We have a wonderful community surrounding us here at Ridgecrest. We have an amazing PTA that supports our teachers and students. We have a Parks Department and YMCA that run programs for people of all different ages and backgrounds. We have tons of parks with running trails, walking tracks, skateboard ramps, and playing fields. We have businesses that donate time, materials, and money to many of our school causes. And we have athletic programs that love to share their materials and time to promote themselves as well as their area of expertise.
I love having programs such as the First Tee of American or Spin Alley provide curriculum as well as materials to our PE program each year. It opens up many more possibilities for things that our students might find that they love. It also promotes activities that are close to each of our students as they come from locations mainly in the city of Shoreline.
The First Tee of America (golf) and Spin Alley (bowling) have been a fantastic addition to our PE program. I am always looking for more ideas of programs that would offer their time and materials to allow our students to experience new things. If you know of a program that might fit our needs, please let me know. Or if there is something that you would like me to look into, please offer suggestions.
Thanks,
Allyn Woods
Monday, November 24, 2008
Monday, November 17, 2008
It's amazing
I just had one of those moments that is truly amazing to me.
We started our unit on basketball today and all of my classes have been enjoying the beginning techniques (primary) and more advanced techniques (intermediate) of the game. As everyone knows, the students that come to me each day come with different levels of experiences and knowledge. This is always very evident in basketball.
In one of my classes I had three students who found it more entertaining to point, laugh, and make fun of a few students who were struggling. It's a given that there will be students who struggle in each of my classes and I strive to make the gym a safe environment to be in. I emphasize each year that the gym is a place to make mistakes and through those mistakes students will learn. What was so unique about this instance was that these three individuals were students whom I know struggle mightely in the classroom. Whether it be math, reading, or writing these guys had the gall to make fun of their classmates at the one time when they needed their support. They even chose the students who excel in the classroom and students that would never laugh or point fingers at them when they can't figure out a math problem or read a passage.
This turned out to be a great teaching moment for all of us. I don't believe that these students were thinking clearly. Maybe they were excited to finally be better at something. Maybe they had never noticed how respectful these classmates are when they are better at something. Whatever it might have been, this moment made it very easy to make them think about their choices. I believe that after our discussion they will all be better people.
We started our unit on basketball today and all of my classes have been enjoying the beginning techniques (primary) and more advanced techniques (intermediate) of the game. As everyone knows, the students that come to me each day come with different levels of experiences and knowledge. This is always very evident in basketball.
In one of my classes I had three students who found it more entertaining to point, laugh, and make fun of a few students who were struggling. It's a given that there will be students who struggle in each of my classes and I strive to make the gym a safe environment to be in. I emphasize each year that the gym is a place to make mistakes and through those mistakes students will learn. What was so unique about this instance was that these three individuals were students whom I know struggle mightely in the classroom. Whether it be math, reading, or writing these guys had the gall to make fun of their classmates at the one time when they needed their support. They even chose the students who excel in the classroom and students that would never laugh or point fingers at them when they can't figure out a math problem or read a passage.
This turned out to be a great teaching moment for all of us. I don't believe that these students were thinking clearly. Maybe they were excited to finally be better at something. Maybe they had never noticed how respectful these classmates are when they are better at something. Whatever it might have been, this moment made it very easy to make them think about their choices. I believe that after our discussion they will all be better people.
Monday, November 10, 2008
I Love November
One of my favorite months is here! I love the trees changing colors, the rain coming back with a vengeance, and the thought that Turkey Day is just around the corner.
It's also a nice time to be a PE teacher. Students have settled into their classrooms and all of the introductions are out of the way. Here at Ridgecrest it also means that fitness testing is over or at least very close to being over. This means we can finally move on to new skill development and tons of success oriented activities.
For the month of November we are going to begin our annual unit on Basketball. As I have loved basketball throughout my life, I have a hard time teaching just basketball skills so I combine the skills with games to keep the kids moving. The basic skills of the game are important and I don't believe that there is any better way to learn the game then by getting on a team and getting into a game situation. As a PE teacher though, I know my students come from all different backgrounds and experiences. Some students have a great wealth of knowledge for the game and some have had very limited exposure to it. As a result, I try to blend my teaching to allow each student to be successful and motivated. It's sort of like our classroom teachers and how they need to challenge their gifted math students so they don't get bored. I need to do the same for our gifted basketball players so that they are intrigued by my class as well as the new students who are learning to dribble and shoot for the first time.
For some students this can be a tough thing to swallow. Students want to compete. Students want to show what they can do. I work hard to allow these students to use this chance to help others. As I tell all of my classes, everyone can be a great teacher.
Well, that's it for now. Just one question for you all.
Is there anyone out there?
Thanks,
Allyn Woods
It's also a nice time to be a PE teacher. Students have settled into their classrooms and all of the introductions are out of the way. Here at Ridgecrest it also means that fitness testing is over or at least very close to being over. This means we can finally move on to new skill development and tons of success oriented activities.
For the month of November we are going to begin our annual unit on Basketball. As I have loved basketball throughout my life, I have a hard time teaching just basketball skills so I combine the skills with games to keep the kids moving. The basic skills of the game are important and I don't believe that there is any better way to learn the game then by getting on a team and getting into a game situation. As a PE teacher though, I know my students come from all different backgrounds and experiences. Some students have a great wealth of knowledge for the game and some have had very limited exposure to it. As a result, I try to blend my teaching to allow each student to be successful and motivated. It's sort of like our classroom teachers and how they need to challenge their gifted math students so they don't get bored. I need to do the same for our gifted basketball players so that they are intrigued by my class as well as the new students who are learning to dribble and shoot for the first time.
For some students this can be a tough thing to swallow. Students want to compete. Students want to show what they can do. I work hard to allow these students to use this chance to help others. As I tell all of my classes, everyone can be a great teacher.
Well, that's it for now. Just one question for you all.
Is there anyone out there?
Thanks,
Allyn Woods
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