{"id":5396,"date":"2016-07-26T09:30:13","date_gmt":"2016-07-26T13:30:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ssww.com\/blog\/?p=5396"},"modified":"2026-01-15T21:22:29","modified_gmt":"2026-01-16T02:22:29","slug":"back-to-school-tips-for-pe-teachers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ssww.com\/blog\/back-to-school-tips-for-pe-teachers\/","title":{"rendered":"Back to School Tips for PE Teachers"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"backWelcome to the start of back to school, Physical Education teachers! Are you excited that the school year is about to start? Are you nervous? Or are you like me, thinking to yourself, \u201cWhat in the world am I going to do this year that\u2019s different than years past?\u201d Maybe you\u2019re ready for the year and have everything together. Maybe you just need a quick refresher on what to expect and how to organize yourself. Here are some tips to get back in the rhythm of being back in school:<\/p>\n

Planning:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Have your first couple weeks and\/or month planned out. Not sure where to begin? Start with what worked last year. Think of a way to learn the student\u2019s names. Personally, I like putting my students in squads. It\u2019s hard learning 500 names a year! My first couple weeks are all about squads and routines. This is how we walk into the gym. This is how we walk out.\u00a0 This is where you sit. This is what we do when there\u2019s a fire drill. These are the rules. And speaking of rules\u2026<\/p>\n

Setting Rules:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Let the students have some say in what rules you are going to impose. Let\u2019s be honest here \u2013 everyone has the same rules. Even my three-year-old was able to memorize the rules when he was in the two year-old class. However, here\u2019s the difference: You are going to let your student\u2019s THINK they are coming up with the rules, and then you\u2019ll summarize them and put them somewhere for everyone to see. This gives your students OWNERSHIP.<\/p>\n

Goals:<\/strong><\/p>\n

The next thing is to decide what your personal goals are for the year. Do you want to be a better classroom manager? Do you want to come up with new, creative ideas or stick with what\u2019s worked in the past? Do you want to use technology more in your class? What is important to YOU? There\u2019s no wrong answer. Do what works for you.<\/p>\n

Making outlines:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Make a rough outline of each quarter before the year begins. In my county, Montgomery County Public Schools (montgomeryschoolsmd.org<\/a>) in Maryland, we use something called Curriculum 2.0 that has outlines of what everyone should be doing in every subject all year long.\u00a0 I can print out lesson ideas and make outlines right now for the whole year. I color code each lesson topic by week that I am going to work on through the year and the dates when I am going to do those lessons. This helps me remember what units I am going to work on throughout the quarter. You can also use programs provided by Focused Fitness<\/a> to help with curriculum and to get access to student tracking software.<\/p>\n

Get Involved:<\/strong><\/p>\n

The last thing I want to leave you with is something that is dear to me \u2013 getting involved with the PTA and community. I want to share some suggestions with you about what you can do that will take very little time and will give you a ton of intrinsic value. The first is joining the PTA. It\u2019s easy, usually about $20, and it lets the parents and school know that you are on board. The second is to email or call local restaurants or sports teams and see if they can help you out with fundraisers or rewards for your students. For 10 minutes of your time, you may be able to send hundreds of students to sporting events for free. I\u2019ve been blessed to have established relationships in my community that have rewarded my students with free tickets to numerous sporting events and parties for classes that behave well and reach goals that we set. When my friends ask how I do it all, I just tell them I picked up the phone and asked.<\/p>\n

If you have any questions about anything I\u2019ve talked about, please do not hesitate to email me! I can be reached at Steven_A_Lightman@mcpsmd.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Visit\u00a0www.ssww.com\/physical-education<\/a>\u00a0for equipment and resources for Back to School!<\/strong><\/p>\n

About the Author: <\/strong><\/p>\n

Steve Lightman has been teaching for over 15 years in Prince George\u2019s and Montgomery County in Maryland.\u00a0 He was the 2015 Maryland Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance\u2019s Simon A. McNeely Award recipient for outstanding teaching and community outreach. He resides in North Potomac, Maryland with his wife and 3 year old son.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Welcome to the start of back to school, Physical Education teachers! Are you excited that the school year is about to start? Are you nervous? 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