By Gail Ruscetta, Community Educator, Bike Newport
“Here they come. They…they’re running! How cool is that?” I said to Clare, as twenty-five ten and eleven year olds, full of brightness and bounce, sprinted along the sidewalk towards the large, sunny court behind the Martin Luther King Center.
Clare and I were ready. Twenty-five Raleigh bikes were tuned and lined up just so, some with the pedals removed for the Learn-To-Riders. At first glance, the court resembled a busy airstrip, cones and chalk delineating two-way roads, turns and intersections. Perfect miniature “Stop,” “Yield,” “ 25 MPH” and “Students Walking” signs added to the little city road-scape. Giant full-color posters, “ABC Quick Check!” “Rules of the Road” leaned against the chain-link. Over by the ball hoop, three long strips of nylon cord each held 25 brand new helmets, each one marked with a student’s name, waiting to be settled on their head, chin strap eagerly clicked into place in anticipation of the delicious fun of riding a bike with friends.
I had tools at the ready, lists of student and teacher names and the bell schedule, water. What was I missing? I set and rode the course, but would the students have any trouble navigating it? Because once that session is underway, like any race or event– well– you try getting 10 year olds to stop riding a bicycle. “No worries,” I told myself, “We can tweak anything for the next group if we need to. It’s all good learning.”
This was my second year teaching bike skills and bike safety to every 5th grader in Newport. In the interim, I taught cycling skills and safety to many groups of all ages. I drafted, measured and stepped off courses for practice. I helped out by teaching at bike rodeos, taught private lessons, ran bike camp and small groups. I led group rides and marshaled large ones. Still, there’s nothing quite like a gaggle of fifth graders. They are smart and kind, and adorable and funny as heck. They were polite and patient while listening to instructions. I knew that they were secretly dying to get on those bikes and scream around, but they kept it in check, rode responsibly, signaled, yielded, and cheered with abandon when a classmate pedaled and balanced for the first time ever-and there were twenty of those. Their teachers and aides helped out and continuously shouted encouragement. The thank you cards are always a real treat: “My favorite part was riding the bike and learning with my friends.” “Thank you for taking the time to teach us how to ride appropriately. You did not have to but you did. If they get confused you help them any way you can help but that is your job and you do good at it.” “My least favorite part was leaving.”
Kids, and adults, are wired to learn, and of course the best learning occurs while we are enjoying ourselves, having fun with friends. Thank you, Thompson Middle School, for sharing your wonderful students and dedicated teachers with us. Here’s to new helmets for all 5th graders, bike safety learned, and to next year!
An educator and communicator, Gail has coached and entertained children, teens, and adults in the public and private school system, with horses on her farm in Montana, on Public Radio, and from the classical stage. Gail brings 40 years of teaching experience to Bike Newport. She holds a Bachelor’s in Theatre and Speech from the University of Rhode Island and a Master’s of Science in Education from Walden University. A Newport native, Gail is thrilled to be back in this beautiful area, and proud to be a member of the Bike Newport team.
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