PE

Reflection 5/9

As I look back over the last week of fitness testing for my students at MJGDS, I look at the overall PE curriculum for the year as well. Have the sports and activities that I ran this year set up my students for success in the tests? Could I better prepare them for theses tests? How in depth should I go into computing the scores this year versus last year? Lastly, how accountable am I for a student who I believe could have done better than recorded on their test?

The testing is near the culmination of the school year and really wraps up most of our PE lessons. If we were swimming this year then that would be next, but I was unable to get assistance from the JCA this year and we will go on without it. The process for testing all our students is a lengthy one. It takes me at least 6 classes to complete and depending on grade level can be very tedious. I stress out about testing because I want my students to be their best on the test. I probably worry more than they do about it, but don’t let it show. I know how much Jewish kids can get anxious about the unknown.

My students have been asking me to post the results on my bulletin board, “The Wall of Fame.” I am apprehensive this year to post it because I have told the students that their scores are private. I still want to recognize my best performances though, without hurting feelings of those that didn’t fair so well. It is a thin line between the two. I, also, have been strapped for time due to the rain. That is just one of the many behind the scenes jobs I have taken on in addition to teaching. I have been outside trying to eliminate all the standing water. This could become a problem in the next week as stagnant water is a breeding ground for mosquitoes and other bugs. It also can have a very pungent odor after a week or so.

I had a student ask me yesterday how I knew everyone’s name in the whole school. I told them it was easy to remember names and faces and even personalities. That is one thing I really love about our small school, I know everyone, inside and out, after being here 3 years and they all know me. Carpool is not one of my favorite things to do in the morning, but I do it with a smile on my face. Without fail, every child gets a good morning and a smile and every parent gets a smile and a wave. Some don’t wave back, but I feel its important to try and make eye contact and at least smile to show them that their child is going to a positive place with great people. I want to be a role model and if they don’t have a good rest of the day at least they were acknowledged first thing in the morning and given a chance to have a good day. Positivity rubs off on those around you.

Last week we began practicing for our fitness tests. I want our students to be prepared for these tests. I taught them the correct form for push-ups and sit-ups. We went over our 1/2 mile run. We constantly did hamstring stretches. We practiced our sprinting drills and footwork. I know that they are more prepared for the test this year as opposed to last year. That was my goal. If they are more prepared they will score better on the test and not be so nervous to do it.
Next year the criteria will change a bit. It is being set-up as a continuous year long fitness program. This is a much better approach for all students in the US. It allows students to exercise all year long and earn rewards based upon their completion of it. I’m excited to try it!

We began using pedometers last year to track our students steps in PE class. This became an instant hit with most of our students. They could finally see input for how many steps they took and their distance covered throughout their classes. Kids used this number to try and compete with others during class. It was a great way for some healthy competition. I had hoped to better track our students distances throughout the year and I have finally found a good program to do just that www.peclogit.org. This program will allow students in grades 3-8 to input their steps daily or up to 6 days back and track total steps and distance for them. You can also compare and contrast other students in your state or other states and see what they are doing. It is also possible to search by gender if a student is so inclined.
Student tracking was one of my biggest concerns as time is very limited during my day and this sites makes it very easy to track. There are prizes to be won for different milestones achieved and recognition as well. I can’t wait to get started on this with our students and carry it into the next school year!

As I look back on our last few weeks of jump rope, I realize how hard most of my students worked. How hard I worked and trained with them. And how much of a difference we made in collecting money for heart research for the American Heart Association. I really love our Jump Rope for Heart event each year because I get to teach and train the kids on Jump Roping. This skill is vital to PE classes and is a huge hand-eye coordination exercise. The exercise attained jump roping for 30 minutes equals or excels over other activities/sports. I know that we have students sleeping well for the 3 weeks of jump rope training that we do.

Our Jump Rope for Heart event is designed to raise money for heart research. I always feel a bit apprehensive about sending home information about the event because I know how many other fundraisers and charity work that we do here at the school. I don’t want this to be an overkill of money asking. So, I always tell the kids that just by jump roping you can make a difference for other kids. The money that comes in is great and goes to a good place to help others, but is not necessary to participate. YOU ARE! My AHA representative wants me to set a fund raising goal each year and try to raise so much money online and each year I tell her that we do so much in other places in this community that ANY money that comes in I am proud of. No goals to meet, no expectations lost.

This year and for the past 3 years here at MJGDS, I have run our Century Club jump rope club. Students must complete 100 jump ropes, independently, in order to get in the club. They get their name on the wall of fame, and a certificate of completion. This year we had the most ever students in the club, 59 of them! Some just have a knack for jump roping, but others have to work for weeks to get it done. Some of my younger students leave class crying and upset because they didn’t get in, but I actually don’t mind the tears and frustration. It shows how much they care and how hard they work for it. I have had students’ mess up while they are in their 90’s counting. I still won’t budge on the rules though. They don’t get in. It means more to them when they finally do qualify. They didn’t give up and complete a goal. I believe that the harder you work for something the more fulfilling it is when you finally complete it. Century club is a memory that will probably be carried on into adulthood. It is a life challenge that many will not forget, especially for a select few.

In all my 1st-3rd grade classes this year I introduced a new competition. The challenge would happen in the last 5-10 minutes of each of their PE classes for our Basketball unit. The objective was to get all my students to try and make a basket in the BIG hoop (10 foot basket). Each student would get 2 shots to try and earn a sticker or prize if they were able to make a basket. I called it Sticker Shots. I figured on most of the class being able to earn a sticker, but was worried that some students wouldn’t be able to make it all the way up to the big hoop. I didn’t want these boys/girls to get too down on themselves for not being able to accomplish this important feat. In 1st grade 12 students made the shot. Only 4 could not make it, but they earned stickers for continuing to work hard and not give up. All of my 2nd graders had made the shot on the last day except for 2. I decided to give a day of unlimited shots to let my last 2 finished. These last 2 had worked and tried and put up at least 30 shots to try and make it. Finally one of the students made their shot and there was only 1 left. He tried and tried and all the students saw his effort. They all gathered around and stopped what they were doing. They started chanting his name to encourage him. Still no basket made. But in the last minute of class he shot one up high toward the hoop and finally it went in. He was so happy and tired at the same time. He got really emotional and just laid down exhausted physically and mentally. He looked at me and said,” I’m so happy, I wanna cry.” He started sobbing in happiness. I couldn’t help, but shed a tear myself. It was so incredible the amount of effort showed and sportsmanship/teamwork that the other students exhibited. I felt so proud to be a teacher in that moment. I wanted it so bad for him, but knew that he had to do it himself.
One of my teaching philosophies is to let students help each other. I’m a big believer in having others tie shoes, lead our warmups, and not to rush to students who have minor injuries. They need to ask for help if needed from another in their class. I am trying to foster a learning environment of independence. I want my students to use their peers for help. Mom and dad will not always be there, but your friends will. If you can effectively use a peer to help solve problems then you can be a important piece of a team. Teamwork is the key to so much in life and we learn that everyday in PE.

Tennis is back at MJGDS and grades 1-8 are up at the courts for their 3 classes per week (rain permitting). Students are working on groundstokes (forehand and backhand), volleying, scoring, and the rules of the game. I have also added a badminton court this year that students will be able to practice and learn on. Badminton is an olympic sport and should challenge our children as another racquet sport.
Our classes consist of a few warm-up activities upon entering the court . Students are then broken up into smaller groups and individual hitting drills are then conducted by coach. Students are reminded of correct racquet grip, swing, and foot movement.
Tennis will be held until winter break. It is a great time of year for tennis with the weather being mild and dry. Students are allowed to bring their own racquets from home, but only with parents permission.

I would like to introduce our newest after school program, Run Club. Students in grades 1-8 will be training on our 1/2 mile cross country course. They will use pedometers to track steps, distance, and calories. Our students will be engaged in interval training. Interval training consists of exercising for a predetermined period of time and taking breaks in between for water breaks, running discussion, and positive feedback and encouragement.

Our class will not just include long distance individual running. It will also include team relay races, and sprint training as well. We want our runners to be good at all aspects of run training because all people are built differently. Our bodies have a certain number of fast and slow-twitch muscle fibers. If you have a larger number of slow-twitch muscle fibers then your body will be better at endurance activities such as long distance runs. If you have a higher number of fast-twitch muscle fibers then you will be better at speed activities such as sprints. We come with a predetermined number and we can not change the amount we have throughout our lives. We can, however, make them better at performing through our training. I would love to eventually encourage our running club to enter area races. They could run Jr. 1 mile and maybe up to 5K races (3.2 miles). Whether our students decide to compete against other children in the area or against each other in Run Club I am happy that they are pushing each other to go further and faster for each class. The exercise they are getting is paramount to the result.

Our Run Club instructor is an avid runner herself, and will give a great perspective that I could not achieve as our students’ PE Teacher. Our instructor, Megan DiMarco, brings a fresh take on personal fitness and health to our class that is comprised of 8 girls and 2 boys. She brings a female introspective and much needed positive energy for our young runners. We are lucky to have a female runner here at MJGDS that can be a positive role model. Girls need someone to look up to in a world where sports are generally seen as boys only. They need to realize that girls can do anything that boys can and that girls can compete with boys and be just as successful in them. Too many girls are taught that sports are not for them or that the girls cheer on the sidelines while the boys play. So much self-esteem is built through positive sport interaction. Its the “I can” attitude that carries on throughout childhood and into adulthood that drives an individual to succeed in life. I believe Megan will excel in making this class a success for all. GO MARLINS RUNNERS!

Having your child go to a private school, such as MJGDS, you get the extra resources that are lost in so many public schools. Many public schools only get structured PE once a week! Yet they hold recess daily as a way to get around the state mandate http://www.aahperd.org/naspe/publications/upload/Florida-profile.pdf . This mandate requires 150 minutes of PE each week which is so important in our current culture. Video games are prevalent and parents are scared to let their kids play outside anymore without supervision. Many parents are so busy in our society that it is just easier to stay inside and catch-up on house work. I do like how many video games have included body movements or dancing to play. They increase your heart rate and can get you exercising while having fun. I don’t like the ones where sitting and pushing buttons are involved.

The bottom line is that in our world childhood obesity is a big problem. http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/obesity/facts.htm . Getting a child healthy and fit starts with proper eating habits at home and school. Nutrition is a huge proponent of health and fitness. “You are what you eat”. That is the old saying and its true. Children don’t get the vegetables, fruits, proteins, and whole grains that their bodies need to grow strong and healthy. The food chart has been revised in the past few years to include a good approach for our current society and its children. It is now called MyPyramid http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MyPyramid and incorporates a truer approach to exercise and nutrition.

I would love to be able to supplement my PE classes with a weekly health lesson for our students. It is so important to know correct eating habits and life skills at an early age. We would cover everything from healthy meals, nutritious snacks, portion control, fluid intake, hygiene, muscular structure, skeletal structure, injuries, and of course MyPyramid. With all this knowledge acquired at an early age our children will be able to succeed in their health quests. Health is a life long goal and in turn will keep a child from getting sick frequently and missing school. I believe that alone is enough to get parents involved in pushing for a health program.

I started last year to get myself back healthy and be a role model for our students. As a personal trainer in my free time, my body is my business. The better I look, the better I feel and the more business I can take in because of it. I want my positive demeanor and outlook to rub off on our students. It is my ultimate goal for making a healthy, fit student body at MJGDS. So I am going to start a Health Campaign here at MJGDS called Health Quest.

A Health Quest website will be set-up for students to write and post healthy activities that they did, healthy meals they consumed, or just ask questions and discuss certain topics within their immediate student body. I want to help children publicize their accomplishment for all to see in a positive way. After all, everyone wants to feel proud of themselves and do it publicly. This also goes for teachers, administrators, and parents as well. We are all role models and a huge part of our students lives. If students see teachers, administrators, and parents involved then they will get involved to.

When I started using pedometers in class last year there was constant excitement. Students could put a number on their exercise. They could visually see what they were doing in their class. Some parents even jumped on the bandwagon and started using and continue to use pedometers. Part of the Health Quest initiative is getting that 30 minutes daily of physical activity. Parents and children can get this by taking a nice walk in the evening and enjoying activity together. The Health Quest initiative will also include getting 10,000 steps daily. This is a lot of walking, but can be done relatively easily throughout the day. Some ideas to get more steps include: parking your car further away from the store, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, walking around the mall a couple of times before you shop, or finding some time to walk with a friend daily. If you walk or run by yourself put on some good music and you will be surprised how far it will take you. Be a role model for all those around you! Let it rub off!

The website will be up soon and I can’t wait to get started with this new idea for MJGDS. Let’s promote health in a positive way and if I’m able to I will bring it into the classroom and really kick start our students healthy learning. I look forward to helping all with their Health Quest. Support us in promoting Health Quest. GO MARLINS!

I’m so excited that we have started another fun-filled, exercise-packed, school year. Grades 2-8 kick off the year by playing hockey in organized pre-selected teams. We are working on sportsmanship and teamwork right off the bat. Students must wear shin guards to play as safety is #1 in my class. We have had very limited injuries thus far and Robyn and I are extremely happy with this. It is imperative that students wear sneakers to play each PE day so they can be successful in each class. Grades K and 1 are involved in start-up games such as Pacman Tag, Magician Tag, and Sting. These games involve listening skills, direction following, and overall fair play. It is a great way lead us to our next activities which will take place outdoors (once the weather is cooler and rains are gone).
Hockey will finish up this week with playoffs in each grade and we will have our grade champions. I hope to post our grade champs in the upcoming newsletter next week. As the weather gets cooler we will be back outside for PE and into games/sports like Capture the Flag, Golf, Frisbee Golf, and Volleyball Newcome. I always run these activities during the Jewish Holidays each year because we normally lose so many school days that I want all the students to be able to look forward to their class, even if it is 1 day a week during holiday season.

My K and 1st Graders will be out on the playground monkey bars as I work with them individually on climbing. We will work on techniques and they will be challenged if they are already proficient in climbing. I believe this is a huge skill for growth and development of their fine and gross motor skills. It is really cool to see the kids gain confidence on the bars and develop a sense of well-being on them. It gives me pride!!!!

Girls Volleyball is starting up with practices during PE class this year so everyone can attend regardless and Boys Basketball is involved in practices so we can get better as a team before we begin game play next year against other area schools. This is really exciting to have two teams play for our school! GO MARLINS!!

We are getting near the end of the school year and that means swimming for grades 2-8. Grades 2-5 will swim twice per week with 1 normal day of regular PE instruction. Middle school will swim 3 times per week beginning on May 15. Classes will swim until May 31. The last week of school, classes will pick their favorite games and activities to play. This is a fun way to end the year and make all of our students happy.

I would also like to write about our newest addition to the MJGDS PE Program, the Presidential Fitness Challenge that students in grades 1-8 will be participating in. I will individually test our students in 5 activities. They are push-ups, sit-ups, sit and reach, shuttle run, and 1/2 mile run. Students will get to compete against other boys and girls in the age groups across the U.S. Based on their performance they will earn awards. If they score at or above the 85th percentile in all 5 activities they will earn the Presidential Physical Fitness Award. If they score at or above the 50th percentile on all 5 tests they will earn the National Physical Fitness Award. Finally, if they participate in all 5 activities, but one or more of their scores fall below the 50th percentile they will earn the Participant Physical Fitness Award. I have never run this program, but am looking forward to seeing what our students score and building it into my curriculum.

I was always taught to practice what you preach, so as a PE teacher I wanted to be a model of health. After a tough time in my life last summer filled with personal issues, joint pain, and soul searching, I looked back and reflected on myself. I dedicated myself to include positive qualities that I wanted our students to have. I wanted to be a better role model for them. I am a true believer in positive qualities rubbing off on everyone around you. I started to change my eating habits in the hopes of losing weight to ease my joint pains and changed my exercise habits to be more dedicated to fitness instead of adding more muscle to my body. Many people don’t know, but I am also an A.C.E. certified personal trainer. This helps tremendously in my lessons and allows me to be able to talk more about nutrition and exercise technique in our PE classes. Since the beginning of the school year I have lost 30 pounds of body weight and have alleviated all of my joint pains due to this. I feel great and am able to teach all 25 of my weekly PE classes pain free and super energized.

As an educator, my greatest gift is to be able to help others. If there are individuals out there that need assistance getting started in an exercise program or just have general questions about nutrition, fitness, or exercise please don’t hesitate to ask. I am here to help ALL! Exercise is the cure for so many ailments. Stress, high blood pressure, weight loss, etc. are all controlled through exercise. The completion of an exercise session releases powerful endorphins that flood the body with a feeling of well-being. It is our body’s way of congratulating us by making us feel good. Good luck on your fitness quests and should you need any assistance please stop by my office or email me and ask. I love to help! GO MARLINS!