1. Student Choice
When students are allowed to choose an activity, they magically take ownership of that choice. I have seen it happen over and over again.
In my 2nd - 5th Grade PE classes, students always have the choice to participate in the "50 Mile Club" or to do the activity for the day. No matter what they choose, they are more motivated to move because they got to make the choice. It just works!
My Kindergarten and 1st Grade students are a bit too young to go run laps around the track, but they often have choices too. Their favorite days are when we do stations in the gym. Multiple activities are set up and they get to freely choose where they are going to play. They love it!
2. Relationships
Students will do almost anything for you if you build a relationship with them. Take the time to get to know them.
I have learned so much by listening to my students; they even give me great ideas for games sometimes! When you use a student's idea in PE, they will definitely be motivated to move!
3. Meaningful Incentives
A treasure box and a stash of stickers are great (and I use both), but these feed the desire for instant gratification in children.
Developing meaningful incentives will teach students about long-term goals and satisfaction, and will keep them moving in the process.
For instance, I award ribbons to students for every 10 miles they complete in the 50 Mile Club. Toward the end of the school year, the students that have finished 50 miles get to attend a celebration during the school day. They are awarded a large finisher ribbon, a t-shirt, and a certificate.
I also use incentives that a class can earn by getting "stars" for good behavior. In the past, classes have earned the right to vote for their favorite activity (using that student choice again), eat lunch with a coach, or go on the bleachers at our nearby football stadium. (They love running to the top! What may be considered a punishment for older athletes is a reward to my students.)
4. Circuit Warm-ups
This is something new I have tried this year, and after two active weeks, I can say that it works!
I have spent years trudging through a dull, large group warm-up with standard stretches and exercises, but this past summer, the idea came to me to try a circuit style workout for the warm-up routine.
I select the exercises for the week, and designate an area for each exercise by taping a paper on the gym wall or on a cone. The paper has the name of the exercise and a picture to show how to do it. The students are divided into groups of about 8 kids each and are told where to start. I turn on some kid friendly upbeat music and the kids start moving! After one minute, I blow my whistle and the kids rotate to the next exercise in the circuit.
I recommend 8-10 different exercises, so that the kids are continuously moving for about 10 minutes. I make sure to have a good variety of movements, some to target the core muscles, the legs, the arms, and the cardiovascular system.
It did not take much effort to train my students the procedure on how to do the Circuit Warm-up. I do take the time at the beginning of the week to demonstrate the proper way to do each exercise. Each coach helps monitor and give feedback to the students as they are exercising.
The students have learned more effective, lifetime exercises in two weeks than I ever could have taught to a large group in a whole school year!
I hope this gives you some ideas for your PE class. I'd love to hear how you have inspired your students to move!
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