Andrew Bennett teaches in the mental health junior high program at John Ware. I enjoy being outside and talking about stuff.
This year at John Ware we have been lucky enough to receive a grant through the Ed Matters program to enrich our classroom through mindful activity. Part of this grant has allowed our team to purchase two exercise bikes to use in the classroom, as a complement to instruction. Students use the bike multiple times throughout their day as a way to help build in movement breaks. These help them to regulate their emotions and increase their ability to focus and sustain their attention on their activities each day. We have students coming in the morning who will go straight to the bike, and others that build it into transitions (like class change) throughout their day. Some of our students are tracking their distances, and some go on to have social time with a peer. We have seen students that struggle to start their day (think head on desk!) independently use the bikes to get themselves ready for school! It has been an awesome addition to the classroom and is incredible to see students choosing active strategies to manage their mental health!
Andrew Bennett teaches in the mental health junior high program at John Ware. I enjoy being outside and talking about stuff.
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When I brought the idea of a mock Caldecott to my grade six students in January, my passion for picture books easily spilled over. The Caldecott Medal is awarded every year to the most distinguished American picture book. Read aboutour process, including how we came to understand the criteria used by the Caldecott committee and which books won us over at: http://langevingrade6-210.weebly.com. The real magic happened on February 2nd, when we arrived at school ready to select our winner and eager to hear what the actual committee had decided. Following our own selection process, we watched the ALA Youth Media Awards. With the entire class huddled together on the floor, there were cheers for each honour book announced that was familiar to us. We paused the recording before the medal winner was announced and wondered if our medal book could be the actual winner. Sure enough, the cover of The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend by Dan Santat appeared on the screen. The entire class erupted,jumping up and cheering. They were ecstatic that the committee had agreed that Beekle deserved thedistinguished prize. Students are now regularly bringing my attention to books they are reading that have won various awards, noticing the silver or gold seals on the cover. We are currently developing a mock Caldecott for the kindergarten class and have been inspired to learn art in the style of the books we examined. We certainly have found a love of picture books! Brianne O’Sullivan (@brianne_o) strives to engage students in meaningful and authentic ways and aims to give students voice and ownership in their learning. She is a passionate learner, always wondering and seeking to grow. Building Physical Literacy Within Our School
A couple of keen and eager students came into the gym one afternoon as I was setting up for our Gymnastic Club eager to offer their assistance and organization with anything in the gym! Wouldn’t you know that the last couple of weeks I was contemplating what to offer my Grade One students during their noon hour activity time. I loved the idea of allowing them the time to engage, practice, and perform their fundamental movement skills in a fun way. And what better way than by having other students prepare and assist others to be physically literate. With some creativity these two PALS (Physical Activity Leadership Students) took on the creative process of organizing our Physical Literacy Activity Club!
I see our leadership students not only engaged in physical activity but get so excited about generating new ideas and sharing their creativity to assist others in our school all the while continuing on their own journeys to being physically literate! From our Me to WE Warm Up Dancers for our Terry Fox Run, to our Equipment Managers that help with organizing our P.E. Equipment, to our PALS in Gymnastics Club for our Division One students to our PALS with our new Physical Literacy Activity Club, they have become more than PALS to me. As they share their expertise with others in our school, they are on their own journey of becoming Physically Active Literacy Students.
Jennifer Schoenberger teaches Physical Education at Olympic Heights School. The Importance of Variety
‘They’ say that variety is the spice of life. I’m not sure who ‘they’ are but I believe it is our duty as teachers to make this a reality for our students in physical education. We never know what sport, activity or exercise might grab them. We never know what experience might shape their future. It might be a favourite game they learn in class or perhaps they see an athlete’s performance that sparks their desire to try a new sport.
This year we are expanding on the phys ed staples and giving students a crack at ‘new-to-them’ activities such as speed skating, skiing, snowboarding and inline skating. We are bringing our grade 5 and 6 students to the Tim Hortons Brier to experience Canada’s best in men’s curling. Classroom teachers are learning new fit break activities they can use in their class on a daily basis as quick energizers to spur learning. As elementary teachers, we don’t always see the fruits of our labour immediately in our students. Ideas, learning and habits often need time to percolate. A few years ago I had a former student receiving a school award for excellence in floor hockey. In his speech he thanked me for teaching him not only the skills of floor hockey, but for teaching him persistence and determination. You never know what will grab your students or when it might take hold, but without variety they may never find that something that keeps them active for a lifetime. Michael Vahaaho teaches a little bit of everything at Catherine Nichols Gunn School. He is a sports enthusiast who has more superhero t-shirts than a grown man should.
“Miss Atwal, watch me!”
“I did it!” These are just a couple of things I hear on a regular basis during Phys Ed classes at Panorama Hills School. Over the past year, Mr. Fen-Mac and I have been working to build the physical literacy of our students on a daily basis. What is physical literacy? PHE Canada defines a physically literate person as one who can “..move with competence and confidence in a wide variety of physical activities in multiple environments that benefit the healthy development of the whole person.” Developing physical literacy is essential to providing children the ability to engage in physical activity later in life. By feeling confident in our ability (competence) to perform skills we are more likely to participate in new or familiar activities which keep us physically active. Our daily Phys Ed classes include building the ability of our students to maintain their balance, coordination and agility as they engage in activities which are not only fun and curricular based, but also target fundamental movements skills such as throwing, catching, running, jumping, etc. One of our most popular Phys Ed units is gymnastics, which begins with individual and partner balances (stork stand, knee balance), incorporates new environments and equipment (balance beams, A-frame ladders) and culminates in a ‘spy school’ Mission Impossible course. In order to prepare students to be able to traverse all the obstacles we create, we began working with students on equipment such as balance beams and A-frames, which are typically saved for gymnastics units, right at the beginning of the school year. By allowing students the opportunity to build their confidence in crossing a balance beam that is on the floor during the beginning of the year, when they see one on the A-frames a foot in the air during gymnastics, they are much more likely to challenge themselves to cross the now challenging equipment. Our mission impossible course included beams, benches and A-frames that crossed under each other, were on different angles and a substantial height off the ground. Our students not only challenged themselves to cross the obstacles presented but did so using the skills and confidence they had developed earlier in the year and without any prompting or ‘hints’ from staff. I have to say it was the most enjoyable Mission Impossible I have ever been a part of. For more information on Physical Literacy and Fundamental Movement Skills visit: http://www.phecanada.ca/programs/physical-literacy/what-physical-literacy/fundamental-movement-skills Jaskirat Atwal (@_jatwal) teaches Phys Ed in a K-3 school, promotes healthy and active citizens, loves food and sleep, would do anything for coffee or chocolate! Physical Literacy – Building Competence and Confidence in K-3 students
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