New Year's Resolutions

Even though New Year's Day was last month, those resolutions can still be used. They never seem to go away. Why not try them at school with your students. This is similar to the "Sneaker Wall" that is featured in this issue. Instead of having your students bring in paper sneakers for any physical activity that they do, see if you can make it a bit more specific for them.

Have everyone come up with a fitness goal of some sort. It could be something as simple as "I want to go sledding on the really big hill this winter." The trick is to get the kids to think about their goal and figure out (with your help) what they need to do to reach their goal. For this student, is there other smaller hills that he can go to, to "practice on." Get him/her to think of different places to go to build up to being able to handle the "really big hill." This is all done after school and on weekends. In your physical education classes, get your students to relate what they are doing in class to what their goal is. For your sledder, help them to make the connection between jumping rope, running, or pushing with their legs on a scooter to getting their legs stronger to be able to get to the top of that big hill. Have them tell you what upper body exercises/activities they are doing in class that will help them to hold onto their sled when they go over a big jump on their way down the hill.

In other words, get them to see the connection between what they want to do (their "resolution"), and what you are doing with them in class. You can guide them through this process with questions like: "What did we do today to help you with your goal?" or "How did jumping rope today help you reach your goal?"

If you teach older students, their "resolution" may sound more like: "I want to be a better player on my youth basketball team." Once they figure out what "better" means (is it specific skills, playing more in games, not getting tired so fast...), they can begin to connect your physical education activities to their goal. Even is you are teaching something other that basketball (using this student as another example), get them to see the connection between your activities and their goal of being a better player. That may be something like a general warm up with jump ropes would equate to being a better jumper, or a quicker mover. It could also be something like moving to an open space in a team handball activity, would easily translate to a situation on a basketball court, where a player needs to get open to receive a pass. The possibilities are endless!

How you monitor this is up to you. You can simply talk about it at the end of each class. You could have your students make up lists of related activities and post them in your gym. You could also have them do some "homework" and have them keep a log of things they do (both in and out of school) that are helping them keep their "resolution," or reach their goal.

The bottom line is to help your students make the important connection between what they want to do and what you are doing with them in your classes. Otherwise if they ask you "Why do I have to do this?" you won't have an answer for them.