Teaching Children Physical Education. Becoming a Master Teacher

About the Product

In this fully updated edition, George Graham, PhD, presents a concise, practical, user-friendly view of what it takes to become a master teacher of children’s physical education. The book is contemporary and easy to apply in real-world teaching situations. Dr. Graham knows kids—and the challenges of teaching them.

Teaching Children Physical Education, Third Edition, is valuable to future and veteran teachers alike. Future teachers will learn the skills and techniques that master teachers employ, and experienced teachers will be challenged to consider some new techniques for designing their classes, developing lessons, and adjusting tasks for individual children. All readers will learn the skills and techniques that successful teachers use to make their classes vibrant, fun, and developmentally appropriate.

Graham, a university professor and public school physical education instructor who was recently named to the NASPE Hall of Fame, deftly weaves research-based information with firsthand experience in a conversational tone. The result is an easy-to-read book rich with practical advice based on what really works in today’s gymnasiums and playgrounds.

Bound into every copy of the book is a DVD featuring video clips showing teachers in real-life situations as well as easy-to-print worksheets from the book. The video clips illustrate key techniques and strategies from the book. Those techniques and strategies include how to

• motivate children to practice,
• build positive feelings,
• minimize off-task behavior and discipline problems,
• create an atmosphere of learning,
• maximize learning,
• develop lesson content,
• use a problem-solving approach,
• observe and analyze,
• provide feedback, and
• assess children’s (and your own) progress.

The book includes many practical teaching scenarios that illustrate the decision-making process that master teachers use in virtually every lesson they teach. Other reader-friendly features include

• chapter objectives,
• author insights that make the book come alive, and
• reflection questions that help teachers consider how well a lesson worked and what would have happened if they had taken a different approach.

This new edition is also backed by easily downloadable ancillaries for course instructors, including an instructor guide and test and presentation packages.

Teaching Children Physical Education has become the foundation for the shared technical language that is used in many college and university PE teacher education programs. If you’re looking for an affordable text or reference that focuses on pedagogy in a down-to-earth style, Teaching Children Physical Education, Third Edition is a book you’ll turn to again and again on your way to becoming a master teacher.

About the Author

George Graham, PhD, has been on the faculty at Pennsylvania State University in the department of kinesiology since 2002. He was on the faculty at Virginia Tech for 17 years, where he was a member of Virginia Tech’s Academy of Teaching Excellence. He began his career teaching and coaching in the public schools of California and Oregon and served on the faculties of the University of Georgia and the University of South Carolina before moving to Blacksburg, Virginia.

Since its inception in 1996, Dr. Graham has served as the senior advisor for PE Central (www.pecentral.org), the most widely used Web site by physical educators in the United States.

Dr. Graham has published extensively on physical education teacher effectiveness and physical education for children; he has more than a dozen books, monographs, and journal features and more than 50 articles, monographs, and videotapes to his credit. He is a sought-after speaker and consultant, having delivered presentations at more than 100 conferences throughout the world, including over 60 keynote speeches and feature addresses. He has served as a consultant to more than 70 school districts, the United States Tennis Association, and the Professional Golf Association. He continues to work as a consultant to schools and districts throughout the United States.

In 2007, Dr. Graham was inducted into the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) Hall of Fame. He is also a fellow in the American Academy of Kinesiology and Physical Education (2005) and the North American Society of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance Professionals (2004). Dr. Graham has also received the Margie Hanson Honor Award presented by the Council on Physical Education for Children in 1997 and the NASPE Curriculum and Instruction Academy Honor Award in 1996. He served as the executive director of the United States Physical Education Association. With his graduate students, he wrote the first developmentally appropriate document for NASPE. With his undergraduate students, he spends several weeks each semester in elementary schools teaching children physical education.

Table of Contents

Preface
Acknowledgments

Chapter 1. Successful Teaching
The Teacher, Not Only the Contents
How Is Children’s Physical Education Different?
Analogies of Teaching
Changing and Dynamic
Difficult to Capture in Words
The Challenge of Teaching Children’s Physical Education
The Teacher Makes the Difference
Pedagogy Tool Box
Working Definition of “Successful”
Summary
Questions for Reflection
References

Chapter 2. Planning to Maximize Learning
The Need for Planning
Tendencies to Avoid Planning
Personalized Planning
Planning Formats and Components
Summary
Questions for Reflection
References

Chapter 3. Creating a Positive Learning Environment
Teacher Expectancy
Teacher Stereotypes
Creating an Emotionally Safe Environment
Determining Management Protocols for Your Classes
Teaching Behavior Protocols
Summary
Questions for Reflection
References

Chapter 4. Minimizing Off-Task Behavior and Discipline Problems
Strategies for Minimizing Off-Task Behavior
Discipline Problems
Discipline Systems
Characteristics of Effective Discipline Systems
The Discipline Confrontation
Summary
Questions for Reflection
References

Chapter 5. Getting the Lesson Started
Instant Activity
Why Instant Activity?
Communicating the Purpose of the Lesson
Traditional Ways to Start a Lesson
Summary
Questions for Reflection
References

Chapter 6. Instructing and Demonstrating
Instructing
Demonstrating
Checking for Understanding
Students’ Use of Time
Definition of Categories
Pinpointing
Play-Teach-Play
CDs and DVDs
Summary
Questions for Reflection
References

Chapter 7. Motivating Children to Practice
Three Keys to Motivating Children
Eight Techniques for Motivating Children
Helping Children Develop Realistic Expectations
Teacher as Cheerleader
Summary
Questions for Reflection
References

Chapter 8. Observing and Analyzing
Child-Centered and Subject-Centered Decisions
Observing Individuals
Techniques for Observing
Four Key Observation Questions
Summary
Questions for Reflection
References

Chapter 9. Developing the Content
Teacher Choices in Developing the Content
Content Development Patterns
Summary
Questions for Reflection
References

Chapter 10. Providing Feedback
Types of Feedback
Who Gets Your Feedback?
Research on Physical Education Teacher Feedback
Summary
Questions for Reflections
References

Chapter 11. Building Critical-Thinking Skills
Value for the Children
Convergent Problem Solving
Divergent Problem Solving
Verbal Problem Solving
Effective Questioning and Problem Setting
Should I Use a Direct or an Indirect Approach?
Summary
Questions for Reflection
References

Chapter 12. Building Positive Feelings
Intentional and Ever Present
Techniques and Strategies
Selection of Activities
Competition for Children
Testing
Understanding Feelings
Learned Helplessness
Concluding Thoughts
Summary
Questions for Reflection
References

Chapter 13. Assessing and Reporting Children’s Progress
Why Assess?
Grading
New Ways to Assess in Physical Education
What to Assess
How to Assess
Reporting What Has Been Assessed
Informal Assessments
Fitness Testing
Summary
Questions for Reflection
References

Chapter 14. Continuing to Develop as a Teacher
Stages of Teaching
Techniques for Continuing to Improve as a Teacher
Seven Habits of Highly Effective Teachers
What Type of Teacher Will You Become?
Parting Thoughts
Questions for Reflection
References

Appendix
Index
About the Author
DVD User Instructions

Audiences

Text for elementary physical education methods courses for PE majors and elementary education majors; reference for elementary PE teachers and classroom teachers.