Students Teaching Students

Each student will have the opportunity to teach the class an activity or game of their choice. I know students are eager to share their ideas about games and activities with others and what better way to allow them to be the teacher for a day. This will be a great exercise to sharpen leadership skills while also allowing them to be more involved in the lesson planning for the class. All games and activities must be educational and require physical activity. To ensure proper subject matter, each student would have to get prior approval for subject content to make sure that it is appropriate for school. This will be an exciting way to let students take over the class for a day!

Physical Education Blog

I will use a blog for my physical education classes to enhance their interest in activities along with physical fitness. All students will be able to view daily lesson plans that will allow them to not only know what activities are in the future, but more importantly, vital information that will allow them to be healthier and active. Along with the daily schedule there will be links to information such as dieting, exercising, and fitness tips. Each student will be able to log in and track their progress in the class and address areas of concern.

This page will be even more valuable as students will be able to communicate their thoughts to me and the class via the blog. We will share ideas about our subject area and join a personal learning network of another school broaden the scope of our class. Finally, parents will be able to monitor that child's progress both on the academic and physical fitness standpoint. I think by doing this that I will be able to gather valuable information from my students that will allow me to serve them at the highest possible way as a teacher.

Motivational Outreach

In every community or school, there are numerous figures that can contribute to the overall development of a student. I plan to reach out to the community leaders and role models and have them speak to classes about what motivated them as students and how we can benefit it from them. On a bi-weekly basis, a speaker will visit and share ideas and tools that they know are essential to the total development of a student. Motivational Outreach participants can be anyone; former students, professional athletes, or current teachers in the community. It can be a good way to set attainable goals and hearing them from someone familiar or from the same background or area. At the end of the year, students will be asked to blog on the class blog site about what impact this has made on them.

Presidential Fitness Exam

Every year students will participate in the Presidential Fitness Program. The program is a nationally recognized and approved program the President of the United States. The standards are compiled by comparing data from around the country and measuring the data to determine age matching fitness criteria. The test involves the mile-run, sit and reach, push ups, shuttle run, and sit ups. There are three levels that a student can attain. If a student performs above average, he will receive the Presidential Award and a gold medal. If a student performs at average he/ she will receive the National Award and a silver medal. Finally, if a student simply completes each of the 5 categories they will receive a certificate of participation.

Group Learning

As a current coach, I plan to incorporate team social skills into a classroom setting. Too often students in Physical Education classes are encourage to succeed in fitness and health, but hardly as a group. Rather than the usual "team sports" models used by most classes, I will use the "game show" approach to peak everyone's interests. Games like "the biggest loser" and "the amazing race" would be great for a class to encourage teamwork and physical activity. Most importantly, I think the students will benefit socially and ease the burden of peer pressure, especially in middle to high school.