Getting Things Rolling

This week we were busy completing our fitness testing of:
1) 10 Minute Run 2) Sit ups 3) Push ups 4) Sit and Reach

The students did very well respecting their classmates during all of these tests. They were able to choose their partners, and followed the instructions of privately writing down numbers rather than announcing them or comparing with others.
It's so important for my students to feel comfortable to try their hardest and know that their best is all I ask for. I will be comparing their Fall 2010 tests with the Spring 2011 tests we will complete at the end of the year. I want to see individual improvement, and will grade each student on their own progress. I emphasized this point to all of my students.

We all start and end at different levels, and I want my students to see their personal improvements throughout the entire year.

We will be starting our Soccer unit this week. For each unit, I like to focus on individual skills separately first. Then, I gradually add more responsibility through combined skills and rules, which progress into "Lead Up" games, games that deal with smaller groups or varied rules of the original game. Finally, I end with the actual sport game, and by this point the students have gained confidence in all of the many different parts of the game.

As we make our way throughout each unit, I pick 2-3 rules to discuss each class period. At the end of the unit, the students receive a short summary review of the rules and have a unit quiz which will be graded and counted toward their final assessment.

I hope everyone is having a great start to the school year!

Mrs. Verkaik

First Week Wrap Up

I can't believe the first week is already done! What a whirlwind of fun- with the students, the staff, the parents, and the physical activity!


This week I was able to meet with each student twice, and am slowly getting used to the "color codes" the school uses (such a neat idea!) I either have my "Reds and Yellows" or "Blues and Greens" all day. I think it's a great opportunity for the students to be able to mix it up with different peers during their specials times in Art, Music, or PE (something I never got to do!).

This year's PE Theme is "TEAMWORK." No matter what activity or game we work on, we must realize we all have different talents and need each other to get the job done and be the most successful. To many classes I introduced the acronym TEAM= Together Everyone Achieves More. The kids loved it!



The first day with each class we went over the Expectations:
1. Respect the teacher, your classmates, yourself, and the equipment.
2. Never say you can't. Never quit. (Unless, as one student pointed out, you say, "I can't YET...")
3. Only do to others what you would want done to you.
4. Always try your hardest.
5. Kind words only. (As another student pointed out, "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say it at all!"

We also went over the importance of CHAMP in PE class:
C (Conversation) = No talking during instruction; positive words only during activities
H (Help) = Raise your hand if you need help during instruction, or come find me during an activity.
A (Activity) = No activity during instruction; lots of activity during activities but practicing self control
M (Movement) = No movement during instruction; move with self control during game play
P (Participation) =Answer questions I raise so that I can know what you have learned; LOTS of participation and full effort during activities

I also introduced "DOUBLE FAULT" to the students. I explained that in Tennis, a sport I like to play, a server gets 2 tries at serving. The first missed serve is called a "Fault". The server gets one more chance to serve it in. After a second missed serve, does the server get to keep the ball? No. He/She must give it to the opposing player. In PE class, this is the way I manage/discipline my students. When there is a problem, I will let the student know that was their "First Fault." After a Double Fault (second problem), I will ask the student to have a seat on the bleachers until we can talk one on one. If we cannot then fix the problem, I will involve the parents or administration.

The second day involved a lot more FUN... and activity!
The students were introduced to the quote:

Coming together is the beginning
Keeping together is progress
Working together is SUCCESS.

Many students volunteered to explain this quote to the rest of the class, emphasizing that success does not always come right at the beginning, but that doesn't mean you should give up.
We then went on to many fun Teambuilding Activities. Ask your child what he/she played... some of the games included:
Loop the Hoop: holding hands and working a hula hoop all the way down a line of linked students
Crazy Eight: working in a circle and throwing certain ball patterns with eight different balls
Ants in a Line: what's easier? getting all the balls down alone or as a team?
Line or Wall Sit Relays: whether you had to jump, hop, sprint, crabwalk, bear crawl, or something else!

So many fun activities that focused on teamwork helped me to see which classes feel comfortable with one another and can work in a positive environment. This will help both the students and myself as we begin our different sports units in the coming weeks.

That's all for now!

Mrs. Verkaik

WELCOME BACK!

Hello to all of the CCA Community!

            I hope many parents and students find this blog useful as we get started in our brand new 2010-2011 school year. As many of you know, this is my first year teaching at CCA. I am very excited to get started, meet all the students, and find out what we can do in Physical Education this year!

            I am a 2010 graduate of Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan. I am very thankful for having the opportunity the first year out of college to have my own body of students and an awesome opportunity to share my passion for physical activity.

           My athletic interests include playing and coaching volleyball, running, tennis, and dance. Some other activities I  enjoy are music, singing, and reading. I love to spend time with my family and was able to marry my best friend, Cameron, this past July. I enjoy boating and water activities in the summer, and am slowly learning how to love winter activities such as snowboarding or skiing (I'm a California native!)

Why is physical education important? Physical education promotes awareness of many benefits we can have from physical activity. Exercise can prevent diseases such as osteoporosis, diabetes, or heart disease. Exercise can promote brain fitness, better sleep, and reduce anxiety. Exercise can also prevent injury, increasing strength, flexibility, and balance. Best of all, exercise can enhance each individual’s self-esteem both mentally and physically as they gain confidence in many new skills and cooperative games. With this confidence, students dare to take risks, try new things, and find activities they personally enjoy- thus accomplishing my most important goal: lifelong physical activity.

I teach physical education because I want to teach students this necessary confidence they need in order to be active for a lifetime. I want to develop and enhance the personal character traits like perseverance, wonder, respect, and responsibility through physical activity. My philosophy focuses on personal child development and learning new skills. The end goal is to see each individual continually improving, building confidence along the way.

             I'm anxious to get to know all of you, parents and students, as we have this fresh start together. I hope to meet many of you as the year gets rolling, and would love to have your feedback on this blog as much as possible. Comments are welcome!!

Looking forward to a great year! Go Cougars!

Mrs. Verkaik