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Playing Like 12 Year-Olds
Former PELinks Secondary Editor and NASPE Teacher-of-the-Year,
Bane McCracken, tells a great story that reflects his view of secondary
physical education and, I believe, extends the thoughts of current
PELinks Editor, Bart Cagle. Bane relates how once he and his brother
were engaged in some friendly mountain biking competition with each
other. The two 40+ year-olds were challenging each other as
brothers and friends often do, when they both tried to jump their
bikes over and through a small creek and both ended up prone in
the creek caked with mud, but none the worse for wear (other than,
as Bane suggests, maybe their ego). Bane follows that his
brother laughed and turned to him suggesting, "You know, when
we get together, it's like being 12 years-old again."
Bane notes that he realized as a professional physical educator
that is exactly what he is trying to accomplish...that is, provide
a program that encourages his students to want to play like 12 year-olds
for the rest of their life! In the last PELinks Issue, editor
Bart Cagle discussed the need for students to develop positive attitudes...and
again, I believe both have hit the nail right on the head...I fear
too often students view physical education as something that is
reserved for only the athletically gifted or highly fit. Whereas
we all want our students to value physical activity and make it
a part of their daily life....how might we share our success?
Jon Poole
Secondary Section
Editor
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| Positive
Attitudes Toward PE |
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A colleague secondary teacher recently studying attitudes
toward PE, shared that in her literature review it appeared that
many of the same teaching practices advocated by the co-teachers
at her school were exactly those leading to negative attitudes.
That is, over reliance on competition, unfair team selection, playing
full-sided games where only the highest skilled students dominated,
etc. Bewildered, she pondered how she might address her concerns
with her co-teachers...Any thoughts? How do we work with those
colleagues who may not wish to hear?
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This is Not Your Father 's
PE Class
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This is Not Your
Father's PE Class!
Steve Geiman of Augusta County, Virginia, is a physical educator
with 32 years of teaching experience. Steve is one of the
leaders in secondary physical education trying to spread a new,
more positive message to administrators, parents, schoolchildren,
teachers, university professors, and community leaders. Steve
shares his program via his, "This is Not Your Father's PE Class"
seminars. This past fall Steve worked with teachers in my
local community of Montgomery County, Virginia, and also with participants
attending the state AAHPERD convention. One of the teaching
ideas that I noticed many high school teachers were interested in,
was Steve's consistent organization and high expectations for each
of his classes. He utilizes white boards and chalk boards
to script his daily plan for students to effectively remove the,
"What are we doing in PE today?" questions from his students.
His students have learned to check the board each day without asking
him. Following an active warm-up with student choice of various
fitness-related activities and music played loudly in the background,
Steve has taught his students to quickly move into the next phase
of his lessons which might include skill development activities,
cooperative activities, fitness activities, and certain days of
the week are reserved for small-sided game competitions. Steve
is also an advocate for using many modified elementary-aged fitness
games because he has found his high school students still enjoy
them. The point is not so much what exactly Steve does...I
think what makes him so effective is that he is highly organized
and his students clearly know what his expectations are and they
also clearly understand the negative consequences. Steve is
a no non-sense guy, who clearly loves his work as a high school
physical educator. He challenges his students daily and finds
that they respond to that challenge positively because his commitment
is unwavering. His classes are clearly enjoyable...as are
his teacher workshops...but his classes are clearly organized and
hold high expectations. The workshops I attended had many teachers
prepared to go back to their own schools armed with requests for
chalkboards, whiteboards, and a desire to provide clear daily organized
plans for their students.
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| Secondary Lesson Ideas From PE
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"Exercise is Play!
Get 30 Minutes Everyday!"
- Ohio Department of Health
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This past fall, the Journal of School Health published a summary
report for the School Health Policies and Program Study (SHPPS).
Interesting findings include:
- During the secondary school years when self-reported levels
of physical activity decline, schools are forced to provide
progressively less physical education with only 5% nationally
requiring physical education by grade 12.
- 98% of the schools reported teaching group or team activities
with the Top 5 most often taught activities being (1) basketball,
(2) soccer, (3) softball, (4) volleyball, and (5) kickball.
- 97% of the schools reported teaching individual or paired activities
with the Top 5 most often taught activities being (1) walking,
jogging, or running, (2) jumping rope, (3) track & field,
(4) student-designed games, and (5) aerobics.
Overall, the report is critical and lists a myriad of suggestions
including reducing the number of states that allow exemptions, such
as cheerleading, ROTC, and band, for physical education; encouraging
teachers to move beyond assessment that relies on daily attendance
and dressing out; and providing staff development, with accompanying
resource support, that encourages teachers to try new technology
(such as heart rate monitors and pedometers) in traditional settings.
For more information, click below:
SHPPS
2000
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| If you have ideas, comments, letters to share, or
questions about particular topics, please email one of the following
Adapted PE Section Editors: |
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Questions to Ask, or
Thoughts to Share?
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