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NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL PE TEACHER OF THE
YEAR - Lisa Summers
Written by: Kalin
Daquila
“It has
been fifteen years that I have been
teaching physical education, and it
is a job and role that I enjoy and cannot
imagine doing anything but.”
 Nominated
and awarded as National High School
PE Teacher of the Year in 2009, Lisa
Summers has achieved many things
in her career. Her interest in the field
of physical education began locally
at Western Washington University where
she developed a strong foundation in
pedagogy and physical education instruction.
The education Lisa received inspired
her to provide quality physical education
to her future students in the Tumwater
School District in Washington State.
Lisa has been teaching for a total of
14 years and counting (13 of which have
been in Tumwater, SD, at Black Hills
High School) and has brought a lot to
the table as far as physical education
programs, activities, and curriculum,
as well as the development of District
Power Standards and Standard-based grading.
As a member
of WAPHERD, AAHPERD, and NASPE, she
has also attended and presented at WAHPERD,
OAHPERD, NW District, Best of the West,
OSPI and was awarded NASPE STARS in
2005 and 2010 for her PE program. What
is STARS? STARS
is a national recognition program developed
and implemented by the National Association
for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE).
Through the STARS self-study and review
process, NASPE identifies and honors
physical education programs that model
the essential elements for quality physical
education and provide meaningful learning
opportunities for all students. STARS
schools exemplify excellence in teaching
students knowledge, skills, and confidence
needs for motor development to achieve
movement competency, health-related
fitness, and life-long physical activity.
 Lisa,
alongside her fellow physical educators,
was recognized by the STARS program
for her exceptional curriculum and the
activities presented in that curriculum.
Her school districts’ common mission
states the following areas that are
to be taught: reading, writing, and
communication comprehension; core concepts
of health and fitness, analytical, logical
and critical thinking; the importance
of work, performance, effort, and decision
making, and finally the importance of
taking responsibility for one’s
own actions.
Lisa has demonstrated
these goals set by her school district
with an immense concern from the benefits
her students have taken from their experiences
in the Tumwater School District.
In addition
to the “in-school” programs
she runs, Lisa has also created other
activities outside of the classroom
for children to take part in during
the week - before and after school.
A couple of activities she has created
are AM Stretch, which is a yoga, Tai
Chi, and Pilates class with emphasis
on flexibility, muscular endurance,
and Lifetime Fitness which is individualized
fitness and training to improve the
fitness components through running,
interval training, aerobics, step aerobics,
medicine ball workout, kettle bells,
free weights, resistance bands, physio/core
balls, Bosu ball, kickboxing, yoga,
Pilates, fitness walking, Nordic walking,
jump roping, agility ladder, plyometric
training, and stretching.
Some other activities
are Dance and Women’s Strength
and Conditioning, Saturday PE, PE Nights
(nightly tournaments), participation
in the “Sound to Narrows”
12K and an annual BHHS “5 miler.”
Lisa has also earned three grants for
purchasing class sets of Troy-built
weight sets, physio balls, Bosu balls,
and pedometers for her PE students to
use in the facilities, in addition to
purchasing 75 exercise videos for children
to check out of the school library to
tie in with the programs she runs for
her students and the community.
Why
was Lisa chosen as 2009 National High
School Teacher
of the Year? “My
belief is that I represent teaching
and sustaining quality physical education.
I know that I have helped developed
important curriculum and district standards
to ensure that students are meeting
and exceeding standards k-12; standards
that have been influenced by Washington
State's Essential Learning Requirements
as well as the National Standards.
I teach psychomotor
skills, cognitive concepts, and affective
domain. I emphasize effective teaching
strategies based on the works of lead
physical educators/researchers Pangrazi,
Siedentop,
as well as educational leaders Marzano
and Stiggins.
I assess for learning using research
based formative and summative assessments.
I teach classes that range from lifetime
activities to lifetime fitness. I provide
an environment for kids to be successful
in; a differentiated classroom/gym.
Most importantly, I know that not all
kids learn at the same rate or learn
the same ways, and my job is to make
sure all kids are learning each day.”
~ Lisa Summers
~Lisa Summers
is my physical education teacher and
soccer coach because she has taught
me a lot about living a healthy life,
and I admire her character and enthusiasm.
- Michelle Phillips Senior.
~"She's one of those teachers
you'll always remember. Kids are her
life, and it really shows."
- Ricki Marsh, Sophomore
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