Fifth grade is a time in one’s life full of transition. Where kids change from elementary school-age to those oh, so awkward early years of adolescence. Hands in the air if you remember the awkward fifth-grade sex talk where you were also told you needed to start wearing deodorant every day.
In the last few years, skateboarder, surfer, and Ventura-area fifth grade teacher, Ryan Oas, has taken the notion of the fifth-grade transition literally in the form of a mini ramp that sits front and center in his classroom.
Oas may unapologetically love skateboarding, but he views the presence of the ramp as more than just providing the opportunity to practice frontside airs and rock-to-fakies when the kids are out at recess.
For Oas, the ramp is a conversation starter, a physical representation of his passion that he’s sharing with his students, and also has some unforeseen practical benefits like helping his voice to echo just a little louder around the classroom.
Now, despite the appetite in education these days for new and innovative ways to teach math and language arts, not everyone was on board with Mr. Oas’ mini ramp when he first built it and dropped it in the middle of his classroom. To be honest, the practical benefits aren’t entirely obvious at first blush. But, after putting up a bit of a fight and getting the buy-in from parents, the school administration quickly backed down and let this skateboarding teach have his little ramp. Coolest teacher ever!
