Tag: health and phys.ed.

5 Sweet Classroom Rewards that Aren’t Food

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This post was originally shared on Ophea’s blog. View the original post here.

Rewards can be an effective way to encourage positive student behaviour in the classroom and around the school. When enforcing or revisiting desired behaviours, small rewards can often help students establish the activity and encourage maintenance of the new behaviour, with self-motivation eventually taking over, and outside reinforcement no longer being necessary.

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Last week I was asked by a Hamilton elementary school’s Health Action Team to support their “Random Acts of Kindness Challenge” by teaching Kids Yoga to the classes which had demonstrated the most acts of kindness during their school wide challenge. This creative reward was suggested by their Public Health Nurse and selected by the students on the team. The day was fun for all and this creative idea aligned with the schools focus on healthy, active living, and mental health promotion.

While food rewards, specifically candy and other treats, are often used because they are inexpensive and easy to come by, these types of rewards can reinforce unhealthy eating habits, and undermine children’s diets and health. Providing food based on performance or behavior undermines Health and Physical Education curriculum instruction related to the healthy eating topic area. This includes expectations on making healthy food choices, as well as internal hunger and thirst cues, by encouraging children to eat treats even when they are not hungry.

Countless alternative rewards can be used to provide positive reinforcement for student’s behavior and performance. Consider these fun ideas when thinking of options for non-food rewards in your classroom.

1. Pick a different seat for a day. Students change desk locations with another student in their class. Consider letting students decide the arrangement of the desks for the day – who knows, you might like what they suggest and keep it!

2. Join another class. Individual student winners join a friends class for one special subject area (e.g., Phys.Ed., Art, Science).

3. Treasure box of fun school supplies. Individual students pick an item out of a treasure box with prizes that would support them during their school day including stickers, pencils, erasers, markers etc.

4. Theme dress day. If students wear uniforms consider a “no uniform for the day” pass for individual students or the entire class. Consider other theme days for the entire class including safari, favourite musician, sport star, or story book character.

5. Family night activity bag. Individual students take home for the weekend their choice of a “Family night” bag borrowed from the teacher including “sport night” (contains various balls and athletic games), “lego night” (containing various lego pieces and kits), and “movie night” (containing age and message appropriate movies).

So Teachers, how do you keep your classroom rewards healthy?
Share your thoughts in the comments below or send me a tweet @CatchingHeather!

Physical & emotional safety is a precondition for learning in H&PE

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Students learn best in an environment that is physically and emotionally
safe. In health and physical education, we often think of the need to keep our students physically safe. We have them checking to ensure their shoes are laced, hair is tied, and jewellery is removed. There is physically an inherent risk, and we want to do as much as we can to reduce it.

As educators we need to keep in mind that students learning is occurring in a public space where others can see them explore, learn, succeed, and make mistakes, and because of this, students emotionally safety should be top of mind as well. Student’s also discuss health topics that may be personal, and have implications for their personal health and well-being, so creating an inclusive and emotionally safe environment is critical.

Teachers need to provide a physically and emotionally safe environment for learning by emphasizing the importance of safety in physical activity, treating students with respect at all times, being sensitive to individual differences, following all board safety guidelines, and providing an inclusive learning environment that recognizes and respects the diversity of all students and accommodates individual strengths, needs, and interests.

A recent video from Ophea shares how some teachers in Ontario are bringing these concepts to life. Check it out!

Is your learning environment physically and emotionally safe? Ask yourself these reflection questions from the Ontario Health and Physical Education curriculum, 2015.

Self-check Questions:

  • Is instruction designed to ensure a positive experience in a safe, inclusive, and
    supportive environment for all students?
  • Are all school board safety and equity guidelines being followed?
  • Are intentional steps being taken by educators and students to build skills for
    healthy relationships and ensure that bullying and harassment are prevented, or
    addressed if and when they occur, in the change room, the gym, outdoors, and in
    all learning spaces?
  • Are activities being modified or adapted as required to ensure that all students
    are included?
  • Is exercise presented as a positive and healthy experience rather than being used
    as punishment?
  • Does the program ensure maximum participation for all by avoiding activities
    in which students may be eliminated from play, and thereby deprived of
    opportunities to participate, practise, and improve?
  • Are teams designated in ways that are inclusive and fair, avoiding potentially
    insensitive methods of selection (e.g., having teams chosen by student captains)?
  • Are students’ diverse backgrounds taken into account when health topics are
    introduced, to ensure that discussions have personal relevance and that topics
    are addressed with sensitivity?

A Physical Literacy Uprising: Banff 2015

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Next week I’ll be heading to Banff with hundreds of other #PEgeeks for the PHE Canada National Conference in Banff Alberta. The spectacular Canadian Rocky Mountains, glacier-fed lakes, and wildlife at its wildest and hundreds of folks dedicated to the promotion of healthy, active living, what’s not to love!

I will be leading three workshops at National (scroll to the bottom to learn about those) so have complied my top five list for getting the most out of your HPE conference experience!

1. Start following the hashtag NOW!

See who else is getting excited about #Banff2015 and start connecting. Learn what they’re looking forward to and where they’re coming from. People come from around the globe to this conference, so let’s get excited for a physical literacy uprising together. Also, don’t forget to follow @PHECanada and @albertaHPEC on Twitter. (And me too! @RunSoulCycle)

2. Be prepared!

Most of the workshops at National are active, so wear your runners and be dressed to move. Also consider bringing a water bottle, healthy snacks, and possibly an extra shirt for a quick change – you never know when a DancePl3y flash mob will break out!

3. Plan your workshops now.

Why wait? Sure, from years of attending and presenting at HPE conferences I know the first evening is usually reserved for sitting around with your team, and a few drinks, and making your conference workshop picks. “Ok, I’ll trade you an Ophea PlaySport workshop in time slot B for a Teaching Dance for Education workshop in time slot F” Don’t wait! Make those picks now! Check out the workshop descriptions and conference festivities here.

4. Leave the pen, bring your smart phone.

Why worry about missing an important fact while copying notes from a Power Point when you can just take a photo of the slide and keep on learning. This also applies to resources, videos of games, dances, or activities – don’t worry about writing the rules or steps, catch it in live action for later reference. Even better yet tweet that out (referencing the presenter of course and share it with the entire HPE community. If it’s inspired you, it’ll be guaranteed to inspire someone else.

5. Be open to new ideas!

One of the newest additions to the Ophea consulting team is Lindsay Siple, .Ophea PARC Consultant. Lindsay suggests conference goers take risks and move out of their comfort zones. “Try activities that are new and be open to new ideas and ways of thinking and doing. This is about connecting with people. Be sure to bring a good level of energy, and most importantly have fun!”

If you’re heading to Banff I hope I’ll see you at one of my three workshops.

  • Physical Literacy & The Early Years. Friday. Session B. Room: KC 301.
    • Description: This workshop provides a deeper understanding of physical literacy, its benefits, and connection to the Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines for the Early Years. Workshop participants will be provided with ready-to-go activities and tools to develop physical literacy for easy integration into existing programming.
  • PlaySport: Bright Ideas To Get Moving – Using A Teaching Games for Understanding Approach. Saturday. Session E. Location: Sally Borden Gym South.
    • Description: This workshop outlines the TGfU model, presenting skills and strategies used in games and activities based on four game categories: Target, Net/Wall, Striking/Fielding, and Territory. Examples from the free PlaySport resource will provide participants with ready-to-go activities and tools for easy implementation.
  • Teaching Dance For Understanding: A New Pedagogical Approach For Teaching Dance In PE. Saturday. Session F. Location LF 224 Dance Studio.
    • Description: Love TGfU? Come discover TDfU – Teaching Dance for Understanding! Learn how to modify the the ‘rules’ of dance (choreography and technique) to allow students to experience success with foundational movements and rhythms designed. Designed for PE teachers, this model will help you develop physical literacy and fundamental movements skills as students explore various styles of dance and gain self-confidence in expressing themselves. Explore curriculum design strategies that follow the 6 elements of the model then experience fresh ideas and lesson plans in action!

You can find me above, plus in the expo at the Ophea booth, and at the dance-off social! I look forward to us learning and sharing together in one of the most precious, protected places in the world.