Why Did Seven Catholic Schools just Choose Who God Says I Am?
Discover why seven Catholic schools recentlyselected the Who God Says I Am sensory path and how movement reinforces faith, identity, and emotional regulation.
As educators, we spend countless hours helping children learn who they are.
We encourage perseverance after mistakes. We celebrate kindness. We remind students they are capable, valued, and important.
But today's children are also growing up in a world that constantly tells them who they should be—and too often, those messages create anxiety, self-doubt, and comparison.
As I recently completed installations throughout the Archdiocese of Omaha, I noticed something that immediately stood out.
When nine Catholic schools selected products for their hallways, one collection became the clear favorite.
Three schools chose the complete Who God Says I Am Sensory Path, while four additional schools selected the Who God Says I Am Starter Set.
That made me stop and think.
Why did this message resonate so deeply?
Children Need Truth They Can Return To
Every school day is filled with moments that challenge a child's confidence.
A difficult math assignment.
A disagreement with a friend.
A poor test grade.
Feeling left out at recess.
Making a mistake in class.
These moments often become the stories children tell themselves.
"I'm not good enough."
"Nobody likes me."
"I always mess things up."
As Catholic educators, we have the incredible opportunity to replace those lies with truth.
Imagine students walking down the hallway and being reminded:
I Am Loved
I Am Forgiven
I Am Strong
I Am Brave
I Am Never Alone
I Am God's Child
Not once.
Not only during religion class.
But every single day.
Why Movement Makes These Messages More Meaningful
As a pediatric occupational therapist, I've seen firsthand how movement prepares the brain for learning.
Movement increases alertness.
It supports attention.
It helps regulate emotions.
It improves memory and retention.
When children move while interacting with meaningful messages, they're doing much more than getting the wiggles out.
They're pairing physical movement with positive identity.
That combination helps those affirmations become experiences rather than simply words on a wall.
Instead of walking past another hallway display, students are actively engaging with reminders of who God says they are.
Hallways Can Become Places of Formation
Catholic schools do an incredible job forming students academically and spiritually inside the classroom.
But learning doesn't stop when students leave their desks.
Hallways are some of the most frequently used spaces in every school.
Those daily transitions can become opportunities to reinforce faith, encourage movement, and support emotional regulation—all in less than a minute.
When students repeatedly encounter these messages throughout the school year, they become familiar, comforting reminders during both joyful and challenging moments.
Why I Believe This Collection Resonated
I can't speak for each school's individual decision, but after working with Catholic educators across 27 states and Canada, I've noticed a common theme.
Schools aren't just looking for sensory paths.
They're looking for ways to intentionally shape school culture.
They want students to know they are seen.
They want children to feel safe.
They want every hallway to reinforce the values they teach inside the classroom.
The Who God Says I Am collection does exactly that.
It's more than movement.
It's a daily reminder of identity rooted in faith.
Try This Tomorrow
Take a walk through your school's hallways and imagine you're seeing them through the eyes of a student.
What messages do they encounter?
What do your walls say about kindness, courage, forgiveness, or belonging?
Even one intentional reminder placed where students naturally transition throughout the day can become a meaningful moment of encouragement.
Want to Learn More?
The Who God Says I Am collection was thoughtfully designed to combine purposeful movement with faith-filled affirmations that remind students of their identity in Christ.
Whether you're looking for the complete sensory path or a simple Starter Set to begin transforming your hallways, these movement experiences help reinforce positive messages every single day.
If you'd like to see how Catholic schools across the country are using the collection—or explore which option might be the best fit for your school—I'd love to help.
Browse the collection or contact me anytime. Together, we can create hallways that encourage movement, strengthen faith, and remind every child exactly who God says they are.
Still deciding?
If you'd like to see the quality of Sacred Steps products before purchasing, I'd be happy to send you a complimentary sample.
It's a simple way to experience the colors, materials, and durability firsthand—and see why schools across 27 states and Canada have chosen Sacred Steps.
👉 Request your free sample here.
About the Author
Trisha Klausing, OTR/L is a pediatric occupational therapist and the founder of Sacred Steps Sensory Paths. She combines over a decade of school-based occupational therapy experience with her passion for Catholic education to create movement experiences that strengthen self-regulation, learning, and faith. Sacred Steps products are currently used in schools across 27 states and Canada.
How to Set Up a Sensory Pathway in Your School
Step-by-step guidance from a school-based OT on planning, placing, and installing a sensory pathway — plus what actually works.
If you've been researching sensory pathways for schools, you've probably noticed they're appearing in elementary schools, Catholic schools, therapy clinics, and early childhood centers across the country.
But what exactly is a sensory pathway?
More importantly...
Do they actually work?
As a practicing school-based occupational therapist for more than 10 years, I've seen firsthand how purposeful movement can transform a student's ability to learn, focus, regulate emotions, and participate in the school day.
A sensory pathway isn't simply colorful hallway décor. When thoughtfully designed, it becomes an extension of the classroom—a place where movement supports learning, self-regulation, executive functioning, and even school culture.
This guide will help you understand what sensory pathways are, who benefits from them, and how to choose the right one for your school.
What Is a Sensory Pathway?
A sensory pathway is a series of movement-based activities placed throughout a hallway or learning space that encourages children to move with purpose.
Students may be asked to:
Jump
Balance
Hop
Stretch
Cross midline
Practice bilateral coordination
Follow visual directions
Complete calming breathing activities
These simple movements activate multiple body systems while giving students an opportunity to reset before returning to learning.
Unlike a playground or PE class, sensory pathways provide quick movement opportunities throughout the school day during natural transitions.
Why Schools Are Installing Sensory Pathways
Today's students spend much of their day sitting.
Research continues to show that movement improves:
Attention
Learning readiness
Emotional regulation
Executive functioning
Classroom participation
Instead of asking students to simply "sit still," sensory pathways acknowledge an important truth:
Movement helps children learn.
Schools are incorporating sensory pathways into:
Hallways
Entryways
Counseling offices
Resource rooms
Libraries
Early childhood wings
Therapy spaces
Waiting areas
Faith formation areas
The goal isn't to interrupt learning.
It's to improve it.
Who Benefits From a School Sensory Pathway?
One of the biggest misconceptions is that sensory pathways are only for students with special needs.
In reality, every child benefits from movement.
Sensory pathways can support:
Students who need movement breaks
Some children simply learn better after moving.
A short hallway activity may improve focus far more effectively than repeatedly reminding a child to stay seated.
Students with ADHD
Movement can improve attention, body awareness, impulse control, and regulation throughout the school day.
Students with autism
Many autistic students benefit from predictable movement routines and opportunities for sensory regulation between activities.
Students experiencing anxiety
Deep breathing, heavy work, and rhythmic movement may help students feel calmer before entering challenging academic or social situations.
Entire classrooms
Teachers often report smoother transitions and improved readiness after classes complete a sensory pathway together.
Benefits of Sensory Pathways
Schools often notice improvements in:
Better transitions
Instead of chaotic hallway movement, students have a structured activity to complete while moving between classrooms.
Improved focus
Movement increases alertness and prepares the brain for learning.
Self-regulation
Students begin recognizing when they need movement before becoming overwhelmed.
Executive functioning
Many pathways challenge planning, sequencing, working memory, and attention.
Positive school culture
Hallways become engaging spaces that reinforce kindness, perseverance, responsibility, faith, or other school values.
Choosing the Right Sensory Pathway
Not every pathway is the same.
When comparing options, ask yourself:
What skills are we trying to support?
Examples include:
Self-regulation
Executive functioning
School readiness
Faith formation
Character education
Motor coordination
Emotional regulation
Who will use it?
Consider:
Preschool
Elementary
Middle school
Therapy students
Entire school
Where will it be installed?
Popular locations include:
Main hallways
Classroom hallways
Counseling offices
Libraries
Waiting rooms
Church hallways
Religious education spaces
Is it durable?
School hallways receive heavy foot traffic.
Choose commercial-quality materials designed specifically for educational settings.
Faith-Based vs. Traditional Sensory Pathways
Many schools are looking for ways to reinforce learning beyond the classroom.
Faith-based sensory pathways combine movement with Scripture, prayer, virtues, sacraments, or Bible stories, creating opportunities for students to encounter their faith throughout the school day.
Instead of simply decorating hallways, schools can transform them into meaningful spaces that encourage movement while reinforcing Catholic identity.
How Occupational Therapy Influences Great Design
As an occupational therapist, I approach every sensory pathway differently than a graphic designer.
Every movement should have a purpose.
Activities should intentionally support:
Bilateral coordination
Crossing midline
Motor planning
Vestibular input
Proprioceptive input
Executive functioning
Self-regulation
Beautiful design matters—but purposeful movement matters even more.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does installation take?
Most floor decals can be installed in just a few hours depending on the size of the project.
Are sensory pathways only for elementary schools?
No.
Many middle schools, counseling departments, therapy clinics, churches, and early childhood programs successfully use movement pathways.
Do sensory pathways require a lot of space?
Not at all.
They can be customized for long hallways, short corridors, classrooms, counseling spaces, or even portable options.
Can they be cleaned?
Yes.
Commercial-quality decals are designed for regular school cleaning procedures when installed and maintained according to manufacturer recommendations.
Try This Tomorrow
Take a walk through your school and look at your hallways with fresh eyes.
Ask yourself:
Where do students tend to become restless during transitions?
Which hallway could become a purposeful movement opportunity?
Is there a space that could reinforce your school's mission, values, or faith while helping students regulate and refocus?
Sometimes the most powerful learning spaces aren't classrooms at all—they're the places students pass through every day.
Want to Learn More?
At Sacred Steps Sensory Paths, every product is designed by a practicing school-based occupational therapist to support movement, learning, regulation, and school culture.
Whether you're looking for faith-based sensory pathways, universal movement paths, calming spaces, or portable options, I'd love to help you find the right fit for your school.
I also offer complimentary hallway mock-ups so you can visualize how your space could be transformed before placing an order.
Explore the collection or contact me to start planning your hallway transformation today.
About the Author
Trisha Klausing, OTR/L is a practicing school-based occupational therapist and the founder of Sacred Steps Sensory Paths. She designs movement-rich environments that help schools support self-regulation, executive functioning, learning, and faith formation. Sacred Steps products are used in schools, churches, clinics, and educational settings across 25 states and Canada.
Why Movement Comes Before Learning
Discover why purposeful movement prepares children to learn. A practicing pediatric occupational therapist explains how movement supports attention, regulation, and classroom success.
Have you ever noticed what happens after a child has a chance to move?
They return to class calmer. More focused. More organized. More ready to learn.
That's not a coincidence.
As a practicing pediatric occupational therapist, I've seen it happen thousands of times.
Many people think movement is a break from learning. In reality, purposeful movement often prepares the brain for learning. One way schools can build proactive movement into the day is through a sensory pathway, which gives students structured opportunities to move, regulate and refocus.
The Brain Was Designed to Move
Children experience the world through movement long before they ever sit at a desk.
Before they learn to read...
They crawl.
They climb.
They balance.
They jump.
They explore.
Movement helps develop the very foundations that support attention, self-regulation, coordination, motor planning, and learning.
When we ask children to sit still for long periods without opportunities to move, many are working against how their brains naturally develop.
Purposeful movement gives the nervous system exactly what it needs to organize itself for learning.
Not All Movement Is Created Equal
As occupational therapists, we don't recommend movement simply because children enjoy it.
We recommend movement because different types of movement provide different benefits.
Jumping can increase alertness.
Balancing challenges body awareness.
Crossing the body's midline supports coordination and motor planning.
Reaching, stretching, crawling, and pushing all provide valuable sensory input that helps children regulate their bodies and attention.
When movement is intentional, it becomes much more than a brain break—it becomes part of the learning process.
What This Looks Like in Schools
Purposeful movement doesn't require a large gym or an extra class period.
It can happen naturally throughout the school day:
During hallway transitions
Before a challenging lesson
While waiting for small-group instruction
During indoor recess
As part of a calming corner
In therapy spaces
During movement breaks between academic tasks
These small moments of movement can have a meaningful impact on a child's readiness to learn.
Why I Created Sacred Steps
After years of working in schools, I realized something.
Teachers were doing incredible work.
Therapists were supporting students.
Schools cared deeply about helping children succeed.
But many hallways, walls, and common spaces were simply...empty.
I saw an opportunity to transform those everyday spaces into places where movement could happen naturally throughout the day.
That's why I created Sacred Steps.
Every product begins with one question:
"What does a child's brain need before we ask them to learn?"
Every movement is intentionally designed—not simply to be fun, but to help children regulate, focus, and thrive.
Because when we understand how children learn best, movement becomes more than an activity.
It becomes an opportunity.
Try This Tomorrow
Before your next reading lesson, math block, or classroom transition, give students 60 seconds of purposeful movement.
Try:
✔️ 10 jumping jacks
✔️ Reach up high, then touch your toes
✔️ Cross your right hand to your left knee, then switch
✔️ Balance on one foot for 10 seconds
✔️ March in place while counting to 20
Then simply observe.
Do students settle more quickly?
Do they focus longer?
Do transitions become smoother?
Purposeful movement doesn't have to take a lot of time—it just has to be intentional.
Want to Learn More?
Every Sacred Steps product begins with one simple question:
"What does a child's brain need before we ask them to learn?"
That's why every sensory path, wall activity, calming space, and portable pathway is intentionally designed by a practicing pediatric occupational therapist—not just to be fun, but to help children regulate, focus, and thrive.
Whether you're looking to transform a school hallway, therapy clinic, childcare center, church, library, hospital, or community space, you'll find movement solutions designed with both purpose and practicality in mind.
👉 Explore the Sacred Steps collections and discover the difference purposeful movement can make.
About the Author
Trisha Klausing, MOT, OTR/L is a practicing pediatric occupational therapist and the founder of Sacred Steps Sensory Paths. She designs OT-informed movement experiences that help children regulate, learn, and thrive in schools, therapy clinics, churches, childcare centers, and community spaces.