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This Week in #PhysEd with Mr. Graham...

5/28/2021

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Each week you can see the activities that our students were engaged in as well as many of the resources I used in my teaching.  I put out these weekly posts for parents to see what their child is learning in PE as well as for other PE teachers to get ideas they can implement in their own program.

Grades K-5

This was our last FULL week of school and students worked on striking with a long-handled implement.  We used a baseball bat to hit off a tee.  The main activity we used was called Home Run Dice Derby.  Students worked in groups of 3 or 4 to rotate between batter, fielder, and scorekeeper.  The app we used to keep track of the points is called Scorekeeper XL. 
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This Week in #PhysEd with Mr. Graham...

5/21/2021

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Each week you can see the activities that our students were engaged in as well as many of the resources I used in my teaching.  I put out these weekly posts for parents to see what their child is learning in PE as well as for other PE teachers to get ideas they can implement in their own program.

Grades K-5

If you've taught for any length of time, you know that as the weather warms up and the end of the year draws near, student behavior can take a dip from the norm.  I was experiencing this in the last couple of weeks and decided to try a "free choice" station week.  These are typically some of the students' favorite lessons but since we've been back full time I wasn't sure how we could get a full class in a half a gym with all the equipment, but it actually worked out pretty well.  The variety of equipment and the strategic staging of that equipment around the gym helped kids stay spread out and working safely.  

One of the big things I stress with students is using their equipment & space safely AND making sure people get included into an activity or get a turn.  These are built in social skills that not only keep kids safe, but ensure that everyone feels a sense of belonging into the things they want to do.  Giving students the ownership to make choices on how they want to be active is also very motivating.  When they get to decide what they want to do and how long they want to do it, it can be very empowering.  Students are unknowingly working on time management skills, decision-making, problem solving, conflict resolution, and communication with peers the entire class period.  So not only are they being highly active and engaged in movement, they are getting multiple opportunities to work on those "social skills" during a given class period.

If you think about it, as kids grow up, they will naturally gravitate towards things they enjoy.  Things that they perceive they have the ability and confidence to do become their focus.  We are the same as adults.  We enjoy things we are good at and tend to steer clear of things we don't like.  Not to say we shouldn't try some new things, which is why I use such a wide variety of equipment.  Students will play with different equipment that we don't use very much and that often leads them to finding something new they enjoy.  In that instant, their motivation is increased, and their risk taking goes up.  This leads them toward experimenting with other ways to use equipment or even combine it with other equipment...the creativity process is piqued and learning is the result.  Here's a look at what the gym set up looked like along with some students trying out a variety of equipment options.
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This Week in #PhysEd with Mr. Graham

5/14/2021

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Each week you can see the activities that our students were engaged in as well as many of the resources I used in my teaching.  I put out these weekly posts for parents to see what their child is learning in PE as well as for other PE teachers to get ideas they can implement in their own programs.

Grades 3-5

​This week students worked on Cooperative Activities.  Honestly, this is an area all students can work on.  There are so many carry overs into real-life applications and oftentimes these can be hard concepts to transfer.  Cooperative activities create an environment that allows the social-emotional components to play out naturally.  It doesn't mean that these types of activities are a perfect fit with all students, but as we work together with others and process all the pieces that go into what helps our group be successful or unsuccessful, students begin to make meaning out of the content.  Some students really struggled this week while others had a better grasp of the cooperative skills required for success.  We had several good discussions and talking points that came up throughout the activities.
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Grades K-2

Our K-2 students also worked on some cooperative activities this week but started each day with a fun warmup video.  This week's warmup activities came from Fix & Play and PE Bowman.  Students also played a version of Operation Cooperation.
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This Week in #PhysEd with Mr. Graham...

5/7/2021

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Each week you can see the activities that our students were engaged in as well as many of the resources I used in my teaching.  I put out these weekly posts for parents to see what their child is learning in PE as well as for other PE teachers to get ideas they can implement in their own programs.

Grades 3-5

This was our second week of our bowling unit and students got to practice their skills in a full-lane bowling scenario with 10 pins, 2 shots, and iPad scoring!  They continued to work through the rotation of bowler, ball returner, pin setter, and score keeper.  The iPad scoring app we used is called My Bowling Scorecard.
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Grades K-2

This week, our K-2 students got to used the carpeted bowling lanes that I received through a grant from Bowler's Ed.  They practiced taking turns in groups of 3 or 4 through the different positions and played 2 main activities called "Blackout Bowling" and "Bingo Bowling" shown below.
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If you are interested in the 5 apps I used in class this week, check out this short video...
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Check out one of the ways I use Dry Erase Pockets in my teaching...
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This Week in #PhysEd with Mr. Graham...

4/30/2021

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Each week you can see the activities that our students were engaged in as well as many of the resources I used in my teaching.  I put out these weekly posts for parents to see what their child is learning in PE as well as for other PE teachers to get ideas they can implement in their own programs.

Grades 3-5

We kicked off a 2 week bowling unit where students will get to participate in a variety of bowling activities.  This week, our intermediate grades got to do "Blackout Bowling" and "Bowling for Dollars."  Below you'll find videos explaining the activities as well as sample grade levels participating in the activities.  I've included the activity sheets/resources I created for you to view, download, or print.
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* The play money I used was purchased from S&S Worldwide and can be found HERE.  I purchased 2 sets of the money and that has been plenty to use with all the different activities I use it for.  My money was laminated with thick, 5 mil laminate and then cut.  I've had the money for several years with no damage to the bills.

Grades K-2

Before my primary students get to use the yellow bowling carpets, they experiment & explore with their rolling technique with "Aerobic Bowling" and "Team Pin Knockdown."  These activities get students working together in groups and provide them ample opportunities to roll a ball at a pin.  Below are video explanations as well as students "in action" during game play.
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Lesson for my "Remote Only" Students at Home...

My remote only students select 2 different videos for this week and to do one "free choice" activity.  Once they finish, they complete a form that tells me what they chose to do.  I came across this awesome resource called NETFLEX compiled by Coach Gonzales which is in a Google Slides presentation.  Students can browse through 60 different videos and click on the ones that interest them.
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This Week in #PhysEd with Mr. Graham...

4/23/2021

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Each week you can see the activities that our students were engaged in as well as many of the resources I used in my teaching.  I put out these weekly posts for parents to see what their child is learning in PE as well as for other PE teachers to get ideas they can implement in their own programs.

Grades 3-5

Here's a look at the 2 main activities students were involved in this week.  With testing taking place this week in the classrooms, I wanted students to get lots of activity in during our time together.  We revisited "Dice Bonk" by Mike Morris in a 2v2 format and again used the iPads to keep score using the ScoreKeeper XL app.  We also built off of last week's lessons doing another "Champions & Challengers" style activity called "Bowling with the Champs."
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Grades K-2

Our K-2 students participated in some fun warmup activities before working on some tossing activities this week.  The Would You Rather activity comes from the Fix & Play YouTube channel and the Zookeeper Fitness comes from Fitness Hustle TV's YouTube channel.
Our throwing for accuracy activities included "Decorate the Cookie" and "Move the Mat".
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Continuing our new line up procedure, I will play a video that tells students when it is their turn to line up.  They watch for their turn, get their water bottle, and line up on their kid code number around the perimeter of the gym.  This has helped make a smooth transition at the end of our classes.  These videos are from Kevin Tiller @physedreview - a PE Teacher of the Year from Massachusetts.

Lesson for my "Remote Only" Students at Home...

Based on the survey results from 2 weeks ago, students told me they really enjoyed many of the various activity videos we've done as well as outdoor "free choice" type activities.  I came across this awesome resource called NETFLEX compiled by Coach Gonzales which is in a Google Slides presentation.  Students can browse through 60 different videos and click on the ones that interest them.  Their assignment this week was to select 2 different videos for this week and to do one "free choice" activity.  Once they finish, they complete a form that tells me what they chose to do.
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This is an example of the quick form I use to gather the data I need for grading purposes.  I try to keep it as simple as possible, and yes, it is totally on the honor system.  I add all the student names into a drop down menu for the 1st question, and then ask them to write in the names of the 2 videos they did plus their free choice activity.  I make all the questions required so there really is no way they can mess it up.
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This Week in #PhysEd with Mr. Graham...

4/16/2021

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Each week you can see the activities that our students were engaged in as well as many of the resources I used in my teaching.  I put out these weekly posts for parents to see what their child is learning in PE as well as for other PE teachers to get ideas they can implement in their own programs.

Grades 3-5

This week our students worked on throwing for accuracy (at a target) with both underhand and overhand throws.  Our two main activities were Champions & Challengers and Hula Moolah.  Check out the resources and videos for these activities below.
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Grades K-2

Our K-2 students worked on some dice activities this week that integrated the math concepts of greater than, less than, and equal.  They played "Around the World" and "Roll with It."  The original "Roll with It" activity was created by former Georgia PE Teacher of the Year, JD Hughes (@pe2themax on Twitter) and his activity sheet can be found here:  https://pe2themax.com/product/roll-with-it/ 
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To divide students into groups quickly, I use the Classroom Teammates app by iDoceo.  I can quickly enter the number of groups I want and it will randomly create groups for me.  I display this information up on our TV or projector screen and students can find their picture/name and go to the color group and get started.  I used it this week to divide students into 2 groups for the "Roll with It" activity.  Here's a quick peek at what that looks like in my gym...
I've been using these quick little lineup videos by @physedreview to get students lined up and ready to go at the end of class.  Here are the ones I used this week.

Lesson for my "Remote Only" Students at Home..

Based on the survey results from last week, students told me they really enjoyed many of the various activity videos we've done as well as outdoor "free choice" type activities.  I came across this awesome resource called NETFLEX compiled by Coach Gonzales which is in a Google Slides presentation.  Students can browse through 60 different videos and click on the ones that interest them.  Their assignment was to select 2 different videos for this week and to complete a form that tells me which two they chose.
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This is an example of the quick form I use to gather the data I need for grading purposes.  I try to keep it as simple as possible, and yes, it is totally on the honor system.  I add all the student names into a drop down menu for the 1st question, and then ask them to write in the names of the 2 videos they did.  I make all 3 questions required so there really is no way they can mess it up.
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This Week in #PhysEd with Mr. Graham...

4/9/2021

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Each week you can see the activities that our students were engaged in as well as many of the resources I used in my teaching.  I put out these weekly posts for parents to see what their child is learning in PE as well as for other PE teachers to get ideas they can implement in their own programs.

This week we had all of our hybrid students return to full-time in-person learning!  I'm so excited to have full class sizes again and to see all the students 2x/week.  I am still teaching 3 "remote only" classes for students who are at home, but this is definitely a step towards returning to a state of normalcy.

Grades 3-5

Since our A & B hybrid students are now combining to make one class again, I thought it would be nice to bring students together with some cooperative activities that focused on teamwork, problem solving, critical thinking, decision making, and dealing with failures.  These are some of my favorite activities to teach because of all the "soft skills" involved.  My favorite part of the activities were debriefing with students at the end and listening to them reflect on their learning.  There are so many great talking points that emerge through the use of cooperative activities and students definitely shined through the process of working together towards a common goal.  Take a look at these 2 main activities students did this week...
I use the Classroom Teammates app by iDoceo to divide my students into random groups.
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Grades K-2

Our K-2 students had some fun warmup activities this week that were "guessing game" type activities.  You can click on the videos below to see how they work, but basically there is an item shown and students try and choose the correct answer by doing the exercise that corresponds to their choice.
For skill practice, our K-2 students worked on some manipulative skills that incorporated eye-hand coordination.  Students explored various ways to use a scoop & whiffle ball and also a paddle & bean bag.
We ended class this week with a new way to line up...students watched for the first letter of their first name to appear on the screen.  When they saw it, they could gather their belongings and line up.  Each video scrambled the letters in a different order so students had to pay attention to when they had to line up.

Lesson for my "Remote Only" Students at Home...

I wanted to check in with my remote students this week and get their feedback as to how "online PE" has been going and find out what types of things they have enjoyed, things they didn't like, and things they'd like to do that we haven't done yet.  So I created a simple form for them to answer a few questions that will allow me to design the remainder of their lessons for them.  Here's a look at the form:
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This Week in #PhysEd with Mr. Graham...

3/26/2021

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Each week you can see the activities that our students were engaged in as well as many of the resources I used in my teaching.  I put out these weekly posts for parents to see what their child is learning in PE as well as for other PE teachers to get ideas they can implement in their own programs.

Free Choice Stations

Being the final week that classes will be at half capacity due to all students returning after spring break, I decided to give students a "free choice" station day this week.  We most likely won't be able to do this type of activity once we have 20-24 students on half the gym and maintain appropriate spacing, so this was our final free choice station day for this year.  The students were excited to see the variety of activity choices and got to work right away being active, using equipment & space safely, and having fun.

Lesson for my "Remote Only" students at home..

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Click to view video from @PE_Bowman
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Click to view video from @physedreview
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This Week in #PhysEd with Mr. Graham...

3/19/2021

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Each week you can see the activities that our students were engaged in as well as many of the resources I used in my teaching.  I put out these weekly posts for parents to see what their child is learning in PE as well as for other PE teachers to get ideas they can implement in their own programs.

Grades 3-5

This week our students worked on throwing for distance at a large target using an overhand throw.  Students warmed up by playing a few minutes of catch with a partner or group of three.  Then we broke down the overhand throwing skill into its 5 main parts with a slow-motion video.  Then student got put into 2 random teams using the Classroom Teammates app and we played a couple rounds of Box Ball.  We ended the class with a review of the critical elements for the overhand throw and a lively discussion about strategies that each group used in order to be successful.
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Click here to check out these great visuals & accompanying breakdown videos from Joey Feith at ThePhysicalEducator.com
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Grades K-2

Our K-2 students warmed up with a 3-minute Popsicle Stick run followed by lots of balancing, jumping, hopping, throwing & catching using a foam pool noodle in tons of creative ways!  Students even had time to make up their own creative tricks using their noodles.
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Below are the 2 videos students followed along with in order to try different challenges with their noodle.  The videos are from Kevin Tiller, an Elementary PE Teacher of the Year from Massachusetts. 

Lesson for my Remote Only Students at Home...

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