One of my “jobs” as a university teacher educator is to compile an annual report which is sent to our National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) in concert with the National Accreditation for Teacher Education (NCATE). The report serves to provide our accrediting body with information (grade point averages, Praxis exam scores, success on performance tasks which prepare undergraduates to be teachers, etc.) about our teaching candidates.

Candidly, it is pretty tough to document what I think our undergraduates know (i.e., if they can pass Praxis exams) and what they can do (i.e., if they can prepare lesson plans, develop student projects that truly assess learning, & modify units to accommodate diverse learners, etc.) as a predicator of future teaching effectiveness or teaching performance. I wonder as you look back at your own college experience if you could pinpoint a few things that really made a difference in your preparation to become an effective teacher. Clearly, much of your own teaching style has probably evolved over the years spent teaching as you’ve refined some things, added others, and dropped some that just didn’t seem to work. Hopefully, some of the things you learned in college were applicable to the “real” world and have stayed with you.

I am confident, for example, that undergraduates need as much exposure as possible to as many schools and schoolchildren as possible during their 4+ years in our program. They might not always see model classes, ideal game play, or appropriate sportsmanship…but if we can help them look critically and close enough, they can at least see something to add to their teaching “toolbox.”

To me the long used “toolbox” analogy continues to work well for teacher preparation. A big part of my job is to help undergraduates expand that toolbox and fill it with as many different tools as possible. Through experience, trial-&-error, mentoring, and, hopefully, some healthy reflection, these future teachers not only learn more about the teaching tools, but learn when and where to use them.

I wonder, too, if your own toolbox (like mine) could use some yearly reflection. Do some of our teaching tools need sharpening? Perhaps others need to be tossed out because they are no longer effective. Or perhaps we need some new tools. As we reflect back over the year it is an ideal time to also look forward….perhaps one of the many summer conferences, institutes, workshops, etc. could be just the thing to get our toolbox back in shape? Take a look at what is offered through your state or professional association and don’t miss the “Conferences/Workshops Calendar” link found on every PELinks4U page!!

Jon Poole -
Secondary Section Editor

October 2004

It's not too early to begin thinking about fall events and one I believe we should all endorse is the Walk to School program in October. The actual National Walk to School Day is October 6^th, but the entire week October 4^th-8^th is designated as Walk to School Week.

Walk to School Programs

The Research Consortium of AAHPERD recently published (Spring 2004) a brief summary of research conducted with several thousand 11-19 year-old youth examining beliefs about one’s own athletic ability.

Among the many interesting findings and hypotheses examined in the study, a couple of things caught my eye. First, youngsters holding a belief that athletic ability is gift determined by heredity and not likely to be substantially improved over time are more likely to feel a lack of motivation to adopt a physically active lifestyle because of the lack of control they have with improving their own skills. Those youngsters holding a belief that athletic ability is more determined by practice, hard work and incremental improvement, on the other hand, are more likely to have a greater sense of motivation and enjoyment as they might believe leading a physically active lifestyle in within the control of anyone willing to work hard at self-improvement.

As physical educators, it would seem to me that we need to continue to educate our young people that while making millions of dollars a year as a professional athlete is reserved for a few elite athletes (who in addition to working really hard…do often have genetics on their side), the health benefits and quality of life enjoyment with leading a physically active lifestyle is open to all of us (that is, anyone willing to practice and focus on self-improvement). Thus, while I may not be talented enough to qualify for the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills in June of this year, I can at least improve my own golf game to try to break 80 a few times this summer back in my own hometown in Virginia.

For more information about this study, visit

Biddle, S.J., Wang, Ck., Chatzisarantis, N.L., & Spray, C.M. (2003). Motivation for physical activity in young people: Entity and incremental beliefs about athletic ability. Journal of Sport Sciences, 21(12), 973-989.

Within the last few weeks my local paper published a couple of stories about innovative high school PE programs which included, among other things, yoga and the Dance Dance Revolution (DDR) game pad.

In reading the stories, unfortunately, it seems this really cool and innovative "good stuff"almost always seems to be reserved for advanced or elective PE classes (which, of course, are typically taken by athletes and other youngsters who are motivated to be there). Now I won’t deny for a second that attempting innovative teaching is always much easier in classes where the students are more receptive. In fact, I’d be lying to you if I didn’t admit to only wanting to take my university students to teach middle or high school classes in which the teachers tell me their students will be receptive to mine. Yet, at the same time, I wonder if some of these “non-receptive” classes might be won over if they had a chance to try some of the “good stuff” the advanced classes receive.

Somebody braver than me try it and please let me know.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) developed their popular VERB Campaign to help America's youth adopt more physically active behavior. No doubt all of us have seen one or more of the commercials with the catch phrase, "Verb: It’s what you do."

The VERB Anytime Doubletime is another aspect of the program directly aimed at middle school age youngsters and relying on a "tried-&-true" strategy I know many physical educators have used successfully for years. The basic idea is to combine to movements/games together and "invent" a new game. Mini-Socckey, for example, is a floor hockey game played with a miniature soccer ball. Crab-Walk Kickball is a small field version of kickball with all movement done while crab walking. Obviously, the number of variations could go on and on.

As we reflect back on the school year, it might be interesting to also look forward to see if the VERB Anytime Doubletime materials could infuse a little “pop & sizzle” into our programs next year. The materials include activity cards which promote student participation because they can be assigned the responsibility of “inventing” their own games. I can already see small groups of students working together to develop the rules and strategies and then sharing their game with others in a class. The teacher then might select certain games to play for a few days or even a full unit.

As always, CDC has outstanding material available for download or mailing, check the following site:

Verb: Anytime Doubletime

Okay- I admit it -I'm looking forward to the movie starring Ben Stiller coming this June 18^th to a theatre near you. I wonder how we (PE teachers) will be portrayed in the movie? Actually I really don't wonder-I fear!! J

The Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center with funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation along with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation are supporting the Partnership for a Walkable American (PWA) – a national coalition working to improve conditions for walking in America and to increase the number of Americans who walk regularly. Included in the information is a walkability checklist aimed at helping communities (wouldn’t this be an ideal student project) to gather health, safety, and environment data to share with local officials.

WalkableAmerica