7 Benefits of a 'Game Sense' approach.

So what is a 'Game Sense' approach? 

It means facilitating students' development of decision making, spatial awareness, instincts, reading the play, applying rules and strategies and reaction time. It means stripping back the adult version to reveal whats most important when learning a game and it's skills. It means identifying that the only difference between most invasion games for example, is the type of ball used and some of the rules. If game sense is taught, experienced, grasped and developed, a person 'with' game sense would be able to pick up any of these similar games in a flash. They would just need to learn a few of the rules, and they would be able to apply them to the 'new' sport and confidently and competently join in.

So if a person's kicking/throwing/passing skills weren't up to the standard of 'experienced' players in this 'new' sport, they would still be able to influence a game and help their team by: blocking up space when on defence, leading into space in attack, evading chasers/tacklers when in possession of the ball, and advancing the ball by dodging past defenders. By 'helping' their team toward success and experiencing successful moments, this player feels good about him/herself and is encouraged to play more. And isn't that what we're after?

Now I haven't thrown out the 'skill/drills followed by culmination' approach out the window, its ingrained in me so deep that it is habit. There will always be a need for quality instruction and advice with regard to technique. But a 'game sense' approach is so fun and rewarding that not only are the kids excited and enthusiastic about it, but their PE teacher is too!

So here are some of the benefits I find to using a 'Game Sense' approach in PE: (with the examples below I am referring to invasion games such as basketball, netball, hockey, Australian Rules Football).

• Utilising 'Small Sided Grid Games' (3 v 3 or 5 v 5, instead of 11 v 11 or 13 v 13, in small areas rather than full sized fields/courts). Small sided grid games allows each participant: more action, exposure to game scenarios, a chance at conflict resolution, self management opportunities, practice in negotiation, more space, more attack opportunities and more defence opportunities.

• It gets the kids into the action early. The skilful kids love being 'set free' to show their stuff, while the lesser skilled students feel like they are 'doing it' right away.

• Getting my students into a game situation early is a great method of formative assessment. I can see where the skill level is at, I can start to form ability groupings, and with discussions and debriefings I can get a feel for the level of prior knowledge regarding rules and strategies.

• Speaking of debriefs - class discussions allow for students to drive the conversation towards what they want to know.

• Small sided grid games makes ability groupings easier.  - kids play at their level - build confidence, experience success and failure in an environment that won't turn them off. I can move players up or down during the game if more/less challenge is required.

• I can set up different rules for each game. This shows students that it is ok to modify the rules (problem solving) in order to make a game more suitable/challenging/fun.

• I find that when students are comfortable that they know how to play, they will attempt more difficult moves/skills - at the exact moment when they are ready to try! 

Summary

High quality sport specific skills are of little use if it is not known when to apply them. A ruck rover in Australian Rules Football does not try to get a perfect spin on a centre clearance kick, because he knows that his space and time are limited, and so must execute the quickest kick he can in order to advance the ball.

With so many skills transferrable from sport to sport or game to game, P.E. teachers can achieve the ultimate success with a 'Game Sense' approach - increased participation - if students are taught to 'play' the game they are trying to 'play'.

Have you tried a 'Game Sense' approach? What about TGFU? Do you prefer to focus on skills?

I welcome your comments.

Don't wait for PD to come to you! My thoughts on Professional Learning Communities.

What is the best PD you have ever participated in?  Did it cater for your exact needs? How long had you been waiting for it?

Have you ever enrolled in a course or seminar only to discover that it did not answer your questions or solve your professional dilemmas? I am sure this has happened to all of us at one point, where you walk away feeling like you have just wasted valuable time.

Solution: create your own PD! No one knows your situation, your questions, your limitations or your experience better than you do. So why not create an opportunity that will tick all the boxes?

Do you belong to a PLN (Professional Learning Network, sometimes referred to as Professional Learning Community)? This is a network of like minded individuals who are willing to share and learn with you. They could be colleagues at your school, or at neighbouring schools. They could even live on the other side of the world, but with thanks to tools such as Twitter, Facebook, Skype, Google hangouts etc, like-minded people are plentiful and accessible. I feel the benefits of networking are often underestimated. Much time is poured into formalised PD with guest speakers/presenters that deliver a 'one-message-fits-all' presentation, one that was probably delivered word for word to a different staff the day before. In  many cases these presenters were once teachers themselves, coming from the era of 'chalk and talk' where the teacher delivers a lecture and you take notes.

I recently facilitated a PD day with 7 other PE teachers from schools in our district. Leading up to the day the participants were asked to think about what they would like included in their PD session. Giving them ownership of the day encouraged them to make suggestions that would be of benefit to them and their schools.

We had a very productive day. We explored a whole range of topics related to Physical Education including curriculum, programming, assessment and integrating technology into our lessons. Two of the participants were from a neighbouring district, so it was great to meet and collaborate with them as it gave us a fresh perspective on things. The advantage of being a small group was that it was more like a round table discussion than a seminar, and so all participants could contribute with their experiences and questions. I certainly came away feeling like I had gained some knowledge and ideas that I could implement into my teaching. I was able to ask specific questions and have seven experienced PE teachers help me out!

Best of all I came away inspired and enthusiastic - this was not a waste of valuable time!

So I encourage you to create your own PLN and develop your own learning opportunities. There is no better way to get what you need than by doing it yourself! No guest speaker to deliver a lecture, no presenter with a script - just like minded people you can talk to.


Want to improve your professional learning network? Try these tips.

Why am I still teaching? The answer is in 'Drive' by Daniel Pink.

Why am I still teaching after 18 years?  I've never really been able to explain an answer to this question when asked by family or friends, but I think I could now. I recently read 'Drive' by Daniel Pink. It made so much sense. This book is about what motivates us, particularly with regards to work. So many light bulbs went off here. Before I share my answer, here are the main points I took away from the book:

• Money is not as important as we think in motivating people to work. Extrinsic motivators like bonuses, a pay rise, or penalties for turning up late or not hitting sales targets are far less influential than intrinsic motivation - what Pink refers to Motivation 3.0.
• For a worker to be self motivated, and thus work harder, more efficiently and produce more, there are 3 essential elements: Autonomy - the desire to be in control of what we do,  Mastery - the desire to get better and better at what we like to do, and Purpose - the desire to do something worthwhile, for the benefit of others - the greater good.
• Pink also talks a lot about 'Flow'. This is an important ingredient when performing tasks. To be able to work implicitly on something without distraction or interference, and to work on it in the manner of your choosing, at a time of your choosing and in the environment of your choosing with people of your choosing allows you to work at your optimum. When we experience Flow (or 'getting in the zone') it is akin to meditating - becoming totally absorbed in a task or project that interests us. It frees up our minds to be creative when the conditions are right - including time!
• Essential to finding 'Flow' in our work is to match challenges with our abilities. Pink refers to the term "Goldilocks tasks" - not too easy, not too hard. Easy tasks become boring and kill motivation. Difficult tasks slow productivity and create anxiety at the thought of failure. Pink also explains how we should see our abilities "not as finite, but infinitely improvable".

So let's get back to the question - 'Why am I still teaching?'

It's not about the money, and never has been. Money is not the motivator, nor are the number of holidays we teachers get. Rather it is because I am self motivated to continue on my career path. The lure of a higher salary does not tempt me away from my job. So my motivation to teach comes intrinsically:

Autonomy
I am fortunate to have a boss and previous bosses over the years who have trusted me to deliver a whole school Physical Education programme without demanding it be done 'their way', or penalising me for trying new methods. As a specialist P.E. teacher I have the freedom and flexibility to take control of how I deliver physical education lessons to my students. Yes there is a curriculum to adhere to, but it is loosely written allowing me to tackle the learning objectives in a variety of ways. I can be creative with a variety of instructional models and the use of technology. I can invite guests to help deliver content. I can arrange excursions and incursions. I can set projects, or have students determine their own content depending on their own interests and capabilities. My only gripe with the amount of autonomy I have in my job is that the possibilities are endless (and I want to try them all!).

Mastery
I've learned a lot over these past 18 years about PE and teaching. Am I content with what I know? No. Do I want to know more? You betcha! I feel like there was a period in my career where I was treading water and not advancing my knowledge and skills, and I shake my head at the thought of the time I think I have wasted. But with the advancement of technology and the connectedness of the world today I have been inspired by other PE teachers from around the world via my PLC (professional leaning community) on twitter and through blogs. And so my appetitie for improvement (or mastery) in my field is stronger than ever. I want to get better and I will, with not a dollar extra in my salary!

Purpose
This is the easiest box to tick. Although teaching can be a very demanding and tiresome job, we power through because the light at the end of the tunnel is a bright one. It is a great feeling knowing that each day we contribute to a brighter future.  We make students the centre of focus in all that we plan, deliver and facilitate. Teachers understand the importance of caring, nurturing and educating the future of the world, one child at a time.

So I have painted a pretty rosy picture about my job. But ......

There are aspects to 'Drive' that have made me think about the limitations and inefficiencies of my occupation, and here I refer to 'flow' - or rather the lack of it! Pink's description of how important 'Flow' is really struck a chord with me. And a lack of flow is the most significant source of frustration and hinderance in my work. Teaching is so scheduled - particularly for a specialist teacher. I will sometimes have 10 appointments in a day - all bound by a start time and an end time - 6 classes, a duty, recess, lunch and the end of school bell.

If my students and I are on a roll, such as making great progress in skill development, strategic thought or deep reflection - we can't just keep going and seize the momentum - it's lunch time, or they are expected in music class. Or if I am working on carnival preparation in a D.O.T.T. (duties other than teaching) period, I have to get up halfway through it to go and set up for my next class.

It is rare for teachers to find those moments when we can 'get in the zone'.

Discussions with colleagues are rushed and abbreviated and 'to be continued' all the while scrambling for a biscuit and a coffee before heading off to class or yard duty. Planning and preparation times are set in a timetable that may not match up with a colleague you would like to collaborate with, or you attend 'have to' meetings and professional development days when this time could be used to work on something that is urgent and/or of interest to you. Thanks to 'Drive' I have realised the power and importance of flow and will take steps to see that it is harnessed for greater Autonomy, Mastery and Purpose in my teaching.

*     *     *     *     *

Although there are days when I ask myself "What am I still doing here?", I can now at least explain it to myself, and to others when I am asked. It's not the most glamourous or well paid job in the world, but there is enough drive in me to keep turning up.

Further reading:
A blog by fellow P.E. Teacher Joey Feith. Read his take on 'Drive' here.

Lesson Makeovers - 5 lesson innovations.

I have declared 2013 as 'the year of trial and error'. I'm going to experiment a little. I'm going to make some discoveries, and probably some mistakes (another word for discoveries) along the way. Like I say to my students all the time - "You learn more from mistakes and failures than you do from success". So with that, I give myself permission to experiment with things like technology, lesson ideas, concepts, flipping the classroom and some other areas of my teaching.

Here in Australia we have just completed our first week of term 3. Already some experiments are paying off. Here are some of the newer things that I have tried so far:

1. 'The Amazing Race' - as an introduction to cross country/orienteering I devised a lesson that simulated the TV show of the same name. You've seen it - people following maps and instructions to reach check points and then complete a task. Ask students to run cross country usually results in moans and groans, but my classes (yr 4, 5, 6) were happy to run across the school grounds and perform physical tasks for 40 minutes without any complaints. I pointed this out to them in the debrief - find physical activities that you enjoy doing, that keep you stimulated, and you will forget that you are exercising at all. I emailed my yr 5 classes this orienteering youtube clip and posted it onto my Yr 6 PE group on Edmodo.

2. Skipping Challenge - My school participates in the Heart Foundation's 'Jump Rope For Heart' programme every second year. I devised three charts (bronze, silver and gold) each with 11 pictures and descriptions of skipping tricks, with bronze being the easier tricks and Gold being quite challenging. Students have a list of all the tricks on a page and select the tricks they would like to try and master. A peer must witness the trick being performed 3 times for it to be considered mastered. I like that students can work at their level, and can choose the tasks that interest them.

3. Alphabet Challenge - I dusted off an old 'Gymfit' resource and whittled it down to a few activities that I decided I would use this year. One of those is a list of 26 activities (each is assigned a letter of the alphabet) involving the use of skipping ropes, hoops, large balls and small balls. Students were paired off and introduced to the idea of 'peer assessment'. I made a record sheet for the students to check off when they observed their partner performing the task as per the picture. Again students could work at their pace and choose the activities that interested them. All students were engaged. They were learning how to compromise when it came to choosing activities as well as being honest when peer assessing.

4. Ipad and projector screen - I am very keen to make use of the large screen and projector screen in our undercover area. So far I have shown youtube videos for instruction, as well as setting up a station where 3 students at a time play games such as Bit Breaker, Fit Freeway and Fuego's River Adventure. It was such a big hit and I had parents and other teachers stopping to have a look. One teacher brought out her class for a demonstration. These are great as wet weather activities.

5. Socrative - I teach health to our Yr 6 students. Our theme for this term is 'Challenges and Choices'. Getting 11 year olds involved in discussion can be a challenge in itself. With the increased number of laptops available I was able to use the Socrative App on my ipad projected up onto the interactive white board while students logged onto the 'student' site. From here I could ask a discussion question and have the students type in their thoughts. The responses come up onto the IWB for all to see, but the students can post anonymously, giving them a little more bravado to speak their mind. As a result my students were all engaged and contributing. It is a fun way to stimulate discussion and not rely on the usual 2-3 students who always put up their hand.

For many teachers these ideas will already be in place in their teaching practices. For me - it was time for a freshen up, and the above are examples of how I am personally doing things a little different this year. Not only does it freshen things up for my students, but it rejuvenates my interest and passion for my work. I will make some discoveries along the way - and win, lose or draw........my students and I win in the long run.

Streaming in PE

There's a reason why I don't play basketball for the L.A. Lakers - I'm not good enough. They don't just let anyone play in the N.B.A. But the reality is I wouldn't really enjoy it anyway. I doubt I could get the ball past half way, and it wouldn't be long before Kobe realised that he just shouldn't pass me the ball at all.

In sport, to get the best out of an individual or team, they must compete with 'like' athletes. Divisions, rankings, leagues, levels...they are all required in competition, and I have considered this with my PE classes. Here I will explain one of the methods of streaming students I have used, and reveal the results.

Streaming Yr 6 Volleyball 
My first lesson in this unit involved a student constructed quiz to test each other on how much of the rules and teaching points they retained from last year. Then I threw them into a game and observed. This informed me as to what skills and game procedures needed the most work, and it enabled me to split the class into a Blue group (better skilled) and a Gold group (lesser skilled). The following lesson I set the two groups onto separate skill-drill progressions to accelerate the Blues in applying their skills, and to catch up the Gold group on the fundamentals. When it came to game time (culmination of each lesson which was more and more each week) the results were amazing.

The Results
My Blue group played the best volleyball I had ever seen from year 6s. The rallies consistently went 4-5-6 times over the net. They thoroughly enjoyed their games. All students were involved and confident enough to offer suggestions and support to their team mates. They were even able to umpire themselves fairly without any major disputes.

My Gold group also picked up their intensity compared to what I had seen from some of them in previous units. The game was played at a slower pace to the Blue game, so they all felt like they could contribute (there were modified rules to allow the game to flow, like being allowed to catch a serve). They played with confidence because their team mates and opposition had similar skills and so refrained from making criticism when mistakes were made. Mostly I could stand back and observe and make assessments on their skills, understandings and teamwork.

At the end-of-unit-debrief and reflection I was pleased to hear how much the class enjoyed playing volleyball. I fed back to them how much they had improved, what their greatest attributes were, and what they could work on to take it to the next level in high school.

Summary
If students enjoy playing sport and being active in PE, they will be more inclined to pursue physical activities in their own time. This will lead to them becoming life-long participants in sport and as we know - the physical, social and cognitive benefits are endless. Naturally skilled students find enjoyment from being challenged when playing at a pace and level that is exciting and involves risks and failures. Lower skilled students need an environment that is less risky, a suitable pace for easier decision making and with rules that are easy to follow. Both groups can get the same enjoyment out of the same activity if the environment is suited to their abilities.

My favourite hour of the week is when I play basketball for a team called 'Vintage'. It's not the NBA - it's Tuesday night social Men's B division at my local recreation centre. I can keep up with the pace, I don't get criticised if I miss a shot (and it happens ...oh it happens!) and I thoroughly enjoy the level of competitiveness and teamwork. I have found the right environment for me, and I will continue to find the right environment for my students.

Note - Of course there are benefits of having mixed ability groupings as well, and I use this often in my teaching. But this is a topic for another blog.....

My next blog will be on how I streamed my Yr 5 basketball class by rotating groups through stations.
Until then I'd love to hear how you group your classes - skill groups, mixed abilities, friendship groups?

7 New Year's Innovations - what has worked for me so far in 2013.

One of the best things about being in the field of teaching is the fresh start that is offered to us each year. In fact we get a fresh start each term, come to think of it....every Monday! A fresh start is the right time to consolidate what you are already doing well in your teaching, and to leave off the methods that did not serve you or your students well. It is also a great time to try something new. And that is what I have done.

Here are a list of innovations that have worked well for me so far in 2013.

1. Streaming - putting apple with apples.
There are many ways to extend your skilled students, just as there are many ways to modify activities to suit your weaker students. By streaming my Yr 6 volleyball class into stronger and weaker groups I was able to do both. The details will be in my next post, so to keep it brief, I will simply say the results were amazing. Both groups were engaged, challenged and comfortable amongst their peers.

2. Throw them into a game and see what you get.
I didn't start my Yr 4 netball module with the usual introductory skills and drills, but instead threw the students into a game. I wanted to see where they were at in terms of skills and game knowledge. I discovered they did not need lessons of work on passing, pivoting and jump-stopping. Rather they just needed a little polish on using space, leading and defending. So this was my focus for the following lesson before returning to match play. I discovered that what they needed and what I thought they needed were quite different.

3. Edmodo
Last year our Yr 6 students used Edmodo in second semester. This year the Yr 6 teachers and I decided to introduce them to it from day one.  Edmodo is used daily to share information regarding events at school, homework, group projects, youtube videos, pictures and general Q and A about classwork. The students have embraced this networking platform and it has already shown to be useful in our teaching and the students' learning.

4. Pinterest
Having discovered Pinterest at he end of last year I had all my Summer holiday to start 'pinning' photos, pictures and resources. My boards are a collection of images I use to share with students, teachers and parents. I have only scratched the surface with what I aim to collect, but it's a start. My students love to see what images I have for them to view every time I come into their classroom.

5. Wristbands - the best $4 I have ever spent on teaching.
Like you, I reward students to reinforce the positive behaviours they exhibit, such as using manners, helping others, displaying good sportsmanship, giving their best effort, helping pack away etc. I used to lose track of who I had earmarked for a reward throughout the lesson, but not anymore. I wear 5-6 hair elastics on my wrist. When I see or hear a student exhibiting those positive behaviours I hand them a 'wristband' to put on their wrist. At the end of the lesson I can say "If you have a wristband on please come and see me before you go for your reward". Simple, effective and the students have responded to it really well.

 






6. Theory Focus
I have added a 'Theory Focus' to my Yr 3-6 classes. This means that amongst the skills, fitness and sport during PE time, every few weeks a new topic is discussed which covers topics such as bones, muscles, how to be 'sun-smart', leadership, umpire appreciation, sports injuries, nutrition and many others. I spend just a few minutes using charts, quizzes and props to show students a little bit more than I used to. Soon there will be a screen and projector in the undercover area, so visuals off the iPad will follow.

7. Going full circle with checklists and anecdotal records.
I used to use clipboards and a class list, but didn't like taking my eyes off the class to find a name on an alphabetical list. Then I moved to a small handheld dictaphone to record notes. The speed and ease of note taking was great, but listening back to 6 lessons worth of notes everyday can be time consuming. Next I moved onto the iPad for videoing students in action. Great for collecting evidence but again very time consuming and the camera can never take in as much as the eye.
So what do I do now? All three!
I  always take with me a clipboard and fresh class list, my dictaphone and my iPad. All three have their strengths and I use each one for whichever situation calls for it.

So there you have it - 7 innovations I have added to my repertoire. I would love to hear what you have tried different, or simply built upon this year. I will follow up soon with details of my Yr 6 volleyball class that I streamed successfully. Until then, keep those kids happy and healthy!

9 tips to help you return to work with child-like enthusiasm.

Picture the first day back at school to start a new year. There's excitement in the air. The teachers are excited. Why? Because they are about to begin a new year of discovery, achievement, targets, goal setting, professional development and fulfilment. The kids are excited. Why? Because they have new pencils...........

Who wins? The kids of course. I mean, new pencils - come on! Add to that the new uniform, new classroom, new school bag, maybe even a new haircut!

So maybe we should take a leaf out of the children's books and inject a bit of wide eyed enthusiasm into our first week back at school. Here are 9 simple tips for adding that extra spring in your step for day one, week one:

1. Rearrange your desk and/or your office (if you are lucky enough to have one). Make it feel like a new workspace by moving your computer monitor to a new position, or shifting the bookshelf to another wall. It's also a good opportunity to dig through those old files and books you've been hanging onto. Clear out the obsolete and make space for the new resources that you will discover, or just de-clutter the view for when you are pondering your next lesson.

2. Replace those old posters with something new. While your 'renovating' your workspace, put up images or words of inspiration that catch your eye every time you enter. It's like a fresh coat of paint.

3. Treat yourself to a new set of clothes. Is it time to upgrade those sports shoes? What about a new hat, drink bottle, whistle and lanyard? And most definitely arrive on day one with your feet inside a brand new pair of socks! You will certainly feel like a new person.

4. Create a new playlist on your iPod/iPhone or whatever device you use. Do you sometimes play music during lessons and activities? Have a playlist of current songs that don't contain explicit lyrics or themes just for the kids to work to. You don't want to still be listening to those tired old songs. Update the playlist for a fresh sound that you and the kids will enjoy.

5. Try a new screen saver on all your devices. Something that gives you a lift every time you open your iPad or sit at your desk. It could be a motivational quote - your mission statement for the year (find some here), or maybe a funny picture that reminds you of a special person, place or time. And while we're at it, what about a new ringtone or message alert sound? If you use your devices as much as I do, it's nice to freshen them up once in a while.

6. Order new equipment in time to have it ready for use on day one. Children love new toys, so indulge your inner child and make sure your new equipment is ready to go when they are.

7. Use new equipment you haven't used before. Try something new, even if it is just for an ice-breaker activity or a warm-up. You will find this stimulating for both you and the students. Watch the ideas snowball once you see what the students come up with when asked to 'explore' their new items.

8. Buy new stationary for your desk. You deserve new pencils too! Include in this a new and unused notepad and sticky notes. It's a simple idea but one that will make desk work a little more exciting (if that's possible!)

9. Rewrite the signature at the bottom of your emails. Try a new colour and font, and while you're at it, how about a message, motto or personal mission statement about your teaching. Simple. Effective.

So there are just a few simple ways of making your return to work even more enjoyable. Keep it fresh. You're already filled with excitement and motivated to have your best year yet, but the ideas above will just add a little sparkle to those first few weeks.

It's exciting when the Christmas tree comes out each year, but you need the decorations too, right?