Teaching Strategies
Poly Spots: Are a good way to help create spacing for activities and help students find
personal space in a large area. Also, assist students in forming groups by
having the poly spots pre-arranged in groups. For example, if you need 4 groups
of 5 students. Have 5 poly spots in a circle and 4 circles spread out
where you need them. Then the students can go sit on a spot and now you
are ready to start to activity. Sponge
Activities: Can be a great
way to get your classes going while you are waiting for all your students to get
to physical education class. Choose several activities that do not require
a lot of equipment that the students can play for approximately 5 to 7 minutes
or until you are ready to start your class. Examples, jump rope, four
square, basketball games(21, horse, pig, etc.), ready-set-go, yo-yo's, jacks, Frisbee
toss. Echo Clap: Is a great management tool to help draw your classes attention back on
you. You clap a rhythm and the students repeat the pattern back to you. Attendance: Have one person per class be responsible to tell you who is absence in their
class each day. You can assign students a roll call/home base in a grid
format, so all you have to do is to look to see who's seat is missing. Responsibility
Levels: Teaching Responsibility through Physical Activity
by Don Hellison is a great way to help students take responsibility for their
own actions. Level 0: Irresponsibility, Level 1: Self-Control, Level 2:
Involvement, Level 3: Self-responsibility, Level 4: Caring/Helping.
Dismissing
the Class(s): Have a point system that the class can earn points
during class. When they earn a set amount of points the class earns a
reward. A reward can be a free day, the class chooses the activity for the
day, etc. Examples, walk in quietly, follow directions, no sits out, good
sportsmanship, line up quietly and a bonus the straightest line. The 3-5th
grades goal is 100 points and the K-2 earn 50 points. Message
Board: Have a board that the students can see the activity(s) for
the day as soon as they walk in the gymnasium. You can also put on the
board special messages, motivational quotes, inspirational messages.
Lost
and Found: If you are having the class get into groups and most of
the class already has their groups, the students that do not have a group can go
to the lost and found and form a group or groups with the people. Station
Signs: If you do stations you can make station signs then laminate
them. Now you can write on each sign what the students are to do at that
station. Then when you are finished with the stations wipe them off
and you are ready to do different stations. You can also write the different
activities and index cards and place velcro on the back of each card and on the
station signs, that way next time all you have to do is velcro the cards on the
station signs. That way the teaching materials will last longer.
Choices: Let the student's have choices. At stations let the students have a choice
of equipment (size, weight) that they feel the most comfortable using. If you
have the opportunity to, a assistant or another teacher, let the students have a
choice between two activities. One teacher teach one and the other
assistant/teacher teach the other activity. Camouflage
Fitness: Sometimes you have to camouflage fitness to get the
students involved. Take any game or activity that you teach and see how
you can incorporate fitness into the lesson or activity.
Equipment: The ideal for equipment is to have equipment for every child to have to practice
during your physical education class. In most cases that is not necessary
with physical education classes having more than 60 students at a time. If
that is not necessary you might consider having your students get in to small
groups so that there is a piece of equipment for every 2 to 3 students. Small
Groups: Having smaller groups you are able to control the class
better and every student will have more opportunities to involved in the
activity. The more the students are active, they will enjoy physical education
better.
Little to No
Elimination: There are lots of activities that call for
eliminating students from the activity. There are lots of ways that you
can add to the activity that will get the students back into the game. For
example, have the students do exercises, math problems, etc. to get back in the
activity. Just use what is best for your campus and teaching style. Who's
First?:
When doing an activity
and you are having a hard time keeping the students from getting more turns than
they are supposed to have. Have the first person put on a jersey or pennie.
When then they get back to the front, they know to stop.
Back to the
Wall: As you are walking around the
teaching area try to keep your back to the wall. Keeping all/most of the
students in front of you. i.e. nothing between your back and the wall. |