The Best Parts of My Week! 12/14/15--12/18/15

Hi everyone,

      I'm not sure that the word "exciting" quite captures the feeling in the air at school this week!  We are counting down to winter break but it has been so warm in the Northeast it seems a bit more like late Spring!  

.....First I have to mention something that happened last week.  I keep a pad of paper in the gym ready to go so that I can write down the little moments and events that make up the "Best Parts".  Sometimes these moments happen outside of the gym and while I try to remember everything, I sometimes forget to write about one of them.  Event though this moment happened last week it is too good to let go so here it is!  I was leaving on Friday afternoon as students were going to their buses.  I usually stay late but this day I had an appointment to get to right after school.  I have a rolling backpack that I use for all of my school needs and I was walking down the hall with it to get to my car.  Two of my kindergarten students were saying good-bye and they asked me if I was going on vacation!  I did not make the connection at first because I thought they were asking because I was leaving at the same time that they were leaving and then I got it....they thought my backpack was a suitcase!

.....On to this week!

.....We have several holiday events at this time of year during which we recognize holidays of many different faiths and cultures.  While it has had a few different names during the years, the Pageant for Peace, as it is called now, is one of those events.  The Pageant for Peace is an event which calls to mind many holidays and allows students and families to help others by bringing in donations of food to those in need.  After the donations are brought in and assembled on tables, we sing songs of holidays and peace.  It is always an event which brings tears to my eyes as I appreciate my profession, my friends, my family, and all of the wonderful opportunities in my life......

.....The Pageant for Peace is held in our gymnasium and after the event parent volunteers work really hard to box up the donations quickly so that we can resume PE classes in the gym.  As the parents were finishing up my colleague and I started to set up the volleyball nets and equipment for our next class.  The parents were so excited and asked if they could play for a few minutes!  They had a great time volleying the ball back and forth and as we talked I asked if they would be interested in a "Bring your parents to PE" day.  They were all for it!  I am hoping to plan something in the spring!

.....My students in grades 3-5 are learning about Volleyball and practicing skills and activities using nets and a variety of balls.  We had several nets and activities set up as a double third grade class arrived for PE.  One of the students was so excited she looked at me and silently mouthed and gestured "thank you!"

.....Through my connections on Twitter I have had the good fortune to see the amazing work that Pete Charrette does for Physical Education.  He created the Superheroes of PE and I have them posted on my goal chart when they pertain to the lessons we are teaching.  This week I had "Agent Agility" posted because I wanted students to understand that agility is necessary in volleyball.  I overheard one of the students encouraging his partner as he said:   "Be Agent Agility!"  I guess they were listening to my instructions!

.....I met with a former student this week who is working on his Eagle Scout project by giving back to our PE program.  Every time we meet about this project I am so impressed!

.....I use a goal chart to set goals for the classes, post vocabulary words, and add some character education messages to my lessons.  In an attempt to collaborate and support the first grade curriculum I had two words posted on the chart this week that first graders are learning.  The words were germs and diseases.  Since this is a time of year when colds and flu are prevalent I thought it would be a good time for these words.  I asked a first grade class if they could read the words and if they knew what they meant.  I was amazed when one of my first grade students told me that "germs are microscopic things that make you sick."  He actually used the word microscopic........first grade!!!

I hope you enjoyed the "Best Parts of My Week"!  Visit my website:  North Park Physical Education to find out more about our Physical Education program.  

Follow me on Twitter!  @mrobPE

The Best Parts of My Week - 12/7/15--12/11/15

Hi everyone,
   If you spend any time at all in an elementary school around the holidays you know how excited the students (and staff) are!  When all of the holiday events are added to the mix the result can be both amazing and exhausting!  My head was spinning at any given point this week but there were so many "Best Parts" to keep me grounded and positive!

.....My primary students are learning about striking skills and about how to use those skills in various sports and games.  Kindergarten students are using balloons and when I brought out the bag of balloons (in a clear garbage bag) one of my students said: "you have the most beautiful things....."
It made me remember that sometimes the simplest thing can bring the most joy......

......Speaking of simple.....I gave a small compliment to a student who was using a jump rope during our personal fitness choice warm-up.  I told her how well she had learned to do the Criss-Cross jump rope trick.  She immediately had a huge smile on her face and continued to practice.  I hope I made her day......

.....One of my third grade students could not wait to tell me about his weekend and his accomplishment at a tournament.  He was so excited and I was so happy that he wanted to share the news with me!

.....I love technology and I am fortunate to have iPad minis for student and class use.  I decided to add a "Coach My Video" app and in some classes this week I filmed students while they were working on volleyball skills of the set and the forearm pass.  It was so cool to be able to help students get better at a skill by pointing out what they were doing well and what they could do to improve.   They loved seeing themselves and when I asked for feedback about whether or not this helped them get better they definitely agreed!  Wow.....has PE changed in the last 32 years!

.....I have been working on a behavior issue in some of my classes involving sliding.  Sometimes students slide into a spot when lining up or getting equipment and students know that it can be dangerous but some forget and still do it.  In order to stop this practice I told students that if they were sliding I would "put a time-out in my pocket for later", which meant that I would get to choose when the time-out would be in effect.  When a third grade class arrived this week one of the students went over to our "Stop and think about it" center and sat down.  When I asked him what he was doing he said: "I slid last class and I owe you a time-out."  I was so impressed at his honesty and the sliding has stopped!

.....I had some great conversations this week with students who were waiting to be picked up.  We talked about everything from PE to how the day went and we also discussed some events that were scheduled later in the week.  It was nice to just chat!

.....Our PTA is wonderful and they sponsor a Holiday Fair during which students can shop for the holidays for gifts for their family members.  Students love this day and are excited beyond belief because they know that the holidays are not far away.  This year there was quite a delay and so instead of PE for a few classes I needed to supervise them during the shopping.  While I do not want students to miss PE, this delay was unavoidable so instead I enjoyed their excitement!  They were so proud of their purchases and many showed me their treasures.  They were so excited to give rather than receive....

.....One of my second grade students explained to me why a balloon would move when a foam racket merely passed by it without touching it.  He explained that it must be the wind that makes it move!  He and his partner had some fun experimenting!

.....Our school is a Healthy Highway school and our classes earn miles for healthy choices.  I announced that Friday was "Double Miles" day and I had fun awarding twice the miles.  One student asked how I knew it was "Double Miles" day.  I answered that it "just came to me" and smiled.  He seemed happy with the answer and happy that his class was earning miles times two!

.....Our Fuel Up to Play 60 Student Ambassador group planned a "Let's Dance Fitness Friday!" for their first project of the year.  We met on Tuesday to preview dances available on the internet (We are fortunate because most of our classrooms have smart boards.) and we created a list for teachers to choose from.  Some of the ambassadors helped with making a announcement and we had so much fun dancing!  I was able to get to many classes while they were dancing and observed first hand the fun that students and teachers were having.  I danced during PE, in the Library, in third grade and fifth grade classrooms, and I received pictures of students dancing in many other grades as well!  I am always grateful for the support that we receive from all of the adults in our building!  These events can not happen without the support of my principal, classroom teachers, special area teachers and many others.   We had a great time and our Student Ambassadors were great leaders of this activity!

I hope you enjoyed the "Best Parts of My Week"!  Visit my website:  North Park Physical Education to find out more about our Physical Education program.  

Follow me on Twitter!  @mrobPE

The Best Parts of My Week! - 11/30/15--12/4/15

Hi everyone,
      When I look back at this week one word comes to mind - pride.  I am so proud of my students and what they strive to accomplish each day and I am so proud of the hard working professionals that I call my friends and colleagues!  

.....Several times this week I witnessed the kindness of my students.  We are traveling down "Kindness Way" as part of our Healthy Highway program.  We are encouraging our students to find ways - big and small - that they can show kindness.  Many of my students showed kindness by including others in their groups, making sure that their friends were safe, and sharing turns and equipment by putting others first!

.....We continued to climb on our traverse rock wall this week and the excitement in the air was amazing!  I am so thankful for this beautiful rock wall and my students showed their gratitude as well!  I asked students to be safe and observant and one student noticed a hand hold that needed tightening.  He was observant and helpful!  When another hold needed tightening another student said:  "I love allen wrenches!"  He commented about how allen wrenches are so useful!  

.....Our PE Password last week was Hamstrings.  I was demonstrating a stretch to improve the flexibility of our Hamstrings and I asked students to count along with me.  One of my students asked if we could count in French because that is the native language of one of our new students!  I was so proud of this student's empathy and kindness.  We indeed counted in French and our new friend smiled all the way!  During our stretching time in another class a student asked why stretching one leg felt different than the other.  It was such a thoughtful question and when I answered the question he appreciated my response.  It was such a teachable moment!  

.....One of our fourth grade classes earned a reward and as a result they were allowed to bring their favorite stuffed animal to school for the day.  They brought their animal friends to PE and put them on the side so that they could watch our class.  One of the students suggested that I get Fitness Frankie so that he could have his picture taken with the group!  It was so cute!  

.....In the middle of the week I had the honor of attending and presiding over my first meeting as the president of the Southeastern Zone of NYS AHPERD.  Being president of the zone was something I never thought I would ever have the opportunity to do.  The SEZ is the most amazing group of professionals that I have ever had the good fortune to know and I am so proud and honored to have the opportunity to lead and be a part of this incredible team.........

.....During a third grade class my students were working hard to climb our rock wall and many were tired at the end of class.  Not all of the students had the same opinion however because one of my students commented about not being tired after climbing the rock wall.  She said:  "My muscles are never tired.  I am literally a ball of energy!"

.....During one of my classes this week a good friend who is a teaching assistant in our school stopped by when she noticed that students were climbing the rock wall.  I invited her to climb because I know that she loves to move and would enjoy the opportunity.  The students were so excited to have her be a part of our class and many volunteered to be her spotter to keep her safe!  It was so much fun to have other adults enjoy the activities in our PE program!

.....At the end of the week I was so proud of a fourth grade class as they finished our unit on cooperative activities.  They were so mature as they approached the lesson, included others, showed kindness, appreciated the equipment and opportunity, played fair and safe, and learned so much along the way!  In many ways it was a moment in time that I wanted to freeze because it was everything I hoped a lesson could be and more......

I hope you enjoyed the "Best Parts of My Week"!  Visit my website:  North Park Physical Education to find out more about our Physical Education program.  

Follow me on Twitter!  @mrobPE

The Best Parts of My (Short...) Week - 11/23/15--11/24/15

Hi everyone,
     It was a very short week due to the Thanksgiving holiday and report card conferences.  Students were only in attendance for two half days this week.  Regardless of the brevity of the week, there were still a few "Best Parts" to share!

.....Our Fuel Up to Play 60 Student Ambassador group has been working hard to create posters advertising the program.  This week several of the posters were turned in and I had the pleasure of hanging them up in the hallway for everyone to enjoy!  

.....I mentioned in last week's blog that I had the opportunity to attend and present at the CTAHPERD and NYSAHPERD conferences last week.  A very good friend of mine always said that it was important to "learn one new thing" every time you attend any kind of professional development.  I am happy to say that I learned more than one new thing but this week I had the chance to try one of those new things out.  I learned about an app for my iPad called "Decide Now".  It is basically a colorful wheel that spins and stops on one of the sections of the wheel.  It comes pre-populated with particular wheels that have nothing to do with PE but it allows you to create your own wheels.  I created a Wheel of Fitness (I used the low tech version on my whiteboard in a previous week.) and I projected it on my whiteboard.  While my students loved the low tech version, they were so excited to use the high tech version too!  They had great fun exercising and spinning the wheel!

.....We are coming to the end of our cooperative activities unit and the culminating activity is rock wall climbing using our traverse rock wall.  Students begin by practicing trust leans and then are required to spot their climbing partner in a safe and responsible manner.  When I introduced the trust leans this week I asked for a volunteer who trusted me with their safety so that we could demonstrate the trust lean.  I got goosebumps as I saw all of the hands that went up immediately.......I responded that I was so happy that so many students trusted me.......  Students were so responsible and safe with the trust leans that when they were ready to use the rock wall I was confident that they would indeed keep their partners safe on the wall.  I am so thankful that we have a beautiful rock wall to use as a culminating activity.  We have had the wall for several years but there were many more years without it so I constantly remind myself and my students that we are fortunate to have such amazing and exciting opportunities......

Well, they do say "short but sweet" so I think that about covers this week!   I hope you enjoyed the "Best Parts of My Week"!  Visit my website:  North Park Physical Education to find out more about our Physical Education program.  

Follow me on Twitter!  @mrobPE

The Best Parts of My Week - 11/16/15--11/20/15

Hi everyone,
     As Thanksgiving approaches I am reminded of a quote I heard recently at a
NYS AHPERD conference:
"It is not happy people that are grateful but grateful people that are happy....."
I am grateful for so much in my life.  This blog is my attempt to share that gratitude and my happiness......

.....All of my students continue to work hard to learn how to cooperate, play fair, and play safe.  I am using the essential questions of "How do my actions affect others?" and "How does my behavior contribute to the success of the group?"  I am so impressed at the growth I am seeing during this unit.  I spend more time on this unit than on some others because I think it is so important to teach students these values.

.....One of the cooperative activities that students in K-2 participated in this week was Scooter Spaceships.  This is an idea from PE Central that I have adapted to meet the needs of my students and the equipment that I have.  One of my additions is that I place large cones with earth balls and asteroid balls on top.  I was asking students to name some planets that they were going to see as they explored in outer space.  Would you believe that kindergarten and first grade students came up with Saturn, Pluto, Uranus, Jupiter, Mars, and Venus?  I was floored when a kindergarten student said Saturn!  These are smart students for sure!

.....Our PE Password this past week was Quadriceps.  Students were learning that Quadriceps are important and powerful muscles in their legs.  I asked students where they might have heard the word "quad" before.  I expected that student answers would include a comparison to an ATV or 4 wheeler.  My intent was to teach them that "quad" means 4 and that there are four parts to the Quadriceps muscle.  While I did get that answer,  I also heard the following answers:  Quadruple, Quadrangle, and Quadrilateral!  WOW!  Now this is what we call Interdisciplinary PE!

.....Another one of my favorite cooperative activities is Environmental Helpers - also from PE Central.  The idea is that students share a scooter sitting back to back and then move about the gymnasium picking up "garbage" (bean bags, balls, etc.) to put in the garbage can.  Students have to take turns being the "driver" and the "collector".  Students love this activity and it was so great to see such sharing and caring!  They knew exactly what to do with the garbage and some even suggested recycling!

.....I had the opportunity to spend some time chatting with a student who was waiting to be picked up after school.  This student was helpful in cleaning up some equipment while we waited for her family.  The next day she told me that she had so much fun helping while we waited!

.....My fifth grade students were playing a game that involved rubber pigs and garbage bags called "Pigs in a Blanket".  This is a Project Adventure game that I learned many years ago.  I noticed that one of the students started to put a pig back in the box and choose another one.  He stopped and then brought the pig over to me to tell me that it had accidentally torn open while they were playing with it.  I was proud of his honesty.  He could have just put it away but he chose to be honest and take responsibility.  I thanked him for his honesty and told him that I was proud of his choice!

.....As I was getting ready to leave for a conference my substitute told me a story about how what we are teaching in PE is transferring to the classroom.  A student in fourth grade was working on a writing piece while this substitute teacher was in the classroom.  The task was to decide if pizza was healthy or not and then make a case either way.  This particular student was organizing his thoughts on paper using a teacher designed chart.  He wrote that vegetables were a "green light" food and if they were on the pizza then it could be healthy!  He learned this from our Healthy Highway program.  How great is that?

.....At the end of the week I had the honor and privilege of presenting and participating in two conferences in two different states.  On Thursday I presented at the CTAHPERD conference in Connecticut, and on Friday and Saturday I presented and was a part of the NYS AHPERD conference in New York.  Conferences are always so energizing and revitalizing!  I met and interacted with truly amazing professionals, some of whom I had never met, and others who have become my friends.  It was an honor to share some of the lessons that we do at North Park as well as learn and get inspired by these fantastic PE professionals!  We celebrated some amazing Teachers and Professionals of the Year on Friday night and on Saturday we did not want the conference to end......  I can't wait to get back to school to try out some of the new ideas that I learned!  You are never too old or too experienced to learn and try something new.  I hope I never forget that!

I hope you enjoyed the "Best Parts of My Week"!  Visit my website:  North Park Physical Education to find out more about our Physical Education program.  

The Best Parts of My Week - 11/9/15--11/13/15

Hi everyone,
     We are right in the middle of our cooperative activities unit, our FUTP 60 Student Ambassador group is in full swing, I have the honor and privilege of presenting at some conferences this upcoming week, and the holidays are coming fast and furious!  My head is spinning and there are so many "Best Parts" to share!

......On Monday Fitness Frankie to Go came back and I had the best chat with a student who hosted him!  He told me all about how he was working outside with his dad and Fitness Frankie and drew a great picture!  One of the things I love best about this project is the conversations about healthy choices and the connections that we can make between school and home!

.....Speaking of our Fitness Bears, I had so much fun taking pictures of Muscle Missy and Physical Eddie this week!  Muscle Missy was in a fifth grade class and they took such great care to include her in all of the activities!  She even helped out a friend in need.......Physical Eddie's host class sent some great pictures of him enjoying a science experiment!  Again these bears continue the conversation about healthy choices and create connections to classroom learning and beyond.  I never dreamed that these bears would be so loved......

......Our third grade students were asked to invent a game this week using a bucket, a yarn ball, a rope, and a hoop.  We asked students to be safe, play fair, and name their game.  It was so impressive to watch the games being invented!  One of the groups that did this activity is a double third grade class that I team teach with another PE colleague.  We have more than 40 students and it was so much fun to watch the games being created and played!  One of the games was named:  "Virtual Basketball"!  My colleague and I work together very well and we take turns coming up with lesson ideas and warm-ups.  This was an activity that he planned.  I love the fact that I can still learn new things in my 33rd school year!

.....I was demonstrating a warm-up with my kindergarten students this week and as I was jogging around our rainbow track one of them said: "You are doing a good job Mrs. Robelee!'  It felt great to get some positive feedback and hear such kind words from my students!

.....Our Fuel Up to Play 60 Student Ambassadors met this week and we had a great meeting!  The students are so eager to get started and we already have some great ideas for healthy projects this year.  We asked students to make some posters advertising our Fuel Up to Play 60 team.  They worked well together and had some great ideas.  Before we knew it the hour long meeting was over!  Later in the week some of students finished and turned in their posters.  They are terrific and I can't wait to hang them up!

.....My fourth graders participated in a Project Adventure activity called "Turn Over a New Leaf".  The idea is that students start on a tarp and have to work together to turn it over without stepping off of the tarp.  The rule is that if anyone steps off of the tarp the group needs to begin again.  I have two tarps and divided the class in half so that the challenge of the task was reasonable.  I was surprised to see that students did not make it a competition between tarps but I was amazed when one of the students said that it was a good thing that they had to start over because they needed to change the way they were solving the problem.  How mature is that?  

.....A number of years ago I learned a cooperative tag game at a NYS AHPERD conference that involved donating items to students in need as part of the game.  It is a great game and while I have changed it a bit to meet the needs of my students the object of the game is the same.  Students "donate" bracelets if a student does not have anymore so that the game can continue.  At the end of this game I ask students to tell me how they felt when they donated or when someone else helped them.  The responses are always so moving.  Students said that they felt good helping others and felt happy when others helped them.  I feel good knowing that students are learning those values in PE class.......

I hope you enjoyed the "Best Parts of My Week"!  Visit my website:  North Park Physical Education to find out more about our Physical Education program.  

The Best Parts of My Week - 11/2/15--11/6/15

Hi everyone,
     How did we get to November already!  This school year is moving quickly!  It was a great week with so many different events and "Best Parts!'

.....All of my students are learning about cooperation in many different ways.  I love this unit and even though I have done the lessons before, there is always a new twist!  My fourth grade students were using "Co-oper Bands", which are like giant hair scrunchies.  The idea is that students take turns moving across the middle while in the band based on a particular color.  The message is that we are all connected and an action of one student affects all the others in the group as the band moves.  I was passing this message on when one student said that it was just like the Internet - we are all connected!

.....My primary students are cooperating by doing an activity called Train Tracks.  I learned this activity from the US Games OPEN curriculum.  The idea is that students make their human train move by taking turns passing a ball and then moving to the end of the train.  I thought it would be fun to have the students pick a pretend destination for the train.  They were very creative!  Some wanted to go to the beach and others wanted to go to Disneyland!  They were proud to tell their teacher where they traveled when they were picked up to go back to class!

.....On Tuesday students were off and teachers were participating in professional development.  I am a proud member of the Southeastern Zone of NYS AHPERD and our group hosts a conference on this day each year.  It was an amazing conference with national speakers like JD Hughes, John Jones, Mackenzie Mushel-Ellis, Irene Cucina and more!  I learned so much!  I have presented at this conference in the past but this year I was helping with the event.  During the day a teacher came up to me to tell me that she had recently used a lesson that I had presented last year.  She was being observed and both she and the administrator were so happy with the result!  It was great to hear that something I shared had such a positive impact and I appreciated so much her willingness to share!

.....Physical Eddie is being taken care of by a fourth grade class and they are enjoying his visit!  They are taking pictures along the way and I received them by email.  They were having fun outside and wanted to share the healthy activity!  

.....I am beginning to have students use video to assess their progress.  While I am just in the experimentation stage I had a student who was excused video tape a group while they were participating in a cooperative activity.  I showed the video at the end of class and students were able to pick out all of the acts of cooperation.  They also had some suggestions for improvement!  What a powerful tool to have students reflect on their learning!

.....I received an email this week from a former student teacher who is beginning his first job.  It was so great to hear how well he is doing!  It was kind of him to think of me and share the news.  It feels great to be connected to the next generation of PE professionals!

.....Our current PE Password is "Strategy".  Students were asked to talk about strategies that they use.  It was wonderful to hear the strategies that they use in games and sports but they also know that strategies are also necessary for reading, math, and more!

.....Our next Healthy Highway assembly was scheduled for Friday of this past week and on Thursday afternoon during bus duty I was talking with students about the assembly.  They were excited to know that a new road was planned and wanted to know what it was.  I told them it would be revealed the next day but asked them to guess what they thought it was.  They guessed "Honest Road".  While that is not the next road it is a great suggestion and tells me that they know that honesty is important! 

.....The actual next road is Kindness Way. Our assembly was wonderful!  We always relate the road to Physical Education, Nutrition Education, and Character Education.  We talked about being kind to our bodies by exercising and staying safe and eating good food to help us stay healthy.  Students had great responses when asked about ways to achieve these kindnesses!  Our principal found a video about a first grade class that decided to create projects around the theme of kindness and showed this video to our students.  Our school was then challenged to come up with kindness projects that could be simple or more involved.  As students were leaving the assembly and later in the day they were already talking about what they would do to show kindness and what kind of projects they wanted to do!  One third grade student was talking about it while waiting to be picked up and he said that it was the best Healthy Highway assembly that we have had since he was a kindergarten student!  I asked him why he thought that and he said that we talked about so much in the same amount of time and we accomplished more!  I can't wait to see what kindness projects students create!  

 I hope you enjoyed the "Best Parts of My Week"!  Visit my website:  North Park Physical Education to find out more about our Physical Education program.  

The Best Parts of My Week - 10/26/15--10/30/15

Hi everyone,
     Those of you who have had experience in an elementary setting know that the week of Halloween is exciting, busy and somewhat chaotic all at once!  While challenges abound during this week the "best parts" were not hard to find!

.....Fitness Frankie to Go came back on Monday morning after having a terrific healthy adventure with his second grade friend!  The journal entry included an amazing picture of him flying through the air while jumping in a pile of leaves!  He had on a sweatshirt that I did not recognize that I imagine he borrowed from his host family!

.....Muscle Missy and Physical Eddie are having so much fun in their host classrooms!  I had fun taking pictures this week and posting them on their slide show!

.....We spent the beginning of the week putting together a thank you project for our student teacher who had finished the week before.  Students were very thoughtful in their list of thank yous and I explained to the students how I was going to compile the list and make it a gift for our former student teacher.  One of the students remembered that we did a similar activity with last year's student teacher.  I explained to the students that this thank you gift would mean so much to Miss K and that I still have a thank you gift I received from a group I worked with when I student taught over 33 years ago!  Not only were they impressed but they understood on a deeper level how important this project truly is........ 

.....We began a unit on cooperative activities this week and I asked my students about what challenges they faced in completing a particular activity.  It was a Tangram puzzle challenge and students mentioned communication, solving the puzzle, and working together as challenges.  The discussion led to the topic of frustration and I asked students what they did when they got frustrated.  Students had amazing and mature responses!  One student said that when he got frustrated he took a break, another said that she walked away for a bit, and still another said that he took a deep breath!  Sounds like some good advice for all!

.....One of the beginning cooperative activities we do involves making puzzles out of these words:  Show Respect, Courage, Play Fair, Play Hard, Play Safe, Cooperate.  After the puzzles are completed, I ask students to discuss what each phrase means.  I enjoyed listening to their discussions and felt good about what they already know about each word or phrase!  

.....I had great fun being silly to make a point during a Puzzle Buddy activity with my second grade students!  Giggles could be heard out into the hallway!

.....I wear a Fitbit to keep track of my steps, heart rate, etc. and regularly share my step counts with my students to show that I exercise and make healthy choices and to lead by example.  This week two of my students showed me that they were wearing Fitbits too!

.....I had a great discussion with a parent regarding healthy snacks this week.  Wednesday is Wellness Wednesday and classes earn miles if everyone has a healthy snack.  The parent let me know that she remembered the healthy snack because last week she forgot and her child made a point of letting her know that she needed to remember this week!  

.....We have many students in our school who are learning English as a new language.  A few of our students speak very little English and this week a new student arrived whose primary language is Spanish.  I can speak a little bit of Spanish based on my high school Spanish class education and so I greeted the child in Spanish and explained that I spoke a little bit of Spanish.  The smile that spread across her face was heartwarming and reminded me that sometimes all it takes to make a child's day is a little bit of effort, not perfection......

.....After finishing a cooperative activity with a third grade class a student came up to me and said:  "That was the funnest gym class ever!

.....I co-teach a few of my classes with another PE teacher and when we co-teach we have two classes in the gym at the same time.  We divide the teaching duties and this week my teaching partner was teaching the main lesson and I was facilitating.  The students were doing a partner activity and there was an odd number of students.  Oftentimes we make groups of three when this happens but for this activity partners worked better so I asked if I could be her partner.  We had so much fun!  It was great just to play!

.....At the end of the week we celebrated the upcoming holiday with Pumpkin Fitness!  This is a simple warm-up that uses foam pumpkin cut-outs with exercises that I wrote on the back.  Students move to the music around the pumpkins and stop at the closest one when the music stops.  Next, they turn over the pumpkin and complete the exercise.  The students were so excited!  It was great to acknowledge the excitement of the holiday but channel it into some great exercise!  

 I hope you enjoyed the "Best Parts of My Week"!  Visit my website:  North Park Physical Education to find out more about our Physical Education program.  

The Best Parts of My Week - 10/19/15--10/24/15

Hi everyone,
     The theme of this week's "Best Parts" is connections......My school has approximately 500 students.  I have five to seven classes a day and teach between 150-200 students a day.  The school day is so very busy that sometimes it is hard to connect with students on a one-on-one basis.  This week I had some rare opportunities to do just that.....

.....Fitness Frankie to Go came back on Monday morning when a student delivered him to my office.  I asked about his weekend adventure and was told that he played basketball and had a healthy dinner.  The student drew a wonderful picture depicting the adventure and was proud of his contribution to Fitness Frankie's journal!

.....Physical Eddie and Muscle Missy started their classroom adventures this week!  I delivered them to the classrooms and can't wait to see what adventures they have!

.....On Tuesday we took our 5th grade classes on a field trip to the Walkway Over the Hudson.  It is a pedestrian walkway that was built from an old train bridge over the Hudson River and is 1.28 miles each way.  This trip is truly a highlight of the year and a collaborative effort.  The classroom teachers and I work together to organize the trip.  Students share pedometers with a partner and each student wears a pedometer one way over the bridge.  Classroom teachers ask students to make predictions of step counts, teach students about the history of the walkway and the area, and students write about the trip when they return to school.  In addition, students are provided with a healthy snack of apples and log step counts on a data recording sheet.  It was a beautiful day and we were afforded the opportunity to view the amazing fall colors of the Hudson Valley.  I love this trip because of the collaboration but also because of the connections and conversations that I get to have while walking across the bridge.  I spend time with each of the classes as they walk and talk and have the privilege of chatting with students about their experiences on the walkway and their lives in general.  This year I had the opportunity to share my fear of heights (the walkway is really high!) with students who were feeling that same fear, to hear students talk about family trips they had taken on the walkway, and to talk about what I remember about the bridge being an actual train bridge when I was their age.  I witnessed the courage of students who had not been on the bridge before and had a genuine fear of heights, and then I witnessed amazing friendship as their friends and classmates helped and encouraged those same students.  We finished the trip and as students were given apples to snack on there were many smiles and some students said:  "Yay apples!"  When we returned to school one of the students was getting off of the bus and stopped to tell me that this field trip was one of the best field trips she had ever taken!

.....Students in grades 3-5 finished a new unit on Flag Football this week.  My student teacher took on the responsibility of creating and teaching this unit and I was impressed this week with the progress students made and the skills they learned!

.....Since my student teacher is doing most of the teaching as she finishes up her placement at my school I had the chance to interact with students while they were practicing different skills.  One of my kindergarten students is a twin and I had so much fun talking with him about being a twin because I am a twin too!  He was really surprised that I had a twin brother and said:  "I have a twin sister!"

.....As I delivered Fitness Frankie to Go at the end of the week the student who was taking him home said that he already knew what he was going to do with him for the weekend!  He had it all planned out and was going to play soccer!

.....I was chatting with a teacher about Fitness Frankie and a student came up to talk about homework.  The teacher has a homework system and students earn stars which can be turned into Go Noodle minutes.  How cool is that!  She told me that they actually do Go Noodle everyday!  What an active classroom!

.....I learned two new ways to do jumping jacks this week!  A first grade student taught me "Crazy Jacks" and a PE teacher friend of mine taught me "Wacky Jacks!"  Who knew there were so many different ways to do jumping jacks!  I never stop learning so I always have fun!

I hope you enjoyed the "Best Parts of My Week"!  Visit my website:  North Park Physical Education to find out more about our Physical Education program.  

The Best Parts of My Week - 10/13/15--10/16/15

     The week began with the Columbus Day holiday and beautiful weather to enjoy the prime colors of fall!  So while it was a short week, the "Best Parts" we're not hard to find!

......My upper elementary students are enjoying a unit on flag football skills that my student teacher is facilitating.  This week they were concentrating on throwing techniques using a peer coaching model.  Since I am not teaching the unit I have the luxury of observing and watching the interactions from a different perspective.  This is the first time my students have been introduced to flag football due to a generous donation of equipment from Fuel Up To Play 60 so they are quite excited! As I was watching students throw and catch, I was impressed by how they were enjoying their responsibilities as coaches and players.  Some were pretending to be professional football players, others were pretending to be announcers that were commenting as if they were watching a pro football game and still others were talking about how they could continue the fun at recess!  It was so great to hear the positive comments by the peer coaches, the excitement, and the plans to continue the fun later on!

.....Fitness Frankie to Go came back from his weekend adventures safe and sound!  I am always glad when the first round goes well so that the rest of the students benefit from a great first example.  Fitness Frankie went bicycling, traveled to New York City, jumped on a trampoline and came back with terrific additions to his journal!  I can't wait to see what adventures he had this weekend!

......My primary students are continuing some fun stations to reinforce the concepts of high, medium, and low levels.  One of the stations involves using different forces to launch a bean bag turtle in the air using a foot stomper board.  I was watching a kindergarten student  launch the turtle high into the air and commented on his success.  He responded by telling me that his success was due to the fact that he was wearing his lucky sweatshirt!

......Our teacher's union participates in an "Adopt a Highway" program in our town.  During the year we spend time after school cleaning up a stretch of the road that we adopted by picking up the garbage that is on the side of the road.  It is disappointing to see how much trash gets thrown on the ground, but it feels good to participate in community service.  It is a busy stretch of road and very often people that we know pass by during the clean up.  The next day one of my students told me that he saw me picking up the garbage.  I asked him if he waved and he said yes!  I was glad because I think it is important to set the example for the next generation. I turned this into a teachable moment by explaining to the class what I was doing when my student saw me and by asking the rest of students to raise their hand if they ever picked up trash when they found it on the ground.  It was great to see all of the hands go up!

I hope you enjoyed the "Best Parts of My Week"!  Visit my website:  North Park Physical Education to find out more about our Physical Education program.  

  

The Best Parts of My Week - 10/5/15--10/9/15

Hi everyone,
     Sometimes, the less complicated things are, the better they are.  With that thought in mind, simple joys were the theme of this week's "Best Parts"!  

.....There is a TV commercial that basically says that sometimes life is better with surprises.  I thought of that commercial this week while my primary students were learning about levels.  I have some animal faces that are made out of paper plates.  When the plates are face down, they all look alike but when they are turned face up, they reveal a number of different animals.  Animals included were monkeys, gorillas, snakes, butterflies, ladybugs, ducks, penguins, tigers, frogs, dogs, panda bears, and more!  Students participated in this activity by moving throughout the gym using different locomotor movements and then when the music stopped, they stopped at the closest plate, flipped it over, and then moved around the plate while pretending to be that animal.  Since different animals move at different levels, students were practicing moving at low, medium, and high levels based on the kind of animal they found.  I could not help but smile as I watched the surprise on the students' faces as I watched them flip over the plate and find a new animal each time!  

.....Our Fuel Up to Play 60 Student Ambassadors met this week for the first time and what a great start it was!  Students were so excited to be a part of the group and while the first meeting involved some set up and discussion, the energy in the air was amazing!  Students have some great ideas for projects for this year and we ended the meeting with some exercise using Go Noodle!  I can't wait to see what this group accomplishes this year!

.....A colleague of mine and I had a terrific opportunity to be a part of the #ESPEchat #PhysEd Summit on Twitter on Tuesday night.  We presented a session called "PE Without Borders:  Creating a Physically Literate Lifestyle".  We were thrilled to share our ideas with dedicated PE professionals and we learned from other session presentations as well.  Sharing and learning using these opportunities elevates and strengthens our profession.  I have met so many incredible professionals through these kinds of programs and I have learned so much that has helped me to be a better teacher and deliver a quality program to my students.  I am grateful......

.....After 32 years of tying sneakers I have gotten pretty good at it.  This week I helped a student with a knot in his shoe and then I tied it quickly so that he could get involved in the activity.  He was amazed!  He said:  "I need to wash my eyes!"

.....After telling a kindergarten student that she had indeed answered a question correctly she replied:
"You know I'm a smarty pants, right?"  I thought...I do now!!!

.....Fall Picture day was at the end of the week this week and honestly it can be a bit of a distraction and challenge, especially for students who attend PE that day.  While I completely understand and definitely go with the flow on that day, students are dressed to look their best for pictures and I want to make sure that they arrive to the camera looking the same way that they arrived to school.  Despite the challenge I was reminded of the simple joys of life when more than one student arrived that morning and greeted me with:  "Happy Picture Day!"

.....On Friday I was able to deliver Fitness Frankie to Go to the first set of second graders who have the opportunity to take him home for the weekend and have a healthy adventure.  Students were so excited that it was their turn!  I am excited to hear about his adventures!  I will be sure to share them next week!   

I hope you enjoyed the "Best Parts of My Week"!  Visit my website:  North Park Physical Education to find out more about our Physical Education program.  

  

The Best Parts of My Week - 9/28/15--10/2/15

Hi everyone,
     I am not quite sure how I packed everything in this week!  Most weeks are busy but this week was unbelievable!  However, busier weeks mean more chances for "Best Parts!"

.....A colleague and I facilitate a Fuel Up to Play 60 Student Ambassador group.  Last year was the first year that we began the program and we had so much fun!  We invited last year's ambassadors as well as some new students to join the group this week.  We had letters and permission slips ready to go and on Monday I spoke directly with students to explain the invitation.  Students were so excited by the invitations!  One student smiled from ear to ear and said:  "YES!"  During our Meet the Staff Nights this week I also spoke with many parents of invited students and it was wonderful to hear how excited the students were as well as how supportive and excited the families are!  Our first meeting is next week so stay tuned!

.....Monday night and Tuesday night were Meet the Staff nights.  While it's true that these events lengthen an already busy day, I really never mind being a part of them.  It is a chance to interact with parents and advocate for my program.  Some years I have to stand in the hallway to speak to families as they go by, and other years there are families that make a special point of visiting the gymnasium to find out about the program.  This year was a mix of both.  I was able to meet families of new students, speak to families in the hallway about PE work displayed on a bulletin board, and even chat with parents who at one time were my students!  Honestly, reminiscing with a parent about their time at North Park when they were my student never gets old!  It is truly a privilege to have worked in a school long enough to have that happen!  I was also proud to show off the gymnasium's new look as it was painted this summer and more renovation work is scheduled this fall!

.....The "Best Parts" continued outside of my school day this week as I had the terrific opportunity to present a SHAPE America Webinar called PE Plus:  Ways to Make a Difference Beyond the Gymnasium.  My friend and fellow PE teacher Lynn and I worked for months to put together this presentation and we were beyond nervous!  The hard work was well worth it as we had a great time presenting and in the end it all worked out great!  We had some wonderful help from our SHAPE moderators and we are so grateful for the opportunity!

.....In every school there are students with special needs and my school is no different.  The fact is, all students are different no matter what their strengths and challenges are and finding out how to meet the needs of all students can be challenging.  This week I had some amazing conversations with students and as a result, students were able to communicate with me about what they need to be successful.  They had the courage to speak up and I had the opportunity to listen.......

.....This week signaled the end of the month which means that Fitness Calendars are due.  I recognize students as Fitness Fanatics on a bulletin board, in my newsletter, and on my website if they turn in a completed Fitness Calendar.  There were so many that I had a hard time keeping up with the list!

.....On Friday this week we had our first school-wide Fitness Friday.  It was so much fun!  I played an activity song using our PA system and students move using a "follow the leader" approach.  While the song is playing I try to get to as many classrooms as possible and move along with them.  It was so great to see students and adults moving and smiling together!  One student asked me if we could do this every Friday!  This weekend I received an email from a classroom teacher who thanked me for the activity and told me how much everyone enjoyed it (including the adults!).  I wanted to say THANK YOU!  

I hope you enjoyed the "Best Parts of My Week"!  Visit my website:  North Park Physical Education to find out more about our Physical Education program.  

The Best Parts of My Week - 9/21/15--9/25/15

Hi everyone,
      As Fall begins and the weather becomes cooler, we are settling in to a nice routine at school.  The beginning of the year is always exciting but I also enjoy the familiar routines and rhythm of the year when we are in full swing!

.....My student teacher and I began the week putting the class contracts together for grades 3-5.  This process takes time and energy but I am always impressed with the final result.  Creating the contract involves taking the completed hands and arranging them as a border on a large piece of poster paper and then writing the student-generated class rules and expectations in the middle.  The hands that students made as their signatures were colorful and many had healthy messages on them.  One hand was even designed to look like an apple and another said:  "PE Rocks!"  The rules and expectations that students came up with were thoughtful and relevant and I noticed that these rules and expectations reflect my passion for PE and the need for students to make healthy choices.  The concentrated effort that our school has made during the last 6-7 years to include character education, nutrition education, and place more of an emphasis on lifetime fitness and physical activity showed up as a guideline in each and every contract.  In fact, ten years ago these contracts did not include rules such as "Eat healthy food", "Stay hydrated", and "Play 60".  As I looked at the finished product I was struck by the uniqueness of each and I was proud of the efforts of my students!

.....Fourth grade students were asked to do some PE homework and return that homework to school this week.  As a school, we make it a priority to teach students how to set goals.  I asked my fourth grade students to set a goal for PE this year.  I started the sentence:  "I want to improve my....." and students were asked to complete the sentence as their goal for this school year.  The homework was returned on time and with quality in most cases.  As I read the goals I was impressed!  Students wrote that they wanted to improve their stamina, strength, push-ups, running, quickness, jump roping, and endurance to name a few.  These are great goals indeed and I am looking forward to helping them this year to meet their goals!

.....We held our first Healthy Highway assembly this week and it was so much fun!  This assembly reminds students of the importance of making healthy choices and we always begin our year traveling down "Courage Crossroads".  Students are taught that if you have the courage to do the right thing, even when no one is watching, you will be able to make the right choice no matter what road you are on.  I also shared my summer adventure story with my students.  Each summer I take Fitness Frankie on a summer adventure and chronicle this adventure by self-publishing a book describing the healthy choices we made along the way.  This year Muscle Missy joined us and we had a great time!  We traveled 913, 327 steps, rode bicycles, lifted weights, walked, went to a yogurt factory, kayaked, played golf, went to the National PE Institute in North Carolina, and even had some time to relax!  I always enjoy sharing our story.  Not only is it fun but it also gives me the opportunity to be a good role model for my students by showing them the healthy choices that I am making and asking them to make as well.  

.....Students in grades 3-5 are learning about the use and care of pedometers.  One of the activities we do involves using gel boards to record steps and add partner steps together at the end of PE class.  I call it "Gel Board Math" and I tell students that Math is everywhere!  While some students groan occasionally because Math is not their favorite subject, others get excited and enjoy it.  This week one student called out:  "I love Math!"  I responded that I love Math too!

.....Students in grades K-2 are learning how to move safely in our gymnasium and this week we were reading and acting out the story: "Ziny's Driving School" which was written by my friend and PE teacher Lynn Hefele.  In the story, Ziny learns how to drive her "Quasar", or space ship, safely at a variety of speeds.  One of the activities involves taking a Solar System Field Trip where students travel on the Inter-space Highway using hula hoops as their Quasars.  The idea is to travel to different planets and move in different ways when they arrive.  Students wanted to travel to Neptune, Mercury, Mars, and Pluto.  One student commented that Pluto wasn't a planet but wanted to travel there anyway!  As we were getting started, a student came over to me and said:  "Oh man!  I forgot my Quasar key!  Do you have an extra?"  I responded that I had an extra and I gave it to him.  He smiled, thanked me, started up his Quasar and went on his merry way!  It was so cute!  A few minutes later he came over to me again and said:  "Oh man!  I just got hit by a meteor!"  I asked him where it came from and he pointed it out to me.  After checking to make sure he was ok, I sent him back to the solar system.  What great fun we can have when students play along and use their imagination!  

.....One of our fourth grade classes participate in "Fun Food Friday" once a month.  During this activity students learn how to create their own healthy snack and then they take the recipe home to their families.  Each month the teacher creates the snack using the time of year as a theme.  This past Friday they made Apple Quesadilla's and brought me the recipe at the end of the day.  What a great way to incorporate healthy snacks and help families to make healthy choices too!  I was so glad that they thought to share it with me!

.....I received a gift this week from a student that was so unbelievably thoughtful and generous and it was truly a gift from her heart.  This student brought me a stuffed animal to be added to our Fitness Bear collection.  The students know that I love stuffed animals and we have quite a few that travel around the building, with me, with students, and even our building principal.  This particular stuffed animal is a dog with a Mets' hoodie.  She named him "Baseball Brad"!  Almost all of our animals have alliterative names such as Fitness Frankie, Muscle Missy, Cardio Cal, Exercise Ernie, Healthy Hannah, and this student decided to continue the theme!  I can't wait to add him to our collection and get him started on some healthy adventures of his own! Isn't he adorable!  

I hope you enjoyed the "Best Parts of My Week"!  Visit my website:  North Park Physical Education to find out more about our Physical Education program.