The California Department of Education adopted standards for Physical Education. These standards were adopted because state educators and health professionals realized that Physical Education needed to be more academic and substantive- not just teaching students “how” but “why”. In other words, Physical Education curriculum needed to be restructured. Teaching the “why” takes more effort than the “how”. Our nation is facing an obesity epidemic like never before and much of this epidemic is attributed to lack of knowledge about the body, fitness, nutrition and healthy habits. Therefore, my approach to Physical Education is to use the endless world of curriculum opportunities enabled through the state standards, my own expertise, National Standards for Professional Teaching, Common Core Standards and professional development, to provide a quality, progressive, academic, exploratory and student driven experience. I achieve this using different methods, primarily through physical movement but written curriculum as well. Although my curriculum is always a work in progress, it is genuinely designed to have a purpose and that purpose is to provide my students with the tools to become healthy adults. I often hear, “why do I have homework (and written work) in PE?” or “you don’t really need to learn anything in PE...it is PE?” as though Physical Education is a class that does not warrant an education. However, as I am finding through the long-term experiences of my students (and parents), the more that a student learns the more they can make smart choices about how to live a healthier life. My career path was not to “roll a ball out” or conduct “recess” but rather, educate and inform my students. Nothing is more powerful than knowledge and the best resource that I can provide my students is that knowledge. If you have any questions about my class mission, philosophy or simply what drives me, feel free to contact me. If my approach does not justify the need for a more quality physical education curriculum, check out a page I have created called, Why PE? which presents current research, literature and changes happening in the world of Physical Education and Nutrition. http://www.cde.ca.gov/CI/pe/cf/Why_PE.htmlshapeimage_2_link_0shapeimage_2_link_1
MY APPROACH TO PHYSICAL EDUCATION