Teaching Children Physical Education

It’s never been more challenging to teach physical education to children and adolescents. Between managing difficult behavior and adapting lessons for students with diverse needs, teachers have their hands full. Teaching Children and Adolescents Physical Education: Becoming a Master Teacher has been helping both new and experienced physical educators meet these challenges for many years, and this revised edition has been updated to address many of the new challenges that have emerged in the past decade. Expanded to address teaching across elementary, middle, and high school, this classic resource demonstrates the techniques and skills master teachers rely on. Many of these skills are illustrated with videotapes of actual K-12 teachers in action.

This already-successful text goes beyond pedagogy to include concrete curriculum strategies for making classes vibrant, fun, and developmentally appropriate. Written in conversational language, the book is readily applicable.

Teaching Children and Adolescents Physical Education has been refreshed to be more valuable than ever to veteran and future physical educators navigating the elementary, middle, and high school environment. New features include the following:

• New research and examples from the world of secondary physical education

• Technology tips and app ideas contributed by real physical educators

• Linked directly to national standards and grade-level outcomes (SHAPE America, 2014), a new approach to planning and teaching lessons to meet the needs of all students

• Many sample task sheets and assessment examples for middle and high school

In addition, this resource features three new chapters that add even more depth to the topics covered. The chapters address long-term planning, writing, and teaching the lesson plan.

The value of this book can be attributed to the authors’ years of experience teaching physical education in elementary, middle, and high school. George Graham, Eloise Elliott, and Steve Palmer understand all aspects of quality physical education and the teaching challenges that come with the territory—because they have been there. Emphasizing real-world strategies, the authors weave instructional scenarios throughout the book. Readers will see in action the decision-making process master teachers go through when writing and teaching lesson plans. Because every class is different, this resource also highlights how to plan for diverse students and how to adjust lessons accordingly.

The text is packed with tried-and-true advice for motivating students to practice, building positive feelings, observing and analyzing, providing feedback, and assessing students through formative assessment. Examples show what effective physical education instruction really looks like in secondary gymnasiums and on playgrounds. Rich with firsthand advice and insight, this book will guide educators toward becoming master teachers of physical education.

George Graham, PhD, is an award-winning university professor and public school physical education instructor who was named to the NASPE Hall of Fame in 2007. He is the author of Children Moving, currently in its ninth edition and used in more than 250 universities throughout the United States. Graham has spoken on the topic of positive physical education on CBS This Morning, CNN, and National Public Radio. He also has been cited in USA Today, the Harvard Review, and the Washington Post.

Eloise Elliott, PhD, is a Ware Distinguished Professor at West Virginia University, where she leads initiatives to improve the physical activity participation of children. She has developed and taught university physical education teaching courses and conducted teacher training. She developed and oversees a web-based resource to help teachers include physical activity in the pre-K-8 classroom. A former public school physical education teacher, Elliott was appointed to the national President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition Science Board.

Steve Palmer, PhD, is associate dean at Northern Arizona University (NAU) in Flagstaff. His background includes 15 years in physical education teacher education and research. He also has taught elementary and middle school physical education. Palmer leads and coordinates NAU’s physical education teacher education program. He has published numerous papers related to physical education curriculum and teaching.