1. Get 1 hour of physical activity a day. 2. Create a Family Media Plan. 3. Get 50 minutes of Physical Education per week
Goal 1 - Get 1 hour of physical activity a day. The following quote is a recommendation from the CDC. “It is important to provide young people opportunities and encouragement to participate in physical activities that are appropriate for their age, that are enjoyable, and that offer variety. Children and adolescents ages 6 through 17 years should do 60 minutes (1 hour) or more of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity daily.”
Goal 2 - Create and Family Media Plan Your time is your most valuable asset. Creating a family media plan will help ensure that your screen time is adding value to your life. The Family Media Plan is a great resource that can be used to help your family best allocate your screen time.
Goal 3 - Get 50 minutes of Physical Education per week. Physical Education may be able to happen during your physical activity. Physical Education, physical activity… What’s the difference? Let me explain with a quick story. I didn’t get good at catching until I was in college. (What, a PE teacher that can’t catch? I know right! Keep reading.) I grew up playing in the woods, riding my bike, and in middle school I started rock climbing. In high school, I continued these activities, ran on the cross country team, swam on the swim team, and often got first place in pole vault on the track team. I was fit and athletic, and not very good at catching... yet. None of my preferred activities involved a ball, and I didn’t get much practice in PE either. Then, while studying for my physical education teaching degree I finally got good at catching. How? Physical Education! While studying to be a PE teacher you take lots of 1 credit lab classes that focus on a variety of activities. During those classes I learned to catch very well. When I was missing catches and chasing the ball I was only getting physical activity. Instead I got Physical Education through feedback on how to catch well while simultaneously getting physical activity. PE is learning skills while physical activity is moving. PE can and should include physical activity, but physical activity does not have to include PE. This is why so often in PE I have students use their own ball or use a ball with a partner. They get so much more time with the ball to develop skills and receive feedback than if the whole class was sharing one ball in a game situation. Quality PE is important because it teaches you how to learn new movement skills. You become more likely to try new activities which can lead you to staying active and healthy throughout your life. A successful PE program should graduate students with the growth mindset, “I will enjoy learning to surf” not “I don't know how to surf”. This growth mindset is the key to staying active for life. So, get 50 minutes of PE a week. This means improving your knowledge and skill. You can choose skills that you are motivated to learn and improve. I can also help you choose skills to focus on improving and determine ways to improve in your chosen skills. During PE, remember that practice makes permanent, and perfect practice makes perfect! My goal is to increase joy and decrease burden in your life. I would like to help you to the degree that is beneficial to you. Some families have talked to me about having their existing activities count toward PE. If they meet the three goals, I think that is great! Others may like for me to help them brainstorm a PE plan that would work for them. I think that is great! Please let me know how I can help you increase joy, decrease buren, and achieve goals 1, 2, & 3.
Expectations - This if a different time for PE whether in person or remote. In person students are facing limits with equipment and keeping distance, while remote learners face their own challenges, and opportunities. I look forward to helping you to make the best of the current situation however possible.