After my last post on student recognition I received numerous emails asking for more detail on exactly how I do it. Before I explain how I do it, in more depth, I would like to point out that through my recognition routine, I am able to incorporate other content areas (math & music) in addition to paying attention to life skills and behavior.
At the completion of each class, I recognize one or more students for their ability to follow behavioral expectations or for doing something above and beyond what I expected in terms of effort or participation (never performance). The student(s) I choose stand in front of the class at the end of the day and I explain why I chose those student(s). I then have a clapping, jumping, and stomping routine that all of the other student(s) do with me to congratulate the recognized student(s). It goes a little something like this:
Teacher: “two claps, ready…”
Students: claps twice (in unison)
Teacher: “three claps, 1 stomp, ready…”
Students: claps three times and then stomps once (in unison)
The possibilities are endless when it comes to the combinations that can be done with clapping, stomping, and jumping. The students must listen to the rhythm of the routine in order to stay in unison. This is a great way to incorporate music into the class. Sometimes I will incorporate some mathematics into this routine in order to integrate another content area into PE. An example would be as follows:
Teacher: “13 minus 6 claps, ready…”
Students: claps seven times (in unison and with very little time for calculations)
Teacher: “7 times 3, minus 10 claps, ready…”
Students: claps eleven times (in unison and with very little time for calculations)
In addition to being recognized that day, those student(s) who were chosen are responsible for leading stretching the very next day and for presenting an interesting fact (related to health/PE) before leading the class in stretching.
Whenever I recognize a student who may be uncomfortable with being in front of the class, I will make sure to pick at least one other person to be recognized in addition to this student. This cuts down on the one student being singled out. I also keep a roster of all the students in my class with me each day. When I recognize a student, I put a check mark by their name. By keeping track of what students have earned that honor, it allows me to be aware of the students who may be getting lost in the mix. This does not mean that one student can’t earn this honor 2, 3, or 4 times before another student earns the honor once. What it means is that I can see which students have not been recognized or have not been recognized in a while and make sure to watch them to see if I can find anything positive worth recognizing.
About Me
- Todd Swan
- Estacada, Oregon, United States
- I am 23 years old and I am engaged to the most amazing woman in the world. The wedding date is coming up, July 18th, but it seems like an eternity away. I currently teach physical education at two different elementary schools (both in the same day) in the Sherman County School District, located in Oregon. I recently graduated from Eastern Oregon University with a Bachelor of Science degree in physical activity and health with three areas of concentrations: Exercise Science, Health & Wellness, and Physical Education & Sport. In July I will graduate from Eastern Oregon University with a Masters degree in Education.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
Thats a great idea. I think i am going to try this with my fourth grade class on fridays. I was wondering, do the studnets try hard so they can be chosen, in other words, is the reward of being recognized enough for them to be motivated to go the extra mile during participation? Also, i find it somewhat difficult to control the students with unsportsmanlike attitudes. Ifeel this is because I only see the elementary students once every other friday. Have any suggestions.
ReplyDeleteThe students are highly motivated to do their best everyday. There are days that I forget to recognize a student and they really let me know about it. The trick is to make sure that students are recognized for behaviors that they can control (effort, sportsmanship, etc). I think this whole method is garbage and will fail quickly if students are recognized for performance or any other behavior that is "compared" to other student’s abilities.
ReplyDeleteAs for the elementary students, it is difficult to keep them under your thumb when it comes to behavior. The first two to three weeks of my teaching was horrible. I spent more time teaching them "how to" behave, line up, stand, move from one activity to the next, etc. than I actually spent time on teaching PE.
The trick was organization, consistency, and patience.
In your situation (only seeing the elementary once every other Friday), I would say that you won't be able to get what you expect from those students. There is too much time in between classes for them to even remember how to act.
I see this in my students when I come back from La Grande (working on my Masters). When I first come back to work, it takes the students a day or two to get fully back on track. It is just hard for students to go from one expectation to the next.
Try your best with those students, but unless they have consistent expectations, it is going to be hard. I wish you could have those students more often than you currently do.