Pro Sportsmanship

Congrats to the Saints! They are Super Bowl 44 Champs. They played a great game and deserve the win. I am most impressed by the comments made to the media after the game by Peyton Manning, the losing quarterback. He congratulated the Saints and their quarterback Drew Brees. He gave them all the credit for playing a good game. He was complimentary of their organization, and was a very gracious loser. What an example he is to all the young athletes out there!

Jump Rope For Heart

February is heart month. Our school is doing a school wide jump rope day. We had a demo team come in today and show some really cool tricks. The kids got very excited to try the new things they had seen, and wanted to start practicing right away. Even some of the kids who had not shown any interest at all before the demonstration were impressed after they saw the difficulty of the tricks. Set it all to music and you have a great cardio workout that is a blast!!!!!

Who is responsible????

When is it appropriate to hold a child responsible for being on time and having everything they need for a class, and when is it the responsibility of the parent?

Kids teach me too

Even though I have been teaching for years, and playing sports forever ( seems like ) the kids in my classes remind me that I don't know everything. Remember to stop and listen sometimes, kids have great ideas!!!!!

Like most teachers I can get into a set routine for how I teach something. It is both humbling and refreshing to see things anew from the point of view of a child. I thank God every day that I get to work ( play ) with kids!

Never grow old in your mind..........

Using Technology in P.E.

There are so many amazing technological advances out there right now, but how do we use them in a typical P.E. class? Most schools can't afford to have the very latest stuff in the numbers required for an average class: what now?

There are low cost options like pedometers, but with options like Wii Fit and Dance Revolution, who is going to be happy with a pedometer? Kids live in a world of Ipods and computers; how can we make this work for us in P.E. class?

There are some cool apps for Ipods that will help track your workouts, but good luck getting 25 of those! Any ideas?????

Who needs teaching?????

As a Physical Education teacher I have actually had parents tell me my class is just "another recess". Yet every day I see students who display a stunning lack of basic coordination and balance. Not to mention the lack of endurance and strength and flexibility that is the norm rather than the exception.

Kids don't know what they need to know about keeping their bodies healthy unless someone teaches them! And not all kids are "natural" athletes. If you think kids can "figure it out" for themselves, just try teaching a cartwheel or a backwards roll to 2nd graders. The need for step by step instructions and demonstrations becomes immediately apparent.

Why limit a student's ability to use their body to its fullest potential by not helping them to completely understand its capacity?

Exercise and cold weather

When is it too cold to go outside to exercise? That depends on what you are going to be doing, and for how long. If you have the appropriate clothing and are not going to out any longer than 30 minutes you can exercise safely outside in weather as cold as the 20's. Layering is a must. Getting warm and dry as soon as you finish is critical.

Kids need to be supervised so that any signs of frostbite or hypothermia can be spotted immediately. Proper hydration is often forgotten in the cold weather, but is still important. Your body still loses water when you exercise, even in the cold.

Remember to have a "buddy" or someone who knows where you are going and when you should be back. Then if you run into trouble someone can get you help.

Fresh air and exercise can be fun in the cold, just be sensible. Sometimes a day at the gym is the best choice........