Paul Zientarski has dedicated much of his life to getting people to think differently about the value of physical education. He was responsible for developing the hugely successful PE program in Naperville IL, and today continues to share his passion for physical education through a TEDx Talk.
Watch the video and be inspired.
“Health is the only subject matter that is going to affect a student’s life every day in high school and everyday afterwards. If you don’t have your health you don’t have anything at all. Younger kids need to learn why health is important and be able to make healthy decisions. If they are healthy they are more likely to be successful in other areas of their life.”- Andy Horne on why health is such an important part of student’s curriculum.
Recognized as the 2015 SHAPE America Health Education Teacher of the Year, Andy Horne of New Trier High School in Winnetka, Illinois has a passion for teaching and has found a way to bring fun and excitement into his classroom.
One of the special ways Horne teaches his students about their health is through the use of scholarly raps. He even has his own YouTube channel. Check out this Anatomy Rap!
Few others have been as influential on the field of physical education than Earle Zeigler. A prolific author and presenter, Earle has challenged professional thinking for more than 70 years. Now aged 96, Earle shares this thoughts and continues to suggest what our profession needs to do in order to secure its future.
Click on the link below to download the Word file with Earl’s essay.
Bracing and orthotic management for children with disabilities is often overlooked in physical education. Orthotics may be defined as custom-made devices that are fabricated to address musculoskeletal deformities, deficits, or discrepancies, while attempting to increase function or regain mobility of a specific musculoskeletal structure.
Orthotic wearing schedules, maintenance, and compliance are among some of the most important components leading to successful orthotic interventions or treatment plans. Physicians, orthotists, and therapists work diligently to select the most appropriate orthotic device for a child while considering his or her diagnosis, physical limitations, level of cognition, gait abnormalities, range of motion (ROM), skin sensitivities, and environmental factors. Because children wearing orthotic devices spend most of their time in school settings, it is important for adapted physical educators to understand the basic components of orthotic management in order to meet treatment goals, increase physical function, and most importantly to ensure the safety of the child.
Typically, orthotic braces are prescribed to maintain alignment, prevent further deformity, and facilitate independence during functional activities. Orthotists and therapists generally instruct orthotic patients to wear the device during all physical activities, and recommend disuse of the orthosis during several activities of daily living such as bathing and sleeping. Adapted physical educators should keep the following factors in mind when working with special needs students who wear custom-made orthotics:
Among this month’s pelinks4u articles is a summary of research by David Kahan and Thom McKenzie in which they address the potential value of effectively delivered physical education on children’s overweight and obesity. It’s an interesting read and shows clearly the caloric impact of getting students physically active in PE classes. Given the nationwide alarm about the catastrophic consequences of overweight and obesity on future generations, it’s yet another reason for the public to support public school physical education.
But, as I’ve written before, simply justifying health and physical education only because of its potential to turn back the obesity tide, shortchanges our subject areas. We are much more than an obesity solution. Well planned and delivered school health and physical education enhances pretty much everything that’s important in the upbringing and preparation of children for future success in life.
In another of this month’s articles, Tom Winiecki a 30-year veteran elementary PE teacher, points out that his focus is not primarily on delivering our subject matter but on connecting with his students. This reinforces another critical idea essential to helping students succeed in our schools. Teachers need to connect with kids “where they’re at.” In other words, before even concerning ourselves with content we need to first and foremost develop the kind of positive relationships with our students that help them see the relevance in what we’re teaching. Unless students see relevance it really doesn’t much matter what we teach. They aren’t going to value it. And absent value, students simply aren’t going to learn much from us.
Schools have been charged to take a whole-of-school approach to promote daily physical activity participation among school-aged youth. A comprehensive school physical activity program (CSPAP) is a guiding model (see figure) for the provision of daily opportunities for students to accumulate 60 minutes or more of physical activity across five components: a) quality physical education, b) physical activity during school, c) physical activity before/after school, d) staff involvement, and e) family/community engagement. Many CSPAP resources, tools and training materials are available through Let’s Move! Active Schools (www.letsmoveschools.org) to support school professionals in leading CSPAP efforts. Learning experiences are now also being offered within university curricula to help prepare the next generation of school professionals for their role as leaders and supporters of school-wide physical activity promotion.
The Sport and Exercise Science faculty (see table) at the University of Northern Colorado (UNC) have answered the call for CSPAP-enhanced teacher preparation programs by reshaping their Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) program. The M.A.T in Physical Education and Physical Activity Leadership at UNC is one of the first of its kind dedicated to preparing, supporting, and mentoring school champions to effectively implement prolonged CSPAP efforts in and around schools. The two year program is conducted in a convenient hybrid format for working professionals; online courses occur during the fall and spring semesters, and an on-campus two-week summer institute during the summer. The program advances candidates’ knowledge in physical education, while educating them on how to promote school-wide physical activity, coordinate before and after school physical activity opportunities, and increase staff, family, and community involvement. Applications for the first cohort are now being accepted at www.UNCActiveSchools.com. Physical educators, classroom teachers, and district or school administrators are encouraged to apply. Summer travel scholarships ($1,500 each) are available to nearly all accepted candidates.
Student Perspectives:
“Where is your passion?” I recently asked this of a group of physical education undergraduates who were halfway through their student teaching. In putting together my presentation to them, I wanted something that would grab their attention right away and get them thinking about their chosen profession. I think this question did the trick.
When I asked for their answers, I got many of the response I anticipated. Most of them said something along the lines of “physical activity,” or “physical fitness,” or even “teaching kids about sports and fitness.” But then one of these students gave me the answer I was hoping for. His answer was “to teach kids.” When I pressed him to tell me more, low I thought he would say something PE related. I was both surprised and impressed when he answered by saying “anything!” That was the answer I was hoping for and what I wanted to get all of the students to think about.
You see I believe that there is a big difference between our passion and our expertise. Our passion needs to be kids. First and foremost our main focus should be on the kids we are fortunate enough to see daily (even the ones that seem to go the extra mile to make our jobs difficult). We are there to create an environment where our students can thrive. As basic as that sounds I believe this should be our main focus.
Our expertise is in the subject we teach. For us and for those undergraduates it is physical education. Physical educators spend their entire careers honing this expertise. Many of us have taught for years, regularly reviewed our lessons and constantly made necessary adjustments. We’ve attended countless conferences to learn how to expand our expertise. We’ve picked the brains of colleagues always looking for a better way to teach something. But none of this is any good unless it’s aimed at our passion: Helping to improve the lives of the kids we see daily!