“Why Do I Have To Do

This?”(I love that question!)Tom Winiecki

Mott Road Elementary School

Fayetteville, NY

Teaching in Isolation?

• Never again!• Organize all that you teach, so that it has some connection to something else in your curriculum

Teaching in Isolation?

• Why put your kids in a position to stop and start their learning?–“We’re finished with football.

Boy, am I glad that’s finally over!”–“Oh man, I loved basketball.

Why can’t we keep going?”

Have you ever had a student like

this…• Lacks skills• Lacks motivation to develop any skills• Hides in the back of the group, hoping that you don’t notice them• Doesn’t want to be there

Your perspective changes…

• It’s not, “What’s wrong with this kid?”

• But rather it’s, “What do I need to do to show them that this is important to him?”–Give them a reason to:• Become motivated•Want to be there•Want you to notice them

Tie everything together

Show them how it “all fits”

• Start out talking about the obvious (getting sweaty)–Your response…

”Good!”–Tired muscles today = stronger muscles tomorrow–SWEAT TROPHIES

Make every class a part of your Fitness

Unit!• Why do we teach things like soccer,

volleyball, snowshoeing, Frisbee, or jump rope?

• Why limit yourself to teaching fitness topics only with stations and task cards?

Teach them how to make these connections

• Don’t ASSUME that they will do it by themselves

• Connect the activity with you to their playing on their own time– Play longer at recess without

having to stop and rest– You’ll be the one that wants to keep

going while the rest of your friends want to stop!

Teach them how to make these connections

• Take your pulse/check your heart:• If you “hit the target”/If your

heart is going fast, then:–You WILL be stronger tomorrow

Teach them how to make these connections

• Parachute–What muscles did we use with the

parachute?–What other things do you like to do

where you need strong arms?– “It’s a good thing we used the

parachute today, so you can have stronger arms tomorrow!”

Connect Fitness to Academics

• Take advantage of current research• Don’t limit it just to the kids– Other teachers (AM walk done in all 3

buildings)– Principal Director– Superintendant– Parents

• http://www.fmschools.org/webpages/twiniecki/ exercise_and_your_br.cfm

Put pictures anywhere that will

take them!

Be Clear With Kids…

• Is not a magic pill• It will allow you to concentrate more, IF you pay attention once back in your next classroom

Take the initiative to bring other subject matter into

your instruction

• Make it fit your needs first!– Spelling lists/math facts help your

kids learn dribbling…• Keep their eyes up to see and spell

their words for the week

• Oh, and by the way, they also reinforce learning in spelling and math

Teach to Connect Skills to Each Other

• K-2: Overhand Throwing Motion– Stand Sideways– Step with Front Foot– Throw with Back Hand (Make an “L”)– Follow through to Target

• “Once you learn this, you will be able to do anything this year where I give you an object for your feet, or hands!”

Add bulletin board shots

Throw a Ball…Make an “L”

Step with front foot

Kick a Ball…

Follow through by pointing at your

target

Hit a Volleyball…

MAKE AN “L”

Sideways

Shoot a Hockey Puck…

Follow Through to your Target

Step with front foot

Shoot a Basketball…

Make an “L”

Throw a Lacrosse Ball…

STEP WITH FRONT FOOT

Hit a Baseball…

Sideways

Step with front foot

The Same Thing Goes For Catching!

• 4 Part Rubric:1. Look At It2. Reach For It3. Grab It4. Pull It In

• Makes it easy to zero in on individual weaknesses

• Plus, once they can learn this, they now can…

…know how to catch anything that comes there way

Lo o k a t i tRe a c h fo r i t

It’s the Same For Catching

Look at it…

Reach for it…

Grab it…

Pull it in…

When You Teach “Control…”

• Don’t teach them basketball, or soccer, or hockey.

• Rather teach to concept of control with different objects.– Control looks like:• Keep object close to you• Keep your speed at least a jog• Can change directions if needed

• Now you can make their learning more meaningful

Use Similar Activities to Teach Common Skills

• “Partner Chase”–Use with passing/catching anything you may use–Able to stress individual parts of catching within context of activity•Doesn’t take long to organize•Aerobic activity: use to stress fitness

“Success, Try Again”

• Divide gym in half–Success/Try Again

• Allows kids to work on skills at their own pace– If they “succeed” they go to the

“success” side– If not, they go to the “try again” side

• Lets you focus on individual instruction for those that need it.

Use This In The Middle School As Well

• Build on elementary level learning• Apply to middle school concepts• “Team Passing”– Move to open space– Applied to different activities

• “Net/Wall”– Moving an opponent with proper

footwork/follow through• Volleyball• Tennis• Badminton• Pickleball

• Movements may have different names, but moves are very similar

• Square pass/flat pass (soccer) • down and out (football) • L cut (basketball)

–Apply skill to activity they may like at some point in the year (“Soccer may not be your thing, but this concept can be applied when we use basketballs later this winter.”)

Net/Wall•Introduce body positioning and its effects on performance• Teach skills (different

strokes, hits…) in this context• How do I line up my

body to hit the ball to a certain spot?

• It doesn’t matter what piece of equipment you are teaching with, the concepts are the same!

How do I adjust my body position to hit to a certain spot?

Personal Performance/Fitness

• Middle School–What training methods can be used

to improve performance?• Take what you already teach here

– F.I.T.T. Principle– Muscular Strength– Muscular Endurance– Flexibility– Cardiovascular Endurance

Weight Room/Fitness Stations

–Have kids apply knowledge of equipment to an activity they are interested in.• Skateboarding• Snowboarding/skiing

–Have them come up with list of muscles/movements they would need to do a particular activity.

–Design a program for that activity based on principles you have taught them.

Now You Have an Answer When They Ask…

• “Why do I have to do this?”• “I don’t like soccer anyway.”• “I’m never going to be a

basketball player anyway, why bother?”

• “Can I rest, I’m too tired.”• “I’m too sweaty, can I get a drink

now?”• “Can I go to the nurse?”

Tom Winiecki

• twiniecki@fmschools.org

• http://www.fmschools.org/webpages/twiniecki/index.cfm?subpage=7759

• (315) 692-1761