Dennis M. Docheff

Get Kids Moving in the Classroom

15 JOPERD • Volume 81 No. 9 • November/December 2010 Teching T ps Classroom-based physical activity not only has health benefits for students, but learning benefits as well (Blaydes-Madigan, 2004; Mahar et al., 2006). Integrating physical activity into academic content is a valuable aspect of the school day for both students and teachers. However, many classroom teachers are unaware that movement activity provides benefits to children. Also, as a result of increased expectations of academic test scores, many classroom teachers feel their contact time with students is too valuable to spend in movement activity. Therefore, it behooves physical educators to educate and assist classroom teachers in creating avenues to include movement in their regular teaching day. In accordance with the National Association for Sport and Physical Education’s (2008) position statement, Comprehensive School Physical Activity Programs, physical educators must advocate for more movement activity for children throughout the school day. The purpose of this article is to provide specific ideas that can be shared with classroom teachers in order to enhance the level of physical activity in students.

Dodgeball: Beware of Litigation

Lindaman ex rel. Lindaman v. Vestal Central School District 785 N.Y.S.2d 549 New York Appellate Division, Third Department November 18, 2004

Ways Sport Coaches Can Fit In With the Faculty

With the reduction in the number of teachers who also coach, schools are hiring more coaches that are not teachers. For the non-teaching coach, fitting in with the educational staff can be difficult, especially when the coach is new to the school building. Some teachers have a belief that non-teaching sport coaches are there to play sports and win games only, and are not concerned about the academic performance of athletes. This perception can make it difficult for coaches to fit in with the rest of the staff. Sport coaches need to create a plan to in order to fit in. This plan must be purposeful and specific; coaches must do as much as possible to endear themselves to other faculty and staff. This article provides 10 specific ideas on how coaches could do this. Readers are encouraged to consider these ideas with their specific teaching/coaching situations in mind, and adapt them in a way that works for them.

Helping Students THRIVE—A Two-Way Street

At the University of Central Missouri (UCM), the THRIVE program is made up of young adults, ages 18 to 25, who have developmental or intellectual disabilities. A merger occurred between the THRIVE program and the adapted physical education course required for physical education teacher education (PETE) students to provide practical experiences for the PETE majors to work with students with special needs, and to provide THRIVE students with meaningful learning experiences related to fitness, skill and healthy lifestyles. Most importantly, all students develop positive relationships. This merger — THRIVE PE program — has led to positive outcomes for both the PETE students and the THRIVE students. The purpose of this article is to share the “nuts and bolts” of how this program works so others in PETE programs can consider adopting a similar course of action for their students. The hope is that this article will serve as a springboard for the development of similar programs that benefit both PETE students and students with special needs.

The HEART of Coaching

This article challenges coaches to address the more personal, human elements of coaching—the HEART of coaching. While there is much research on numerous aspects of coaching, this article provides ideas that make a lasting impact on the hearts of athletes. Using HEART as an acronym, five elements of effective coaching are presented: Humility, Encouragement, Authenticity, Relationships, and Toughness.

Drive for Competence

17 JOPERD • Volume 78 No. 4 • April 2007 The National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE, 2004) defi ned a physically educated person as one who possesses the knowledge, skills, and confi dence to engage in physical activity throughout life. The concern regarding the sedentary habits of children has increased signifi cantly over the past decade (NASPE & American Heart Association, 2006), and physical educators now have the responsibility of teaching students the skills needed to be physically active for a lifetime. Golf is a popular lifetime sport, yet it is often overlooked in physical education, especially in elementary school. When elementary teachers choose to teach the drive for distance, the learning environment sometimes lacks the necessary adjustments to address the developmental diversity of the students in a given class. In order to create skilled and confi dent movers, the instruction that students receive must be thoughtfully planned and executed. Rink (2006) suggested that four criteria should be met if students are to have a good learning experience: (1) each lesson must have the potential to improve students’ skill level, (2) students should be maximally involved in appropriate practice, (3) practice should be based on the experiential level of the students, and (4) the experience should integrate the three domains of learning. As a novice physical education teacher, I taught striking with implements and the drive for distance (the golf swing) to my students. However, when assessing student learning it became clear that my students were not very successful. Through refl ective analysis of my teaching, I concluded that my choices regarding organization, equipment, and teaching progression resulted in low rates of student success, increased levels of student frustration, and decreased levels of confi dence for many students. In short, the instruction that my students received was less than ideal and did not meet the criteria set forth by Rink (2006). Based on my experience, the purpose of this article is to give elementary teachers fi ve tips that will help establish a productive learning environment in golf.

Making Wise Technology Purchases

10 JOPERD • Volume 77 No. 8 • October 2006 Typical physical education budgets appear to be shrinking, and teachers are being forced to make do with less. Consequently, it is increasingly diffi cult to fi nd the money for equipment replacement, much less to purchase new technology in physical education. However, when used correctly, technology holds a great deal of educational power. Technology can be applied using methods that improve learning to a previously unattainable level. Therefore, with limited resources being allocated to physical education programs, it is important that physical educators make wise decisions when purchasing technology. The purpose of this “teaching tip” is to share six key factors to assist physical educators in making such decisions.

When You Get Angry, Keep Your C.O.O.L.

Abstract Koffman v. Garnett, Supreme Court of Virginia, 574 S.E.2d 258 (2003)