Teacher Input Form 2 by Bethany Christensen

Students take initiative to adjust the physical environment

bchristensen29_1 — 2022-12-05 04:53:02 UTC

- An example of this would be during the gymnastics unit, a student in first grade asked me if they could grab an extra mat to add to their current mat so that they could create a larger space for them to perform the activities for that lesson.
- While a group of 3rd grade students were taking their hockey end of unit assessment, one of the last students taking it noticed a group of pencils that were left out from another group and put them away with hers to help out.
- Overall, there are students almost every day that help clean up equipment without even being asked to.

Extending learning through technology

bchristensen29_1 — 2022-12-05 04:55:09 UTC

- In the gymnastics unit, 3rd-5th graders used their Ipads to create and and share their routines. This is an example of a group's Google sheet from the routines. This way, students could quickly fill out the sheet, have their information saved, have it shared with me, and even fill more of it out outside of PE if need be.

Safety precautions are a high priority in the gym

bchristensen29_1 — 2022-12-05 04:56:02 UTC

- Not only am I constantly monitoring classes in the gym, but we are thinking about the classes that are coming into the gym next in case we need to change anything according to the grade level and/or specific students or classes' needs. This includes moving larger and/or harder objects out of the way, making sure everything is cleaned up properly, wiping down equipment, and making sure the physical space is being used logically. (EX - Last week a fifth grade class left a scooter out while they were lining up and someone grabbed a basketball and shot it, but when they jumped and landed while shooting, their feet accidentally landed on the scooter because they couldn't see it from their position. In this example, the student didn't actually fall down which is good, but they were reminded on why it's important to follow directions and clean up properly.

Effective Management Strategies

bchristensen29_1 — 2022-12-05 05:00:37 UTC

- Using teacher body placement
- "the look" used daily, especially for grades K-2
- Talking one on one with the student about their behavior
- As an absolute last resort, sitting kids out if I have to (for about one minute before talking to them)
- If there are a lot of students putting equipment away at the same time - being creative with how to stagger who puts away their stuff first
- Another example would be today when I had a first grade class in the gym with me and we do a "skipping routine" with them a lot to practice their locomotors, and there were students not following directions. So we came back and had a chat, then I had them try it again until they got it right. Staying consistent on these management strategies is absolutely crucial to running a smooth class.

Filling out behavior charts

bchristensen29_1 — 2022-12-05 19:34:12 UTC

- Every day there are students that come in with behavior charts that need to be filled out with how they did with the things they are trying to improve on. By filling these out, it helps me understand more about that students' behaviors by asking them questions and discussing with them about their behavior that day.

Discussing specific behaviors one on one

bchristensen29_1 — 2022-12-05 19:36:50 UTC

- One day, I was doing a parachute activity with a group of second graders. During the brief instructions, the same student began talking to the person next to them about two or three times. Once I got the rest of the class going with the activity, I pulled that student aside to discuss why that is distracting and not respectful behavior. I'll usually remind them that they can talk with friends at lunch and recess but not while we're teaching.

Re explaining content to students

bchristensen29_1 — 2022-12-05 19:38:53 UTC

- Whenever discussing new concepts or skills, sometimes there are students that have extra questions. In these cases, I am able to re explain it to them in a different way and ensure that they understand. An example of this would be during our hockey unit, at least five different students in 3rd-5th grade asked me to show them again how to perform a face off.

Students helping each other

bchristensen29_1 — 2022-12-05 19:41:42 UTC

- An example of this would be during our gymnastics unit, a fourth grade student was helping another person in their group and telling them "I think your knee is supposed to go here instead".

Getting to know and catching up with students

bchristensen29_1 — 2022-12-06 04:55:13 UTC

- Every day if time allows, I talk with students about their day, their weekend, their siblings, hobbies, etc. to get to know them and let them know that I care about them. An example of this would be leading up to break during the basketball unit, there was a first grade girl that told me she was interested in playing basketball outside of school. I told her to tell her parents at home about it and let me know what they say since there is for sure some type of YMCA or other community place where she could join a Basketball team somewhere and remembered to follow up with her a couple days later about it.

Encouragement and having a growth mindset

bchristensen29_1 — 2022-12-06 04:56:18 UTC

- Going along with our framework this year, having a growth mindset is so important especially in PE since it is such a visual subject and therefore may be discouraging for some students if they feel as if they aren't doing "good enough". There are little quotes posted around the office and the gym saying things like "Never give up". I also like to show students a quick motivational video clip every once in awhile such as this video of Elmo I used when teaching Kindergarten Basketball this past week that showed Elmo wanting to shoot the basketball all on his own, teaching the students the importance of integrity and how it's okay to work long and hard for things.
- During gymnastics routines, students showed a lot of respect by being good audience members, smiling, and clapping for each other.

Students giving other students reminders

bchristensen29_1 — 2022-12-06 05:02:11 UTC

- We frequently need to take turns for different things in PE, and in doing so some students may get excited and 'cut' other students. Instead of getting upset, I've heard multiple students kindly remind each other "Remember, we're supposed to be taking turns for this".

Everyday rules, routines, and expectations

bchristensen29_1 — 2022-12-06 05:08:02 UTC

- Students know where to put their Ipads, coats, and winter gear when they come into the gym.
- Students know which entrance and exit to line up at at the beginning and end of class.
- Students know to come in and place their stuff down and we typically meet in the middle of the gym if possible, or on the black lines if the curtain is down.
- Students also know that when the music stops and/or the whistle is blown, to immediately freeze and listen for directions on what to do next.
- Students with point sheets know to put them on the table when they come in.
- Once they sit down, students know when we say "Ch ch.. ch ch ch" that they need to repeat it and remain quiet thereafter.

Always trying to target all the types of learners

bchristensen29_1 — 2022-12-08 02:00:10 UTC

- Using auditory cues
- Having lots of visuals
- Using students when demonstrating can help kinesthetic leaners

Attached is an example of the visual cues for the K-2 gymnastics unit.

Productive use of time

bchristensen29_1 — 2023-01-23 17:40:11 UTC

- Knowing which grades/classes can clean up quicker, allowing them to continue their activity for a longer period of time. An example of this was today 1/23/23 with the three 5th grade classes today. I also take into consideration that after 4th grade is leaving and 2nd grade is coming in, we might need to clean up sooner if we are switching the equipment in between.
- This goes both ways, as we know which classes may take a bit longer to clean up, so making sure we leave extra time to clean up.
- Always having extra activities planned in case some classes may go through things a bit quicker than others ie. I typically go through lessons quicker with my 5th grade classes whereas with the same lesson/skills with 3rd grade will probably take a little longer to refine. An example of this would be during our hockey unit when 5th grade finished the drills with perfection early, they had more time for gameplay whereas my 4th and 3rd grade classes spent a bit more time on the drills and a little less on gameplay as planned.

Classroom is arranged for learning activities that promote growth

bchristensen29_1 — 2023-01-23 20:05:05 UTC

- An example of this is towards the end of the hockey unit with just one 3rd grade class in the gym, I had them begin their assessment on one side of the gym, and when they were finished they could use some of the equipment on the other side of the gym freely until everybody had their assessment completed to efficiently use space and in a safe manner.

Calling students by name

bchristensen29_1 — 2023-01-25 22:06:13 UTC

- I call students by their name/nickname always when possible. By knowing a students' name and using it when addressing them, it is proven to be more effective in growing that relationship with them as well as managing behaviors. This also shows them that I respect them and make sure that they feel welcomed in our environment.

Students helping each other

bchristensen29_1 — 2023-01-25 22:08:15 UTC

- Today (1/25) there was a great example of this as second graders were in the gym and one student was on the ground with their shoes untied. Another student came up to them and offered to help them tie their shoes.

Students take initiative in learning beyond the classroom by asking to do an activity sheet again at home

bchristensen29_1 — 2023-04-03 20:06:01 UTC

On 4/3/23, a third grade student asked me at the end of class if she could take an extra sheet from the fitness activity home so she could do it with her brother. This completely made my day as I show passion for my love of fitness to my students.

Students play an active role in PE. They feel connected and that their opinions are valued.

bchristensen29_1 — 2023-12-01 21:32:24 UTC

I just recently had all the 4th-5th grade students write down some song requests that they'd want on the new music playlist I'm creating. I decided to do this to get some fresh sounds going in the gym and this way students are hearing more music that they love to hear. This will motivate them more, engage them more, and ultimately make sure they're feeling happy and valued in our environment.

Students are consistently fostering productive dialogue and reflection during lessons.

bchristensen29_1 — 2023-12-01 21:36:32 UTC

We always discuss what we're learning that day in class towards the beginning, I ask questions beforehand to get some baseline knowledge from them, and structure my questions around their answers.
An example of this is during our Volleyball bumping lesson in 4th grade, a student asked "Why do you use your legs when bumping? Is that for momentum?" To which I responded "Exactly! Using your legs also allows you to move to get the ball if it comes to you a little bit too forward, backward, or sideways as well.

Students play an active role in PE. They feel connected and that their opinions are valued.

bchristensen29_1 — 2023-12-11 16:03:09 UTC

Productive collaboration

bchristensen29_1 — 2023-12-11 16:05:21 UTC

During our jump rope unit, students in 4th and 5th grade worked together in groups to create and perform jump rope routines. Students took responsibility of their own level of challenge that they could add to their routine. This group in particular did a fantastic job bringing in another element that they enjoy (football). This shows me that not only did they follow directions and put effort into this routine, but they are able to take an activity (jump rope) which may not be their favorite, but make it fun so that they can enjoy creating their routines.

Modeling and teaching habits of character

bchristensen29_1 — 2023-12-11 16:14:59 UTC

There's a student that has been having a hard time in PE especially with her mindset and has been not wanting to participate. She was hiding underneath near the bleachers, so I went to go talk with her to see what it was about. She was upset about multiple little things that had happened during that day so far. I told her "you know those things do stink to happen, but they will happen in life. There will always be little things that could bring you down, but it's up to you to put on your rose colored sunglasses and see the bright side of things instead of focusing on the negatives." Giving her this metaphor turned her tears into a smile and helped her get back in the game. Teaching students to have a positive growth mindset is something we definitely work on a lot during PE time.

Modifications to environment are made to accommodate individual needs

bchristensen29_1 — 2023-12-14 14:48:17 UTC

A huge example of this is the squad spots I have for my students in the gym. These are utilized to spread students out, have them organized, lets students have an area that is 'theirs', and also allows me to move students around if there are any issues with another student around them. I have adjusted about 5 students' spots throughout this year for minor conflicts and it has worked out well.

Students take initiative in designing the space

bchristensen29_1 — 2023-12-14 14:54:52 UTC

Students in PE have plenty of lessons where they can take initiative in designing their own space. During the last week of October, one of our holiday stations included allowing students to build their own 'corn maze' with the gymnastics mats which allowed them to be creative and make what they want.

Students actively maintain expectations and critically reflect on their own and as a group

bchristensen29_1 — 2023-12-14 14:57:48 UTC

Usage of squad spots
Reflecting as a group - vocally together at the end
Reflecting on their own - self check with "thumbs up, thumbs down", "1, 2, 3, or 4", or self check assessment sheets at the end of a unit