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Peace Path
Peace Path
If you have worked with elementary school students, you know that your day involves being bombarded with a never-ending line of tattling. This is difficult for any teacher but when you have between 50-75 students at a time, tattling presents a rather unique problem. If my co-teacher and I listen to every case of tattling, nothing can get accomplished.
We created the "Peace Path" as a Social-Emotional Learning tool to help our students regulate their emotions and resolve conflicts on their own. When a problem arises, the affected student requests that they be joined at the Peace Path by the offender. The offender must agree or face some kind of disciplinary action (usually removal from the activity for a short time) from the teacher. Each student will follow the steps of the Peace Path to solve the conflict together without ever having to involve an adult.
The Peace Path has cut down on tattling to a teacher dramatically. Of course, there are still situations where we must be involved but those cases are rare.
Hygiene Station
Hygiene Station
Hygiene is one of the key aspects of health and physical education so I added a hygiene station to my classes. I stocked it with everything a middle school student could need to get through a PE class.
Music
Music
One of my favorite classroom management strategies in PE is to use music to give cues during instruction. I use this long-range bluetooth transmitter to control music from my watch during lessons. All music is age-appropriate and is changed throughout the year to match any upcoming holiday.
Using music is an easy way to effectively communicate cues to a large group of students simultaneously. My students know that when they hear "Music" it is time to "Move" and when it is "Silent" they should be "Still".
"On the Bench in PE" Worksheet
"On the Bench in PE" Worksheet
When a student has to sit out of PE class, they must fill out this worksheet, have it signed by an parent, guardian, adult at home, and return it the next day. The student may have to sit for shoe or apparel violations, sickness or injuries, or violation of school/gym rules.
This helps hold students accountable for actions and creates a line of communication between the teacher and the parents.
Fitnessgram Data Notebook
Fitnessgram Data Notebook
We used this Data Notebook to help students keep track of their progress during Fitnessgram testing. At the conclusion of the pre-test, each student gets a completed copy of this form with the results of all their tests.
With this document, students have a clear picture of their strengths and weaknesses. The students use this document to create a goal for the post-test and discuss the importance of goals and objectives in fitness, sports, and life in general.
Click here for the full 4-page blank version of this document.
Jump Rope Ninjas
Jump Rope Ninjas
This is one of my all-time favorite activites for my class. Students find their grade level poster and attempt jumps in order to collect each belt. Once they collect each belt on the ladder, they get to sign the corresponding color-coded poster on the wall and they receive a bead to place on their pipe cleaner bracelet.
Fitness Warmups
Fitness Warmups
I love sneaking fitness components into the games that we play. It is not fun to sit on the ground and do sit-ups but if I can hide them inside of another game, its almost like we aren't doing sit-ups at all. The video below shows the Hula Hoop Core Relay. Students are split into four groups and sit down in rows across the gym. The objective is to complete a sit-up and grab the hula hoop in front of them and return back to the floor, laying the hula hoop at the feet of the person behind them. We're all doing over twenty sit-ups each round, but it feels like were just competing with our classmates.
From the Hula Hoop Core Relay, to the Climb the Mountain Challenge, to the Caterpiller races, I am always trying to find ways get students active even if it just feels like games.
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