In this short webinar, Dr. Robert Pangrazi, Dr. Patrick Fine, Ken Dyar, and Andy Tupy discuss why having an essential equipment list is important for all Physical Education programs. Watch the full webinar here. Looking for a place to start? Download Gopher’s free inventory checklist available as a printed or digital document ..read more

Circuit workouts are a great way to maximize activity time in PE and train a variety of muscles. The Tabata “Move it Forward” circuit (20 seconds on, 10 second rest) has students working on their cardio as well as strengthening the core, lower body and upper body. Description of the Circuit: Toe Touches: Starting at the way back, students use the STEPerfect Fitness Steps and alternate toe touches. Feet Together In and Outs: This circuit is a great core exercise. Students keep their feet together and move them to each side of the cone without letting them touch the ground. Mountain Climbers: M ..read more

Golf as we know it today originated from a game played on the eastern coast of Scotland where players would hit a pebble around a natural course of sand dunes, rabbit runs, and tracks using a stick or handmade club. Golf is a sport that truly has lifetime implications. People of all ages, men and women, boys and girls alike enjoy it, and is an activity that can be taught in all levels of Physical Education. Golf teaches mental discipline, and mathematical skills for calculation, angle, wind speed, and scoring. Golf is both an individual sport that can be played that way or in a team format. It ..read more

[0:02] Character education is important. How do we add bits of character education into our days without compromising activity time? [0:41] I recently taught a lesson in perseverance or grit and honesty using physical challenge. We began the class by defining perseverance or grit and honesty. Students had a discussion with me about what they thought it meant and how they thought we would see it in our lesson for the day. [1:00] Then we connected the traits to our activity. Our challenges included climbing the rope, jump rope, pogo stick, ball transfer, and the noodle flipping catch. For more ..read more

This month the PE Huddle will focus on “Promoting Lifetime Activities in Secondary Schools.” For the past 40 years, physical education professionals have talked about the importance of graduating students who will be physically active throughout their lifespan. We will discuss and analyze why this important goal has not taken hold in many of America’s schools. Join us as Brett Fuller, Past President of SHAPE America, and Maria Corte, Southwest District High School Teacher of the Year, offer perspective and advice for personal and curricular changes that will help assure we graduate students wh ..read more

Stretching and Yoga are some of the most beneficial movements you can add to your PE program. Not every student is comfortable with these types of movements. Check out a few ways to help students with their balance, flexibility, and coordination while keeping them engaged and interested.  1. Build It Into a Routine for Every Class As teachers, our daily lessons reflect what we want our students to learn and be able to do. If we add stretching/yoga to our daily routines, students will get more comfortable and confident in these movements. A perfect time to add this is during your fit ..read more

Don’t let classroom management barriers become reasons to avoid facilitating team or group activities.  The skills that contribute to being a good teammate are skills that will help maintain positive relationships throughout life and they need to be explicitly taught. Because of the opportunity for students to be on teams, physical education provides an ideal platform to facilitate these valuable life skills that connect with social-emotional learning.  Research clearly indicates that healthy relationships have a big impact on happiness and happiness has a definite impact on health ..read more

Think about when you were in elementary school. Wasn’t your field day the most fun day of the school year every single year? That is my field day goal for my students every year. How can you create a field day that your students will never forget?  Be Organized:  Date: Schedule your field day date and back-up day way in advance. I plan my day the year before so that it is on the master calendar that goes home to families at the beginning of the school year. We live in Colorado, so mother nature can sometimes interfere with your plan.  I always have a back-up day that is c ..read more

Planning a Non-Competitive Field Day! Spring is here!  What does that mean for PE teachers?  FIELD DAY is happening soon!  You can feel the buzz in the air.  No, I am not talking about bees cause it’s spring.  It is the excitement that students have for field day.  Field days are a chance for students to be active and celebrate the end of the school year coming.  Traditional field days are typically about competitions between the same grade levels.  Did you ever think about hosting a non-competitive field day for the entire school community?  Th ..read more

It is nearing the end of the year and it’s time to plan one of your biggest events, field day! It can be a big undertaking with trying to figure out the theme, each event, how many volunteers you will need, organizing a schedule, and what dates/times work best. I hope in reading this blog you can take away some tips and suggestions that you find useful in creating your event. What is Field Day? Field day is an event used to commemorate the school year coming to an end, usually held in May or June.  Field day includes engaging in moderate to vigorous activities that are developmentally app ..read more