What is their past experience with riding bikes? Consider using a student survey1 or family survey2

Boost the excitement level to build buy-in and relationships. This program can be a great "carrot" for positive student behavior.

Entering the gym, warm up exercises, getting equipment, listening for instruction, taking breaks, etc. Use all of your typical routines during the Let's Go program.

It is important to remind students: This is a bicycle safety  education program, not a chance to ride around with friends. We are learning to ride safely, which often means slowly and in control. 

Put a hard stop on any reckless riding, skidding, or dangerous behavior right away. Be clear about expectations, warnings, and consequences. The first couple of days are the most important for expectation setting.

Look through all of the materials in your curriculum bin and your own PE equipment to consider what you can use to build a course. Ropes can be used to mark lanes, short cones can be used as "rocks" to dodge, color-coded spots can divide groups, arrows can define the route, signs can become intersections.

Create a system for distributing and collecting equipment to/from students: separate helmets by size, pair students up to check helmet fit, use staggered starts to avoid a rush to the bikes, walk bikes before getting to the course.

Before students arrive, complete a full pre-ride of your course to identify any challenging areas or intersections: Will they have enough room to stop and make a turn? Is it clear how they should ride to get back to the start? Are there any areas that could be dangerous with lots of students crossing at once?

Many teachers have remarked that the single most helpful thing they can have is more adults in the room. Connect with your PTA, homeroom teachers, and office administrators to help recruit volunteers.

Some districts have used SignUp Genius to coordinate volunteer sign-ups. You can then share an volunteer information document2 with those volunteers to prepare them.

If this is difficult, connect with your district lead or ESD coordinator for additional support.

Adjust lessons to match skill levels of your students (ie. add bonus challenges or additional responsibilities for advanced students, skip lessons 4 and 5 if you need to focus on fundamentals, etc.). It is OK if you don'e get through all five lessons.

Consider a special culminating event at the end of the unit: riding a difficult obstacle course outside, hosting a bike rodeo with community groups, organizing a bike-to-school day. See our community events page for details.