First Week of School Management Rules and Procedures
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Resources and Links
Check out how we prepare for students here at Tips for Teachers the Week before School Starts
Rules and Procedures or Play Games? This can be a tough decision. We have learned establishing the rules first and sprinkling activities in is the best approach.
First impressions are important
- Smiling faces are a great way to welcome students
- Connect with students build a rapport (ask them about their summer)
- Learn Names (if you don’t already know them)
- Create a video of what you do over the summer, helps to humanize you.
- Allow students to tell you what they did over the summer. One word or two words maybe a sentence or two but NO LONG STORIES.
- Have a Plan for when students first come into the gym. (On the black line/in the middle…)
Side Note: Kindergarten is totally different check out the tips we use for them here
- They walk in and take a tour around the gym on the black line
- Discuss the difference between their classroom and the Gym
- Start to establish the PE Rules – “Must raise your hand if you have something you want to say”
- Take pictures of the students with name tags on so you can learn their name
- Coordinate with the other Related Area teachers (Art, Foreign Language, Computer) to “preview” the areas. You can meet all of the students on the first or second day.
- Practice simple movement activities (walking and jogging) to establish stop and start signals.
- Read books to help students learn about PE. We like Gym Teacher from the Black Lagoon”.
Home Base Spot
- Use the home base spot as a check for understanding after introducing rules and procedures.
- If you don’t do the home base spots until Week 2, leave spots within your roster to add new students.
Physical Literacy Videos
- Helps students to understand the “Why” in Physical Education in a visual.
Physical Education Rules
- Establish the expectations for success throughout the year in class.
- Six Rules for PE
- Do Not Interrupt – Raise hand
- Use Good Sportsmanship
- Stay on Your Feet – No sliding
- Have Fun and Do Your Best
- Wear Athletic Clothes and Shoes
- Do Not Touch Equipment without Permission
Consequences
- Strike One – Warning
- Strike Two – Refocus – This is a chance for the teacher to have a conversation with the student focusing on how their behavior is affecting others in the classroom.
- Strike Three – Note Home
- Relate it to real-world rules and consequences. We all have to follow rules in order for the world to be safe.
- Discuss procedures for not wearing athletic clothes and shoes. Have a checklist available for communication with parents.
Instant Activity
- Click Here for our favorite Instant Activities and Warmups
- The first week we introduce or review Walk and Jog. There are numerous instant activities teachers can do but this is an easy fall back plan for students to warm up with.
- Use instant activity as a way to review locomotor movements with older students.
- Motivation for younger students as a different way of moving than they do in their classroom.
- Chance to review the stop and start signals without having students use the equipment.
Go over Bathroom and Water Fountain Procedures
- Easy rule – When the music is on you can get water or use the bathroom, when the music is off, you need to be listening or lining up to leave the gym.
- Kindergarten is different, eventually, they will be at the level where they can use the restroom on their own, but it is important to have a plan ready.
- We try to communicate with classroom teachers to have kindergarten students use the restroom before they come to PE class.
Emergency Procedures
- Practice the procedures for emergencies, remind students it is important they remain calm and listen to an adult. The goal is for everyone to be safe.
- Go over what to do for Fire, Tornado/Earthquake, Code Red/Intruder Alert
- If time needs to be saved you can have students point to an area of safety.
First Day Game Activities
- Adventure Bingo Great way for students to learn about themselves and each other.
- Noodle Dance TagPlace GIF or short videos of dances on a screen to give students a visual.
- Reviewing Personal and Open Space with locomotor practice. Easy way to get students moving without lots of equipment.
Review, Preview and Thankyou
- It’s important to thank students for their hard work and let them know you appreciate them doing their best in class.
- Recap and review what was taught in the lesson. This is a great time to check for understanding.
- Preview what is being taught next week. Gives the students something to look forward to in the next lesson.
Conflict Corner
- Tool designed to allow students to solve their own problems.
- Students must go to the conflict corner before coming to the teacher.
- Go through the problem-solving list of questions, if a resolution is not found, then they can ask for help from the teacher.
- Allows the teacher to be free to teach the lesson, give feedback on the skill, build rapport with students, and not be involved with student tattle-telling.
Daily Self Assessment
- Students give themselves an assessment on their performance for the day.
- “Good Job” is the standard. Students are following directions.
- “Keep On Trying” gives the students a visual for when they do not follow directions.
- “Need More Effort” student missed valuable PE time because of their behavior.
- “Wow” Challenge – a reward for achieving the outcome of the lesson.
First or Second Week Activities
- Hula Hut Relayis a great Week 2 lesson to put into practice student self-assessment. Game creator J.D. Hughes has tons of great content at his websitePE2theMax
- Cross The River– great game for allowing students to work together and make mistakes. Also works on perseverance and how to respond in positive or negative situations. Valuable life skills.
- Four SquareWe go over the Four Square rules so recess runs smooth.
Have Fun and Teach On!