Fusion Fitness and Nutrition:
A Resource Guide for Creating Extra Curricular Physical Activity
Opportunities and Learning Experiences for Today’s Youth
written by: Derek
Byrne, Pleasant Valley Primary, Battle Ground School District,
Washington
 As
physical education teachers and community leaders of physical
activity, we are constantly striving to make an impact on
our students' academic growth and physical activity opportunities.
The challenge for those working in our content area or field
is that many of our students do not receive enough physical
education time during the school week. In fact, most school
districts fall far below the recommended levels of 150 minutes
per week at the elementary level, and 225 minutes per week
at the middle and high school levels (NASPE, 2010). Therefore,
new avenues must be taken to help each student reach their
suggested levels of 60 minutes or more of physical activity
per day, and to increase their healthy learning experiences
outside of class.
The Center for Disease Control, and
NASPE, believe that a comprehensive approach to physical education
is an ideal way to improve youth physical activity levels
and increase learning experiences for our nation's youth.
A comprehensive approach includes activities that occur before,
during, and after the school day (NASPE, 2008). This approach
is coordinated, led and taught by fitness leaders within the
school learning community, and as physical educators it is
important that we accept this role and use every opportunity
we can to promote healthy minds and bodies around us.
Over the course of my teaching career,
I have taught in a variety of school settings and faced many
different teaching challenges. Still, no matter what type
of student population, the main focus remained the same. How
can I increase my students' physical activity opportunities
and learning experiences when I only see them for a relatively
short time frame per week? My belief and thoughts coincide
with other professionals in the field in that I believe a
comprehensive approach to physical education is needed for
the future of our content area and well being of our students.
Of course, this approach takes time, as each of us must explore
different routes for creating, organizing and implementing
before school, during school, and after school extra-curricular
programs.
In the first six years of my teaching
career, I have developed before school PE programs such as
a before school jump rope program, morning dance program,
and a walking school bus group. These morning programs have
served as great catalysts to promoting increased levels of
physical activity and helping to build a stronger sense of
community within the school setting. At lunchtime I explored
other options, such as different intramural programs, and
after school I did my best to create a variety of options
such as after-school running program, fitness program, Family
Fitness Night, and other events.
All of these programs took time to
develop, and at times involved the collaboration and help
of other educators and professionals working at my school.
Still, the feedback and reaction we received from students,
parents, staff, and administration was overwhelmingly positive.
These extra-curricular programs helped to build respect within
our school learning community, and most importantly make a
difference in our student's physical activity choices and
learning experiences.
As I finished my Master's in Physical
Education and Health at Central Washington University, I began
to reflect upon what I've learned and accomplished in the
early years of my teaching career. I wanted to find a way
to give back and help other physical educators improve their
physical education programs for their students. After careful
thought and deliberation, I decided to create a resource guide
for physical education teachers and health professionals to
promote extra-curricular physical activity opportunities and
learning experiences for students in their own school settings.
This resource guide would be based on the programs that I
have already created, and help serve as a tool for other passionate
physical educators looking to make a difference in their students
physical activity choices and learning experiences.
"Fusion
Fitness and Nutrition" is a resource guide that
I would like to present to other physical educators and health
professionals within the field. The guide
features a description of different programs, step-by-step
instructions, and a timeline for helping to organize and implement
the program. The guide
also contains important considerations when implementing the
programs, and different tools that will help you implement
some of these events into your current school setting.
The goal of making this resource guide
accessible to other physical education and health teachers
is not to say that you have to create or implement every one
of these programs exactly as I have implemented them in the
past. Each school setting has its own unique qualities and
challenges, so choose the programs that you feel would best
benefit your school community and population, and make it
your own. New ideas and brainstorming can only enhance the
new physical activity experiences and learning opportunities
you are trying to provide your students. It is my hope that
"Fusion
Fitness and Nutrition" will help serve as a resource
or guide as you do your best to enhance your physical education
program and promote new opportunities for the students you
teach.
Biography: Derek Byrne
is a physical education teacher at Pleasant Valley Primary
in the Battle Ground School District. During his teaching
career he has strived to make a difference in his students
lives through his work to develop comprehensive physical education
programs and create new learning and physical activity opportunities
for his students. He has also strived to grow and improve
as a professional by serving on the WAHPERD executive board
and through his recent progression through Central Washington
University's Masters in Physical Education and Health program.
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