Physical Education Resource for Teachers

Organizing for Success

The purpose of this workshop is to focus on organizational procedures that will help you become an outstanding physical education teacher. Although every program and school is unique, there are several essential organizational techniques. These techniques are broadly based and easily adjustable to fit any situation. They have been specifically tested in New York City public schools. And they are based on the National Standards for Physical Education and the New York State Learning Standards.

Part One - Knowing the Content Standards:

According to the National Association for Sport & Physical Education, as a result of a physical education program, a physically educated person:

Standard 1: Demonstrates competency in motor skills and movement patterns needed to perform a variety of physical activities.
Standard 2: Demonstrates understanding of movement concepts, principles, strategies, and tactics as they apply to the learning and performance of physical activities.
Standard 3: Participates regularly in physical activity.
Standard 4: Achieves and maintains a health-enhancing level of physical fitness.
Standard 5: Exhibits responsible personal and social behavior that respects self and others in physical activity settings.
Standard 6: Values physical activity for health, enjoyment, challenge, self-expression, and/or social interaction.

According to the New York State Standards:

Students will have the necessary knowledge and skills to establish and maintain physical fitness, participate in physical activity, and maintain personal health.
Students will acquire the knowledge and ability necessary to create and maintain a safe and healthy environment.
Students will understand and be able to manage their personal and community resources.

Both sets of standards make it quite apparent that physical education programs have expanded to teach all students to become physically active for life. These programs should foster an atmosphere that provides the students with many opportunities to gain individual success, strong feelings of self-worth, and cooperative group achievement.

Part Two - Organize your class for success:

Here are some field-tested ways to organize for success:

Let the students know how to enter the gymnasium. Do you want them to walk to floor spots, gather in a meeting area, read a bulletin board, start an instant activity? If they do not meet your criterion of how to enter, make them practice until they do.
Spend time discussing safety. Include moving with control, controlling equipment, avoiding collisions, and staying away from walls.
Have a few clear rules. For example, try your best, raise your hand to speak, listen while others are speaking, be kind and caring to others. Notice that the rules are stated in positive terms.
Establish a clear signal to start movement. Some possible examples would be when the music starts, when I hold my hand up, or when I say "go."
Establish a signal to stop movement. Some possible signals include when the music stops, when I say "stop," a drum beat, a hand signal, blowing a whistle (if you use a whistle use a special signal: for example, two short whistles). Practice! Make sure they respond quickly.
Have a clear picture in your mind as to how you want an activity to progress. If what is physically happening does not conform to your expectations, stop the activity and make adjustments.
Have a plan to distribute, handle and collect equipment. Make sure the students know that equipment must be held still while you are speaking. One technique is to ask the students to place the equipment in their lap and hold it with both hands. Another would be to have them place the equipment on the floor. Occasionally, it may be necessary to take a piece of equipment from a student. After a few minutes, you may wish to give the student another chance.
Ask the students to write their names, class, address and telephone number on individual 5" by 7" index cards. Keep these cards in class sets. You can use these cards for record keeping. By shuffling the cards, you can randomly group or pick leaders or monitors.

Plan for Success: Energize, individualize, funnersize, and appropriatize (my words) your program:

Use the maximum amount of equipment available. Best - a piece of equipment for each student. Good - a piece of equipment for every two to four students. The more equipment you use, the less waiting. Keeping the students moving and engaged in fun and learning activities will drastically cut down discipline problems. If the students are highly skilled, you may be able to use less equipment. For example, where students have acquired enough skill to play a game, you may want to use less equipment and focus more on strategy. The less skilled your students are, the more equipment you should use. Using maximum equipment gives the students much more practice time and lots more fun. For the more skilled participants, offer more difficult challenges.
Use small group games where possible. These types of games offer more activity with less competition and less fear of failure. Use competitive games sparingly and only when students are ready for competition. Competitive games take the focus away from learning (the process) and place the focus on winning (the product).
Consider a station approach (particularly useful with large classes or limited equipment). Have the students rotate from station to station. The teacher either moves with one or more groups or stays at one or more stations per period.
Be succinct, precise and clear. Talking is boring to the students and takes away from a high activity level.
Skill lessons should be short and simple with an emphasis on one or two key points.
Use developmentally appropriate activities. These are activities that are neither too hard nor too easy for the students. For example, if you played a volleyball game in the fifth grade using a regulation size court with a regulation type volleyball, the game would be too hard for most of the students, and therefore not developmentally appropriate.
Encourage all students to participate by complimenting something they do. Get to know their names quickly and use them often. Using index cards to call their names will help you remember. Keep moving throughout the gymnasium. Make sure the students are on task. When necessary, survey the whole gym by standing with your back to the wall.
Keep your energy level high. Enthusiasm is catching.
Have a well-organized plan plus one or two alternative choices.

Evaluate your own program:

Always answer this question: How would I feel if someone walked in and observed the students now?
Are the students responding to directions quickly?
Are all of the students participating?
Did I modify the game or activity to achieve maximum focus on the skills and knowledge?
Are the students enjoying themselves?
Was I able to get around to most of the students during the lesson or activity? Was the activity safe?
Did the students learn something new or improve a previous skill?
Was I well organized from beginning to end?

Avoid the following pitfalls:

Listening to the better athletes complain that they want to play kickball or dodgeball. These are the students who take over the game. These are the students who need you the least. The quiet ones who really need a good physical education program do not want to play these games.
Making yourself a referee or scorekeeper instead of a teacher. If you are calling out a game score as in "Steal the Bacon" you are a scorekeeper, not a teacher.
Playing games where most of the students are inactive but may appear to be having fun rooting for their teammates. Some examples would include "Steal the Bacon" relay races, elimination games, "Duck Duck Goose," line games, and kickball.
Allowing the students to choose teams. Use those index cards.
Dividing your class in half and playing one team versus the other. This will surely focus the attention on the product (winning and losing) rather than the process (learning or improving skills and strategies). Additionally, this kind of activity is sure to create arguments and discipline problems.
Using equipment that can hurt students. For example: using a playground ball to play dodgeball.
Playing real games with real equipment, rather than modifying rules, equipment, court size, and number of players to fit the needs of your students.
Giving free time. Free time is recreation, not education. Sometimes it is all right to give choices as long as the choices are educationally sound.
Practicing boring drills or having students wait on lines for their turn. Instead play mini-games, use more equipment, and offer challenges both cooperative and competitive.
Giving prizes for rewards. Rewards are better when they are intrinsic rather than extrinsic. Students know when they are learning and improving. A kind word here and there is much better than a sticker.

Give yourself a chance to get better:

Join an organization. For example, New York State AHPERD (Association for Health Physical Education and Dance) has excellent workshops for teachers.
Read! Read the current books and magazine articles. Reading will energize you and keep you up to date.
Ask for help. Ask to observe other teachers or have other teachers observe you.
Go to the web. There are many useful web sites for games, activities, and best practices. You may want to start with pecentral.org or just go to Google and type in the words: "physical education."
Keep experimenting with new methods and activities. If you use the same activities over and over again you will quickly become bored.
Have fun. The students can't believe you are getting paid for your job, so you might as well enjoy it.

Sample Games and Activities

Warm-up, kg and first grade activities: Far Away: Topics: Spatial Awareness, Aerobic Fitness, Locomotor Skills, Manipulative Skills. When the music stops or you give the signal to stop, children who have moved into the largest empty spaces score one point. In order to score a point, they must freeze when you stop the music, they must not go outside the boundary lines you set, they must move the way they were instructed, and they must not be too close to the outer boundary lines. The outer boundary lines are like an invisible person. This rule encourages the children to use the middle of the play area. Use the expression, "When I say go, or when the music starts, can you walk, skip, jog, move like a robot, etc." Teach the children how to move safely in the play area in any direction while using a variety of the following locomotor skills: walking, jogging, galloping, sliding, hopping, jumping, leaping and skipping. Teach them how to find personal or self- space (a place in the gymnasium or play area where they can sit or stand, reach out in any direction, and not touch anyone or anything). After a brief warm up using one or more locomotor skills, do some balances on various body parts. Kindergarten and first grade children enjoy moving in different directions using various locomotor skills as well as moving like animals, machines, toys, etc. They also enjoy manipulating beanbags, ropes, balloons, and large type balls. Safety: move with control; look in the direction you are going.

Pass and Run Topics: Aerobic Endurance, Manipulative Skills, Cooperation - Grade level: kg and up. Equipment: one manipulative that can be thrown or tossed (may be rolled in kg and first grade) and caught for every two students. The game: One child begins with the piece of equipment. That child may not move. The other child moves a few feet away and stops. Pass the equipment and then run to a new spot. Score one point for each successful catch. A successful catch may be defined as a catch caught on a fly, on one bounce, on two bounces, etc. After an unsuccessful catch, return to the last starting point. Use this game for any sport. For example, bounce pass in basketball or forearm pass in volleyball. Remember that changing partners often adds interest and prevents children from only playing with their best friends. Variations: 1. How many successful consecutive passes can you complete before I say stop, or the music stops. 2. How many times can you go back and forth between two poly spots? In this case, give out one poly spot to each student. They place the spots where they like. Safety: Do not pass over anyone's head.

No Relay Relay Topics: various - Although this game is set up like a relay race, the no relay aspect changes the focus from winning and losing to practicing skills and cooperation.- Grade level: kg and up. Equipment: almost anything. The game: Play as in any relay race. However, instead of each team completing the race by going once, play for a designated amount of points or a designated amount of time. Teams do not need an equal amount of players because play is continuous and only the points matter. Have a maximum of four persons per line. Otherwise there will be too much waiting. If you are playing a running relay, score one point for each completed run. Teams keep their own score. Here is an example of how to play with equipment: each team begins with one beanbag and one tennis can or other target. Set up the tennis can on one side of the play area. The first person on line slides the beanbag attempting to knock over the tennis can. If he knocks over the can, he runs to the can, sets it back up, runs the beanbag back, and hands it to the next person. That team receives one point. If the tennis can is not knocked over (which is usually the case), that player turns and tags the next person on line. The second person runs to where the beanbag has stopped and slides it at the target from that point. You may not run with the beanbag in your hand until the can is knocked over. Only then do you run back with the bean bag to your line. The next person continues the game by sliding the bean bag at the target. Variation: Each relay line is given a different task. After the first round is over, each line tries to beat their previous score. Then each line rotates to a new piece of equipment or a different type of task.

Poly Spot Ball Topics: Manipulative Skills, Cooperation - Grade level: Grade 2 and up. This is an excellent game for shooting or scoring goals. It can also be played when throwing at a target. Equipment: four to eight poly spots for each group, one or two balls for each group. The game: Divide the class into groups of four to six players. Give each group some poly spots and one or two balls. The group places the poly spots on the floor at different distances from the target, goal or basket. The players take turns shooting or throwing from the poly spot of their choice. If she hits the target or scores a goal, she picks up that poly spot and keeps it until the round is over. The idea is to collect the most poly spots in your group. After the poly spots are all collected re-set them and play again. Variations: 1. Use this game to play poly spot basketball, soccer, hit the target, etc. 2. Two groups play in the same area. Play one group against the other to see which group collects the most spots. 3. Play for time: see how many spots the whole class collects in a given amount of time. 4. You may set the spots yourself, or allow each child to set one or more spots. You can tell them that they have to try to set the spots in the same location for each round; or you can let them vary the locations after each round. When there is only one spot left, if a player cannot reach the basket or target from that distance, he may move it closer. Each player may move the last spot.

Multiple Partners Topics: Fitness, Manipulative Skills, Cooperation - Grade level: kg. and up. For grades k - 2 limit or do not use equipment. Equipment: one tennis ball for each student. Begin by jogging in general space while tossing and catching your ball. When the music stops, quickly find a partner who is standing nearby. This is partner number one. Create a central meeting place for students who cannot find a partner. An odd student may join any pair. Each time the students form a pair; they stand next to each other and wait for instructions. Partner number one is your toss ball partner. When the music begins, can you toss underhanded to each other using one or both balls while continuously moving? When the music stops, find a new partner. This is partner number two. Partner number two is your hit the ball partner. When the music starts, place one ball on the floor between you and your partner. Try to toss the ball up underhanded and make your ball hit the ball on the floor. Partners keep moving in a circular fashion (to keep the game more aerobic) while tossing the ball at the target. When the music stops, find partner number three. This is your knock hockey pushup position partner. Using one ball, face each other in pushup position. Place the ball on the floor between you and your partner. Alternately touch your partner's right hand and the floor three times. After touching hands for the third time, try to be the first to grab the tennis ball. See who has the most points before the music stops. When the music stops, find partner number four. This is your throw and move partner. When the music starts, see how many times you and your partner can move back and forth between two points without dropping the ball (see above game: Pass and Run). If the ball drops go back to your last starting point. Only the person without the ball may move. When the music stops, find partner number five. This is your curl up partner. Can you curl up at the same time and exchange balls by tossing them to each other? Give the students practice with earlier partners before increasing the number of partners, otherwise they will forget their earlier partner. Once they know all their partners, change the numbers often and watch them quickly scramble to that partner. The students always perform the same activity associated with each previous partner. Therefore, they will always perform knock hockey pushups with partner number three. Keep the game moving by constantly calling a different number. Make sure you call the numbers out of sequence so they don't know what to expect. Variations: 1. Increase the number of partners and create more ways to manipulate the equipment. 2. Partners count successful catches and try increase the number of catches each time they meet. 3. Use other kinds of equipment or no equipment all. If not using equipment, create activities that the partners can do together. Some examples: follow the leader, alternate pushups or curl ups, partner tag, teach a dance step and toe fencing.

Follow the Leader: Topics: Aerobic fitness, Manipulative skills, cooperation. Equipment: One tennis ball for each person. Grade level - kg and up. For grades K and one you may eliminate the equipment and use various motor skills to move. Game: Give each participant a tennis ball. Make sure they know that while the teacher is speaking, the tennis ball must be held still or placed on the floor. Begin with all students in self-space. On the "go" signal, or when the music begins, everyone moves and practices a skill with their tennis ball. Examples: bounce and catch, dribble basketball style or soccer style, toss and catch, toss and hit and catch, toss hand to hand, etc. Once everyone is moving, each person secretly chooses someone they would like to follow. They do not have to follow behind that person, but must attempt to do whatever that person is doing and move in the same way. After the round is over, ask a few participants who they were following. Variation Choose one person to hide his/her eyes. Choose one other person to be the leader. Silently raise the leader's hand so all can see. When the music begins the leader moves while initiating a skill with the tennis ball. The person hiding his/her eyes watches the group and tries to guess the leader. The leader must change skills every time he/she counts silently to 10. When the guesser thinks he/she knows who the leader is, she/he tells the teacher to stop the music. After 3 incorrect guesses change guesser and leader. After a correct guess, the guesser chooses the next person to hide his/her eyes. Insturct the players not to stare at the leader or follow directly behind the leader.

Mystery Tag:Topics: Aerobic fitness, manipulative skills, cooperation. Equipment: optional. Grade level � kg and up. Begin with everyone in personal space. Everyone chooses only one person to tag. When the music begins, walk, skip or gallop, and try to sneak up behind that person and tag him/her lightly on the shoulder. If you are tagged freeze with your right hand out. Others may free you by shaking your hand. You cannot be tagged while helping another student. Play for two to four minutes. Begin a new round. Each new round requires picking someone different to tag. Variations: 1. Use equipment. For example, everyone dribbles a ball. 2. Choose two or more different people to tag. 3. Vary the locomotor skills. 4. Vary the way students are freed.

America On Line Ball:Topics: Manipulative skills, cooperation. Equipment: one tennis ball for each student. Grade level � 3 and up. Partners, each with a ball, devise a way to move and pass a ball(s). When the music stops, move to a new partner. Teach your unique way (your AOL screen name) of moving and passing the ball(s) to your new partner and have her/him teach you. Each time the music stops, move to a new partner and exchange your AOL methods with each other. Variations: 1. Use different kinds of manipulatives. 2. Create a game with your partner and teach your game to each new partner.

Station to Station:This is an example of a station approach when teaching or reinforcing volleyball skills. This type of approach may be used with any topic or with a mixture of topics. Place a volleyball net in the middle of the gym. Form groups of six. Only two stations are at the net. The rest are on the periphery of the play area. Set up several stations:

Station 1: Volleyball overhead pass into basketball hoop. Group takes turns setting a ball into a basketball hoop. If a basketball hoop is not available, tape a hula hoop to the wall. Score one point for each success.
Station 2: Catch a serve is up. One person serves against the wall. Whoever catches the ball is up next. Score one point for each catch. More advanced players may bump or set the ball to themselves and then catch it.
Station 3: Use half of the net. Divide group in half. See how many times the group can keep a ball (any kind) going back and forth over the net.
Station 4: At the other half of the net, divide group in half. One team takes turns serving the ball, the other team, must begin with a forearm pass, the next person must set, the last person must spike. Score one point if ball goes over the net. Change roles: Variation: if a successful spike is made, play continues.
Station 5: Use another basket to play same game as station 1.
Station 6: Play Keep it Up. Count consecutives hits. Try to beat the best score. Variation: allow only forearm pass.
Station 7. Set up traffic cones, bowling pins, or tennis cans on a bench. Students take turns spiking the ball toward the target. If a bench is not available, play Knock My Block Off. Score one point for each hit.

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