Physical Education Fitness

I am writing this blog to reach out to all PE teachers. I am looking for input on what your high school curriculum and classes entail in regards to fitness.

At Sparta High School, we put the entire student body through the Presidential Fitness Challenge. We do this twice a year. Once in September and again in May. The events that we use are the mile, half-mile, sit-ups, push-ups, pull-ups, sit-and-reach, and the shuttle run. We also have all of the students run the Pacer test, which is a product of Fitnessgram. It is a good indicator of cardiovascular endurance.

The fitness portion is time consuming, but students seem to work hard at each event, overall. Many students try extremely hard to reach the Presidential and National Standards that are listed.

So, I am curious what other schools do in regards to fitness curricula, lessons, and classes. I am looking for different ideas to incorporate into our program that will make our students more successful and enjoy what they are doing. Any input would be greatly appreciated.

The 'Dreaded' Mile

Today in our PE classes our students are running the 'dreaded' mile. Each student attempts to reach the Presidential times for their age, while they huff and puff through their four laps around the track. As students, give it their all I can't help but think, have I as a teacher helped encourage them to exercise or given them the idea that it is a chore or a punishment? I am hoping it is the former, but I have a feeling it is the later. During the course of the academic year, I teach them about the importance of cardiovascular exercise and how they need to incorporate this into their daily schedules. As the end of the year approaches, I often feel I have been able to "reach" many students. Students tell me how they have incorporated exercise into their lives.

As the school year comes to a close, the 'dreaded' mile has to be run and recorded again. No matter how much all of my students have learned, they still dislike this timed event. Although, as each of them crosses the finish line, I see their sense of accomplishment and relief that they have completed this physical challenge, and this makes me smile.