Category: Adapted PE

Physical education and health education classes should be designed to benefit all children regardless of their abilities. Writers share information within the Adapted category about different types of disabilities and how teachers can create learning experiences appropriate for all learning levels.

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What Do Physical Educators Do?

“What do you do?” Throughout my career I’ve been asked that question many times. I expect that you have too. If so, how do you respond? Something that I hope you NEVER say is “I’m just a teacher,” or “I’m a gym teacher” or something similar that diminishes the importance of what I believe physical educators do. I know my response to this question has changed over the course of my career and is often based on whom I’m talking to. But, as a physical educator I’m proud of what I do and I’m not hesitant to let others know that. So, I’ve listed below a few possible answers for you to consider the next time you are asked that question!

  • “I teach children,” then when asked what you teach follow it with, “I teach them the skills they need to be active for the rest of their life.”
  • “I am a physical educator and I know that what I do is important. There’s a lot of research now supporting what I’ve always known: Physically fit and active students do better academically.”
  • “I provide students a place during the school day where they can move, have fun, and know they are safe.”
  • “I am a physical education teacher and a role model. I like to share my passion for (walking, biking, tennis, etc.) because I want others to know the value and enjoyment that comes from being active.”
  • “I teach my students to treat each other with respect because I know it’s important for them to learn and practice this important life skill.”
  • “I am a member of my state physical education association and SHAPE America because I believe it’s important to support and participate in my professional organizations.”
  • “I provide my students with a variety of physical activity opportunities in order to help them find an activity that they enjoy and will pursue on their own.”
  • “I do more than throw out the ball! I use our National Physical Education Standards to guide my planning, teaching and assessment.”
  • “Yes, I do have some time off during the summer but it’s not three months paid vacation! During that time I go to workshops, take classes, and look for new ideas that help keep my lessons exciting and relevant for my students!”
  • “Yes I do get to wear tennis shoes to work! Don’t you wish you had chosen to be a physical education teacher? It’s the best job in the world and not just because of what I wear to work!”
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Ten (Somewhat) Easy Steps to Lower Off-Task Behavior in Physical Education

Over the years, educational researchers have worked hard to create effective teaching strategies to help teachers solve problems of off-task behavior in their classrooms. Despite these efforts, classroom management issues and discipline problems remain a major concern for most teachers. Numerous daily discipline problems and reports may reflect a classroom atmosphere disruptive enough to significantly impair student learning (Vogler & Bishop, 1990).

 

Though dealing with these issues is often difficult, newer classroom management strategies are showing success when educators depart from trying to control behavior and instead focus on creating supportive classroom learning environments. Clearly, a big part of the solution is preventing problems before they start. In this article we’ll revisit proven strategies and I’ll share newer ideas to help physical educators reduce off-task behaviors in our classrooms.

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Five Things You Should Know about the Presidential Youth Fitness Program

The new Presidential Youth Fitness Program promotes healthy lifestyles, empowers students and parents, and supports quality physical education. Here are five things physical educators should know about the program:

It’s a model: The Presidential Youth Fitness Program (PYFP) provides the tools, resources, and a checklist of criteria the partners believe should be part of a quality fitness education process in a quality physical education program. It’s up to you how you want to incorporate them into your curriculum.

Kids Playing

 

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Advocating for Our Profession: Presenting to Your School Board (Part 2)

Advocacy is preventive medicine and in this second in a series of three articles on advocating for your profession it’s worth reviewing the first of the three rules of advocacy that I laid out in Part 1. The First rule of advocacy is Do Some – It Works.

For advocacy to truly be preventive you must do some and one of the best places to advocate is with your school board. School board meetings are public venues where a wide range of decision makers and policy influencers are present. It’s a perfect setting in which to direct and influence the discussion and understanding of health, physical activity, and the role a quality physical education program plays in the development of our children. When and what you present to the School Board will be crucial in determining how effective your advocacy is and whether it is truly preventive medicine.

In my previous article, I pointed out the parallels between martial arts and job protection and made the case for an offensive-defense strategy. In martial arts you want to make your opponent think twice before even attempting to hit you. In physical education, offensive-defense is what you do when times are good to ensure that your district will not even consider attacking your program during tough economic times. The time to advocate with your school board is not when there is trouble but when things are going well and you have a positive story to tell.

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This is Why I Teach!

Physical educators love their jobs. There isn’t anything that we would rather be doing. You’ll have to excuse my Buffalo Bills’ reference here, but as Marv Levy has said, “Where else would you rather be than right here, right now?” Of course there are always days when things don’t all go accordingly to plan, or someone or something gets in the way of you excelling at your job. But for the most part, physical educators have the best job in the world! We have a chance every day to shape young minds and bodies toward a healthy life.

 

As someone who has taught for more than 30 years, there have been a few “aha” moments that have made me say, “that’s why I teach!” I’d like to share some with you. I’m hoping that reading my list will help you through those tough times when a person or thing gets in your way and remind you why you chose this great profession. After reading through my list, I’m certain that you could easily come up with a unique list for yourself. Enjoy!

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Falling in Love with the Outdoors…Again

Depending on your geographical location, the fall season can be the prelude to the arrival of more harsh weather to come or just a cooler spell following a long hot summer. This month, we want to share with you some fall activity ideas regardless of the weather or temperatures you might be facing.

For many of us, the comfortable temperatures of fall provide some wonderful opportunities for expanding our physical education and extra-curricular programs. It’s a great time to encourage students and their families to be physically active and especially to get them outside and developing a love and appreciation of the outdoors.

Extra-curricular programs allow us much greater freedom when choosing activities and for making community connections. If we truly want to get students to be physically active for at least 60 minutes daily, the time immediately after the afternoon school bell rings is a critical time to provide opportunities to keep children moving. After-school clubs and extra-curricular activities are a wonderful way to do this because many students enjoy the less structured type of activities that physical educators can present at such times.

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Early Intervention Assessment Tool for Adapted Physical Educators

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) of 1986 Part C expanded the definition of “disabilities” to include children from birth to age 2 and their families and made them eligible to receive early intervention services. Included within these early intervention services was motor/physical development for infants and toddlers with developmental delays or at risk of delays. Currently, through IDEA approximately 350,000 infants and toddlers with disabilities are served. These intervention strategies for motor delays should be conducted by adapted physical educators. Further, adapted physical educators should also consider cognitive, language/speech, self-help skills, and emotional needs of the infant and toddler.

Shown below is an easy-to-follow assessment tool that adapted physical educators can use to identify possible delays and provides strategies for intervention. The assessment has physical, social, and language skills group by age appropriate expectations. Further, suggestions are given to help with intervention. For example, the assessment would identify a motor delay if a toddler 2 years old cannot stand and is just beginning to crawl. In this instance, intervention by an adapted physical educator could focus training on standing, cruising, and leg strength activities.

Physical Social Language Consultation & Intervention
The 1st Month Weight 7-8 lbs.

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