157 A+change+we+need+to+make+in+physical+education+is+the+view+that+getting+kids+in+shape+necessitates+lap+running+and+mind%2dnumbing+calisthenics%2e++Forcing+fitness+on+people+of+any+age+never+really+works+%2d+they+just+quit++when+participation+becomes+optional%21+More+effective%2c+is+to+encourage+youth++to+try+activities+that+are+fun%2c+physically+active%2c+and+leave+participants+wanting+more%2e+These+%26quot%3bphysically+educated%26quot%3b+students+then+become+adults++who+are+skillful%2c+physically+fit%2c+and+lead+healthy%2c+active+lifestyles%2e+We+risk+turning+kids+off+of+physical+education+when+we+always+start+lessons+off+with+running+or+exercises%2e+It%27s+time+for+a+change%2e
167 I+agree+with+Steve+Jefferies%2e++I+have+been+teaching+elementary+PE+for+22+years+and+have+gone+through+several+philosophical+changes%2e++For+years+I+had+children+running+laps%2c+circuit+training+%28pre%2dprogrammed+pauses+in+the+audio+music+tape+to+signal+a+switch%29%2clifting+small+weights%2c+dyna+bands%2c+bench+stepping%2c+etc+etc%2e++For+the+past+10+years+I+have+been+using+very+carefully+selected%2c+created%2c+and+modified+low+organized+games+to+meet+the+social%2c+emotional%2c+cognitive+and+physical+needs+of+my+students%2e++I+use+games+for+warm%2dups%2c+games+for+cardio%2c+games+for+strength%2c+games+for+flexibility%2e++I+use+no+traditional+ADULT+type+exercises%2e++My+kids+have+never+had+so+much+fun+and+gotten+such+a+great+workout+at+the+same+time%2e++Least+you+think+that+fitness+is+all+my+PE+program+is+about+I+use+games+to+develop+1%29perceptual+motor+skills%2c+2%29listening+skills%2c+3%29+social+skills%2c+4%29+the+ability+to+focus%2c+concentrate+and+persevere%2c+5%29+thinking+skills%2c+6%29+physical+abilities%2c+and+7%29+the+relaese+of+stress+and+excess+energy%2e++Often+times+these+other+objectives+and+the+fitness+objectives+can+be+accomplished+together+in+the+same+game%2e%0a%0aBrian+at+%5ctopurl%7bhttp%3a%2f%2fhometown%2eaol%2ecom%2ffitplay%2findex%2ehtml%2chttp%3a%2f%2fhometown%2eaol%2ecom%2ffitplay%2findex%2ehtml%7d
344 I+also+agree%2e++One+of+my+goals+in+my+programs+have+always+tried+to+make+it+fun+for+everyone%2e++Modifying+when+necessary+so+that+success+can+be+achieved%2e++Challenging%3f++I+have+never+heard+a+student+say+it+wasn%27t%2e++But%2c+they+did+it+and+had+fun+doing+it%2e+What+I+have+found+though+is+that+when+kids+feel+they+can+do+something+or+they+can+improve+they+have+more+fun+when+they+succeed%2e++%0a%0aYou+might+try+this+little+experiment+when+you+are+working+on+that+mile+run+requirement%2e+%0aAs+a+coach+I+know+as+many+of+you+do%2c+that+we+can+not+do+something+once+a+week+and+expect+great+changes%2e++Yet%2c+many+programs+still+require+the+kids+to+run+the+mile+once+a+week%2c+timed%2c+and+if+they+do+not+pass+it+in+a+certain+amount+of+time+they+fail%2e++Well%2c+it+was+my+classes+turn%2e++About+70+percent+would+walk%2c+20+percent+would+walk%2frun%2c+and+maybe+10+percent+would+jog+the+entire+mile%2e++After+the+first+trimester+I+told+my+students+that+we+were+going+to+try+something+a+little+bit+different%2e++We+would+only+test+in+the+mile+once+a+month%2e++We+would+run+1+lap+each+day+for+a+month%2e++Many+of+them+thought%2c+%26quot%3bI+could+do+that%2e%26quot%3b++For+those+kids+who+were+overweight+or+perhaps+PE+was+the+first+experience+in+any+physical+activity+they+saw+a+little+light+in+the+tunnle%2e++At+the+end+of+the+first+month+everyone+improved%2e++Times+were+better%2c+kids+who+walked+the+mile+jogged+half+or+the+entire+mile%2e++The+second+month+we+did+2+laps%2e++Times+continued+to+improve%2e++Best+of+all+the+fear+of+the+mile+wasn%27t+there%2e%0aA+little+change+to+our+games%2c+a+few+twists+in+our+norms%2c+and+we+have+some+fun+and+improved+programs+that+our+kids+enjoy+doing+and+help+us+to+get+out+of+the+rut+of+being+boring+and+old%2e
373 I+also+believe+there+needs+to+be+a+change+in+the+way+we+incorporate+physical+fitness+in+the+physical+education+program%2e+If+children+do+not+like+the+activity+that+they+are+participating+in%2c+then+they+are+not+going+to+want+to+do+it+and+they+certainly+aren%92t+going+to+do+it+out+side+of+the+class+room%2e+I+like+the+idea+of+playing+games+for+the+warm+up%2e+I+am+still+in+college%2c+but+when+I+was+observing+a+physical+education+class+the+instructor+had+the+children+go+into+instant+activity+as+soon+as+they+entered+the+classroom%2e+Not+only+did+it+save+time+but+it+also+was+fun+for+the+children%2e+Another+thing+I+believe+we+need+to+do+is+educate+the+older+children+on+fitness%2e+When+I+was+in+high+school+no+one+taught+me+how+easy+it+was+to+be+physically+fit%2e+I+didn%92t+realize+how+easy+it+was+to+stay+healthy+until+I+took+a+Lifetime+Fitness+course+in+college%2e+If+you+took+a+brisk+thirty+minute+walk+three+times+a+week+it+would+greatly+lower+your+risk+for+cardiovascular+disease%2e+You+could+even+break+it+up+into+ten+minute+increments+throughout+the+day%2e+If+we+could+somehow+integrate+this+type+of+information+into+our+classrooms%2c+then+I+feel+the+children+would+make+a+conscious+effort+to+stay+fit%2e