Coping with Stress, Dealing with Behaviors, Lesson Closure and More
(Link to Podcast Episode)
YouTube Show Below:
Resources and Links
How do you cope with stress after a long hard day?
- It’s different for everyone, but exercise is a stress reliever.
- Going on runs, listening to Podcasts, and lifting weights help to get my body moving.
- No matter the time it’s always a good time to get the body going for exercise.
- Carve out time during the day to zen, meditate, and reflect on how the day is going.
What are some large class activities and management techniques?
- Disclaimer – we no longer have double classes but in the past we have had up to 50 students in one class.
- Check out our Large Class Hacks blog post, we have tons of resources from PE teachers with large classes.
- If you’re in a large class by yourself it will be hard to give students quality Physical Education.
Do you ever go outside for PE?
- Short answer – very rarely – the main reason is because we don’t have good space outside to teach.
- We utilize the bus loop to run the mile with my 5th grade students.
- It’s easier to manage the students in the gym with less distractions that come from teaching outside.
- If the weather is nice, I may take our younger students outside to play Noodle Tag to get some fresh air.
What do you do with students who do not like Physical Activity?
- You can only control what other people do, you can just try to inspire them.
- Find out what activities students are into and relate the content to their interest.
- As always “Do Your Best and Forget the Rest”
How do you Handle Repeat Offenders?
- The most important thing you can do as a teacher is give them a blank slate.
Check out the whole Teacher Tip Series here!
- Remind students, even though we have had behavior issues in the past, today is a new day.
- Take the past information of the students to inform your expectations, but allow them to build trust over time through positive experiences.
What are the pros and cons of being a PE Teacher?
- Pros
- Wear comfortable clothes to work.
- Play fun games with students.
- Be students’ favorite part of their day.
- Personally, you get to move around and have exercise built into your day.
- Built-in breaks throughout the year. You get to spend time with family, especially school aged students.
- Cons
- Having to be active all day.
- Not being a huge fan of sports and activities.
- Stereotypes you have to deal with.
- People not respecting your profession.
- Having to clean and reset equipment everyday.
What grades do you teach?
- 4K – 5th grade
Whatβs the worst behavioral class youβve had and how did you deal with it?
- Have a real-world conversation with the class about their behavior.
- Talk to students about being responsible for their actions.
- The goal is to get students to lead by example to help the other students.
What are good games and activities for Kindergarten?
- Simple no equipment locomotor type games students can play to learn to follow directions.
Check out how we get students to move safely in open space here!
- With large number, splitting students into stations can help with management.
- Students in small groups, allows the teacher to watch and observe students performing skills.
Check out How to Teach PE with Station Activities blog post here!
Any Volleying Lessons or Activities?
- Balloon Volleying activities for students to strike with control. K – 2 students can practice striking with different body parts.
- For our older students we do a one-off volleyball lesson.Β Playing some 4 Square volleyball.
How do you adapt activities for kids with autism?
- Every student is unique, so plan on meeting the needs of all students.
- Modify the activities so students can be successful.
- Modifications include: Ear plugs for sound, frequent breaks for rest, give students a heads-up of the activities so they are not nervous.
- Be sure to communicate with the classroom or special education teacher on the accommodations for students.
- The more time you have with the student, you can start to develop ideas on what they need to be successful.
- Building relationships over time is key.
How would you handle limited equipment and a small budget?
Check out How to Buy PE Equipment on a Budget and more frequently asked questions here!
- Do the best you can with what you have.Β There is real and there is ideal.
- Write grants through donor organizations like Donor’s Chose.
- Can also source local business, Parent-Teacher Organization, or sponsors for equipment.
- You can have students/community bring their old or own equipment to school.
- Go to local golf or tennis clubs and ask them to donate equipment.
- Get with other PE teachers in the district or area to create a “traveling bin” of equipment.
How do you involve the community in PE besides Field Day?
- Share on social media as much as possible to involve the school community.
- Give students homework like discussing what we did in PE class.
- Connect with parents and the community at school events.
What does your lesson closure look like and how do you Check for Understanding?
- We try to cover 3 things in each closure: Review, Preview, and Thank You.
- Review the skills, main points, and critical features of the lesson.
- Preview of the next lesson, what to expect, things the student can practice at home.
- Thanking them for their effort, listening, teamwork, and overall ability to get through the lesson.
- The last thing students should hear when they leave the gym is how much you appreciate and care about them.
- We discuss and give students an opportunity for daily self assessment.
Check out how we explain our Daily Self Assessment with students here!
- Check for understanding by teacher observation.
- If two or three students do not understand what to do then you can assume students understood the teaching.
- If the whole class doesn’t understand the lesson then you gather all the students and re-teach.
- Check for understanding by having the whole class raise their hand to see if all students raise their hand or not.
Do you ever link what you’re doing to the Homeroom Units?
- It’s awesome if you can but it comes with the realization of what they are actually teaching in the classroom.
- If it happens organically we will try to incorporate homeroom units.
What data analysis do you do in PE class?
- Observing and reporting students on their standards-based report cards.
- Watching students during activities to see where they are so we can give feedback to increase performance.
- Taking notes on a clipboard to mark progress of students’ performance.
Check out the blog post How to do Grades in PE Class here!
Do you cycle through games year after year or do you switch it up?
- Some games and activities we do every year, and others we cycle through and may only play every other year or so.
- Because the time with students each year is so limited, it’s hard to fit all the activities in so we switch them up.
- For example, striking with implements one year maybe tennis and the next year baseball/softball.
- It is important to keep notes of what you do teach so if you don’t get to a particular unit this year then you can the next year.
What is your best rainy day classroom activity?
- Cup Stacking lesson because you already have the table setup.
- Line dance because it takes no equipment, you would just need to make space to dance.
- Scarf Juggling is a good classroom activity because the equipment is easily controlled.
- Crazy card challenge – you could go through the cards and take out the card not suited for a classroom.
Check out the blog post The Crazy Cards Icebreaker here!
- Team Building Challenge like Pass the Frog because you can play in a small space and students still get to work on being a great teammate.
Check out the blog post Pass the Frog here!
View the blog post Toss and Catch Challenges for PE at Home here!
Download the Show Notes for this episode below:
Have Fun and Teach On!