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Teaching Strategies for Effective Health & Physical Education Instruction

 

~Effective Instruction is KEY to Student Success!~

 

Effective Health and Physical Education Instructors:

 

  • Motivate students and encourages (responsible) risk-taking

  • Believe in all student's ability to be successful

  • Believe that the learning of HPE is important

  • Conducts diagnostic assessment of prior knowledge and skills and base lessons on results

  • Provide developmentally appropriate activities

  • Provides appropriate level of challenge

  • Balance direct instruction with inquiry-based instruction

  • Encourages higher-order thinking, critical, and creative thinking

  • Incorporates participatory and hands-on activities into all lessons

  • Provides a wide range of activities and changes up the daily activity regularly so students don't get bored

 

Top 10 Tips for Teaching HPE

 

  1. Use a 'circle formation' to organize students so they don't need to worry about line leaders, butting, etc.

  2. Know your students names!

  3. Give clear, concise instructions! Students don't want to stand around listening to the teacher talk

  4. Get the students moving!

  5. Remind students of safety precautions

  6. Make it fun! You don't always have to play sports, playing games is very important for FMS and movement competency

  7. If you are playing games where students get 'out' make sure to get them back into the game quickly

  8. Use materials that are safe, easy to distribute, and fun -- like pool noodles!

  9. Use a big voice! The gym gets loud and you want to make sure everyone can hear you

  10. Be enthusiastic! Model to the students how you want them to be participating -- if you are reserved and quiet, they will act the same way

Essential Elements of a Lesson

 

  1. Learning outcomes are observable and clearly defined

  2. Determine instructional entry level and create activities that get students to that point by the end; a diagnostic assessment should be used to determine the entry level

  3. Use an engaging HOOK! to show students the learning outcomes

  4. Instruct on skill meaningfully in a short (30-60s), easy to understand manner

  5. Monitor and record student performance and provide formative assessment throughout the unit

  6. Use teaching cues to help give effective feedback to students (precise, action-oriented cues that provide students with enough information to make effective changes)

  7. Model Model Model skills so students know what they are expected to be doing

  8. Ensure understanding just as you would in the classroom to ensure everyone knows what they are to be doing

  9. Scaffold learning by providing guided practice with the instructor so you can provide feedback on form, technique, style, etc.

  10. Congregate at the end of the lesson to review learning, model the process again, or have students reflect on their learning experience

Instructional Approaches in HPE

 

- Instruction in HPE should help students develop the skills and knowledge they need to achieve the curriculum expectations and enjoy active living in their lives

 

- To be successful, instruction must be based on the belief that all students can be successful

 

  • Instruction should emphasize constructivist teaching and experiential learning: students learn best through inquiry, engagement, and student-initiated work. HPE instruction should balance direct instruction in content and skills with inquiry-based learning

 

  • Student achievement is enhanced by the development of higher-order thinking skills (HOT)

 

  • Students learn best by doing -- learning by doing and group activities enable students to develop personal and interpersonal skills as they acquire the knowledge, skills, and habits for active lifestyles

 

  • Students should have opportunities to participate in a wide range of activities which should be based on assessment of students individual needs, learning theory, and effective instructional practices 

 

  • Instruction must be developmentally appropriate -- differences in rates of maturation and prior learning experiences contribute to variability in ability

 

  • Instruction should be based on the fundamental principles of health and physical education

    • School, family, and community support

    • Physical activity as a vehicle for learning

    • Physical and emotional safety

    • Student-centred, skill-based learning

    • Balanced, integrated learning with relevance to students' lives

Differentiated Instruction

for Health and Physical Education

 

  • Teaching by Invitation -- giving students a chance to use what equipment and strategies they want to try

    • Give students time to explore different pieces of equipment and independence to see how they can use their skills and how they can use these pieces of equipment in the game/activity

  • Inter-task Variation -- increases or decreases the challenge for the student by changing the equipment, changing the space, or changing the time given

  • STTEP -- space, task, time, equipment, and people can be differentiated to meet students' needs

    • Space: increase or decrease the playing area to provide a challenge or increase probability of success

    • Task: vary the task to challenge or simplify it for our students

    • Time: change the amount of time given, or the amount of repetitions of an activity expected depending on ability

    • Equipment: vary the equipment based on ability (ex. type of ball  being used)

    • People: change or vary the amount of people in an activity based on student ability

  • Adjusting the method or pace of instruction

  • Using different types of resources

  • Allowing wider choice of topics

  • Adjusting the learning environment

  • Allowing choice in partners/groups or predetermining them

 

**An understanding of students' strengths and needs, as well as their prior knowledge, experiences, and emotional state help teachers plan effectively

 

Classroom Management Tips!

  • Establish consistent routines for entering and exiting the gymnasium

 

  • Establish consequences for inappropriate behaviour in the gym or in the change room

 

  • Use circle formations instead of lines to avoid arguing about the line leader, caboose, or 'butting'

 

  • Ensure all students understand the safety precautions, and understand that they must have appropriate clothing and footwear to participate

 

  • Do not leave the students unattended while getting equipment -- try to have the equipment ready before, or have the students sit in front of the equipment room door

 

  • USE A LOUD VOICE!

 

  • Keep instruction time short so the students are moving!

 

  • Use a whistle! and ensure students understand what the signal means (1 blow=start, 2 blows=stop, etc.)

 

  • Have 'squads' or 'groups' established beforehand so there is no arguing or wasting time

 

  • Model your instruction so students understand what they are expected to do

 

  • Most importantly.... have fun!

 

Resources for HPE Lesson Plans and Ideas

 

There are hundreds of websites available to find HPE lesson plans and ideas, these are a few of the best ones that I have found:

 

 

  • Ophea: http://teachingtools.ophea.net/lesson-plans/hpe

    • On this site you will find hundreds of HPE lesson plans that are directly linked to the Ontario Curriculum

    • The website is organized efficiently so you can find resources for your grade level

    • Each lesson plan has a warm-up and cool-down, and includes all the information you need to know to keep your students safe in the classroom or gymnasium

    • There is also a range of activities, including DPA, First-Nations inspired DPA, Yoga, and Play Sport

 

 

 

 

 

  • Pinterest always has lots of neat ideas!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

References

 

 

CIRA http://www.ciraontario.com/

 

Differentiating Instruction in PE http://youtu.be/pGm4RtwvR44

 

Mueller, Course Notes, 2015

 

Ontario Ministry of Education and Training. The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 1-8: Health and Physical
Education, Interim Edition, 2010 (revised). ON: Queen’s Printer.
http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/curriculum/elementary/health.html

 

Ophea: http://teachingtools.ophea.net/lesson-plans/hpe

 

 

 

 

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