Running head: PHYSICAL EDUCATION 1

Physical Education

Candidates prepare physically educated students who will be able to:

A. Demonstrate competency in motor and movement skills needed to perform a variety of

physical activities.

B. Apply movement concepts to the learning and performance of physical activities

C. Participate regularly in physical activity.

D. Apply fitness concepts to achieve and maintain a health-enhancing level of personal

fitness.

E. Exhibit personal and social behavior that respects self and others in physical activity

settings.

F. Value physical activity for health, enjoyment, challenge, self-expression, and/or social

interaction.

Physical education is essential for the health and wellbeing of our students. Elementary

students need physical education to help them develop gross motor skills as well as exercise

habits and attitudes that set them up for a healthy life (Hastie & Martin, 2006). Alaska’s Physical

Education standards require us to teach inclusive physical education that focuses on fitness,

teaches skills that lead to lifelong participation in and enjoyment of physical activity, enhances

social development and “embraces the unique challenges of Alaska's geographic location,

cultural diversity, climate, and local school structure” (DEED, no date, p. 1). Team sports are a

vital part of life in Alaska’s small rural communities where extracurricular options are limited

and students need activities to keep them physically fit and busy during the long winter months.

To set students up for a healthy life we need a physical education program that respects students’
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developmental levels, builds skills, ties in with community activities and encourages an

enjoyment of physical activity.

The soccer lesson for Kindergarten – 1st grade students shows my ability to teach motor

and movement skills and prepare physically educated students who enjoy and participate

regularly in physical activity and use good sportsmanship.

Effective physical education “extends experiences from in-class activity lessons to

community and family activities, promoting a physically active lifestyle” (NASPE, 2009, p.12).

My goal in creating the soccer lesson was to help students build the lifelong habit of exercise by

engaging them in a fun physical activity that they could enjoy playing recreationally for many

years to come. Soccer is a team sport that provides great exercise and can be played here in

Ketchikan. The Ketchikan Youth Soccer League (KYSL) offers summer and winter

opportunities for students from preschool – 12th grade to play recreational soccer. I got involved

with KYSL when my own children were preschoolers and I have been coaching and refereeing

soccer ever since. I am no expert, but I enjoy playing soccer with my family and coaching

recreational teams. I created the soccer lesson to introduce young students to soccer, help them

build the skills they need to play soccer on the playground and perhaps inspire them to sign up

for KYSL’s indoor soccer season.

The early elementary years are a crucial time for motor skill development: this is the time

when children need to learn the basic movements involved in sports so that they continue to

progress to higher level of skills as they grow (Pangrazi, 2007). Learning new motor skills also

helps students build self-esteem as they master ever more challenging skills (Barney &

Christenson, 2014). The soccer lesson focused on teaching the basic motor skills involved in

soccer: dribbling, kicking (or passing) and moving in a zig-zag pattern. The lesson utilized
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instructional best practices. It included a goofy anticipatory set to hook student interest; a quick

review of prior knowledge; explicit instruction in and modelling of the skills, games that provide

students with enjoyable ways to work on motor skills and opportunities for assessment and

feedback to help students improve (Pangrazi, 2007).

One of the most underrated aspects of physical education is the development of social

skills that apply to sports participation and to everyday life. In physical education students learn

“behaviors that promote personal and group success in the activity setting, including

safe practices, adherence to rules and procedures, etiquette, cooperation and teamwork, ethical

behavior, and positive social interaction” (Barney & Christenson, 2014. p.46). These skills

develop over many years and with much practice. It is important for teachers to respect

children’s developmental levels when planning physical education learning experiences

(NASPE, 2009). The K-1 soccer lesson was designed to provide developmentally appropriate

social skill practice. Students in the lower elementary years need many opportunities to practice

moving safely and recognizing and following rules to build the social skills required for sports

participation (Barney & Christenson, 2014). The soccer lesson provided developmentally

appropriate social skills practice: the statues game allowed young students to practice following

simple rules and moving safely in the space without requiring teamwork or placing them in

direct competition with each other.

According to the National Association for Sport and Physical Education, (2009, p. 3) “the

outcome of a developmentally and instructionally appropriate physical education program is an

individual who has the knowledge, skills and confidence to become and remain physically active

for a lifetime”. As a classroom teacher and coach, I endeavor to help children learn the benefits
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of physical fitness, the skills that they need to participate in sports and develop a lifelong habit of

physical activity by participating in activities available in our community.

References

Barney, D., & Christenson, R. (2014). Elementary-aged students’ perceptions regarding

appropriate instructional practices in physical education. Physical Educator, 71(1), 41–

58.

DEED, (No date). Alaska physical education standards. Retrieved from:

https://education.alaska.gov/schoolhealth/pestandards

Hastie, P., & Martin, E. (2006). Teaching elementary physical education: Strategies for the

classroom teacher. San Francisco, CA: Benjamin Cummings.

NASPE, (2009). Appropriate instruction guidelines for elementary school physical education.

Retrieved from http://thenewpe.com/misc/Appropriate%20practices%202009-ES.pdf.

Pangrazi, R (2007). Dynamic physical education for elementary school children, 15th Ed. San

Francisco, CA: Pearson.