how our students can feel when they’re comparing their performance to their peers. It’s a great reminder to teach them to focus on their own goals and celebrate their wins!
“Progress over perfection.” Ben Alldis
I’m pretty sure someone else said this before Ben Alldis, but I like him so I’ll allow this credit. This is always a great reminder that setting the goal of perfection can be the enemy of taking the steps we need (and making the mistakes that we need) to make progress towards our most important goals.
“The numbers do not define you.” Christine D’Ercole
We all need this reminder whether it’s in regard to weight or standardized test scores. We’ve seen our children get deflated after seeing NWEA scores or a grade on a test. Christine’s words are a good reminder that we get to choose how we define ourselves.
“Practice makes permanent.” Matt Wilpers
Sometimes our diverse learners need so much support and practice to master something that they are struggling with. It can feel really discouraging. The exciting thing is once they’ve learned to read through repeat practice, that skill will permanently be theirs!
“If a seed doesn’t grow overnight, why would you expect the same from yourself?” Tunde Oyeneyin
Leave it to nature and Tunde to remind us that change happens gradually, and we can’t expect more from ourselves than is humanly possible. This can be a fun one to take to the next level! Why not plant something with your kids to show them the amount of care and nurturing a seed takes to grow into a plant. Remind them to give themselves that same time and love as they grow into their goals.
For more information, read more on educational therapist here!
