My Classroom
I work at The American School of the Hague as a Grade 9 PE and Health teacher. Behind the famous wavy wall is the Sports Hall!
Within this subject I like to teach both traditional sports (e.g. basketball, badminton and gymnastics) and non-traditional games (e.g. kinball, invasion games and ultimate frisbee). Within Health, I cover the topics of First Aid and CPR, Drugs and Alcohol Abuse, Relationships and Eating Disorders. I have various classrooms that come in the form of Sports Halls, a Gymnasium, Fitness Room and outdoor fields as well as a Health classroom.
Within this subject I like to teach both traditional sports (e.g. basketball, badminton and gymnastics) and non-traditional games (e.g. kinball, invasion games and ultimate frisbee). Within Health, I cover the topics of First Aid and CPR, Drugs and Alcohol Abuse, Relationships and Eating Disorders. I have various classrooms that come in the form of Sports Halls, a Gymnasium, Fitness Room and outdoor fields as well as a Health classroom.
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The majority of students are American (26%) however school is truly international with a total of 76 nationalities attending. I believe my students are enthusiastic, conscientious and enjoy taking part in lessons. In Physical Education classes, students are encouraged to participate in a number of activities to develop their knowledge, skills and confidence.
My philosophy is based on the fact that a student can achieve success even when they do not class themselves as "sporty". PE is a time where students can reflect on self-improvement and feel motivated to try their best. I hope that classes are non-threatening because of the differentiation and flexible learning environment I offer. Encouraging my students to be open-minded and motivated is a top priority for me as a PE teacher.
My philosophy is based on the fact that a student can achieve success even when they do not class themselves as "sporty". PE is a time where students can reflect on self-improvement and feel motivated to try their best. I hope that classes are non-threatening because of the differentiation and flexible learning environment I offer. Encouraging my students to be open-minded and motivated is a top priority for me as a PE teacher.
Sample Lesson Plan
Here is an example of a lesson plan to illustrate how I draw together the important aspects of what I teach. Linking assessment to standards, and understanding essential questions is important during my lessons. Within the PE department here at ASH, we are using the National Association of Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) Standards. These standards are the foundation to which I am able to plan lessons around. It is important to find fun ways for students to learn while taking part in different activities, and for me to reflect on whether students have achieved success. It is important to relate to the standards as part of the lesson introduction, and refer to this key information throughout class. Documentation and review of what happens in class helps me to be organized and focused in line with the block objective and goal of the lesson.
| kinball_block_plan.pdf |
Assessment in PE
Implementing meaningful, authentic methods of assessment is very important to me as a teacher of Physical Education. I have been fortunate to take part in courses through MSU that have strengthened my ability to assess, and support others within the department as they move towards Standard Based assessment.
Assessment within PE needs to be an integral part of the lesson. PE Teachers are fortunate to have many opportunities to give formative feedback and interact with students on their performance. Moreover, it is important to gain a deeper insight into students understanding of the lesson with regards to the objective and the standards. I have been developing assessment methods to allow students more opportunities to express what they know. This is particularly important for students who are not so able practically. We cannot assume that because a student has difficulties "using defensive and offensive strategies" for example, that they do not understand the concepts. I have also an interest in how technology can be used to support assessment within PE. Please see my Technology and Leadership showcase for more information. In particular, my T and L blog offers some additional information that may be of interest.
I use Google Classroom with my students as a Classroom Management System (CMS). I find there are numerous advantages of this system; please see my review of Google Classroom here. The versatility and easy of use is particularly important to me, as well as the link to Google Drive and other Google Apps. After a bit of practice, students easily upload their work either from the Sport Hall or at home.
Assessment within PE needs to be an integral part of the lesson. PE Teachers are fortunate to have many opportunities to give formative feedback and interact with students on their performance. Moreover, it is important to gain a deeper insight into students understanding of the lesson with regards to the objective and the standards. I have been developing assessment methods to allow students more opportunities to express what they know. This is particularly important for students who are not so able practically. We cannot assume that because a student has difficulties "using defensive and offensive strategies" for example, that they do not understand the concepts. I have also an interest in how technology can be used to support assessment within PE. Please see my Technology and Leadership showcase for more information. In particular, my T and L blog offers some additional information that may be of interest.
I use Google Classroom with my students as a Classroom Management System (CMS). I find there are numerous advantages of this system; please see my review of Google Classroom here. The versatility and easy of use is particularly important to me, as well as the link to Google Drive and other Google Apps. After a bit of practice, students easily upload their work either from the Sport Hall or at home.
Quotes from Colleagues
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Image Sources:
The American School of the Hague Wavy Wall: from https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-american-school-of-the-hague
Classroom pictures and diagram: Taken by J. Keyte
The American School of the Hague Wavy Wall: from https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-american-school-of-the-hague
Classroom pictures and diagram: Taken by J. Keyte