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 PHYSICAL
EDUCATION'S CONTRIBUTION TO CHILDREN'S
DAILY STEP COUNTS
Written by: Dr.
Clive Hickson, University of Alberta
As spokespersons
for physical education, we can often
be heard explaining the importance and
value of our subject matter to colleagues,
parents, and students. In fact, given
an audience, many of us love to extol
the many benefits to being active! While
the sharing of such information is a
vitally important task for physical
educators to do, sharing the value of
the many wonderful things that our students
do and achieve in our programs is also
most worthy of consideration. In fact,
celebrating students’ performance
levels and sharing their successes is
something that might be of even greater
importance.
The benefits
of student participation in quality
physical education programs are far
reaching and well documented, and do
not need to be reiterated here; however,
the need to encourage and recognize
those who are participating in our programs
is something that can often be overlooked.
By celebrating
the success stories that emerge from
our physical education programs, we
can provide extra encouragement to those
who we are celebrating. I am sure most
of us have had personal experience in
the way students respond when they are
recognized for their achievements. Not
only the smiles, but the extra spring
in their steps is clear to see! It is
very apparent that, when their achievements
are celebrated, students tend to develop
better attitudes to learning and a desire
to improve even further.
However, we
should not forget how we can also influence
and motivate others to try future challenges.
Recognizing the first tentative steps
toward an active lifestyle might be
the catalyst for further participation
for some students. So our celebration
of student success can be from a variety
of viewpoints. We can celebrate high
achievements, positive attitudes, or
even the willingness to try to change.
Recognizing a student’s excellence
in physical performance is most important,
but so too is the recognition of a child’s
first attempts to be active, such as
jogging for a short period of time or
the completion of a fitness circuit.
If our celebrations of student success
create an environment where activity
is appreciated and valued by all, even
if at different levels of performance,
we are truly being physical educators.
When celebrating
student successes, perhaps the most
critical considerations pertain to the
issues of how
and what.
How should we actually recognize or
celebrate student achievements, and
what should we recognize and celebrate?
Unfortunately, there are no easy answers
to these questions.
For some students a friendly one-to-one
conversation works best; for others
the recognition of their work in front
of their peers is most powerful; and
for some a larger public celebration
might be the best approach. No one way
is better or more appreciated, as it
is often a very individualistic issue
for each student. A quiet word, a picture
or announcement on a display board,
or a certificate of achievement can
all be effective. Often, the choice
of how and what to recognize when celebrating
student success can depend on several
quite complex factors. What is being
recognized, the perceived status of
the achievement, and the age and maturity
level of the student are just a few
to consider.
For example, one method of celebrating
student success is the utilization of
a student’s own peer group. Positive
feedback from a student’s peers
is often the most powerful kind of feedback
that can be provided. On the other hand,
some students respond particularly well
to having someone from outside the class
(for example the school principal or
a parent) visit and share in their success.
Further, some students do not like to
be recognized until they have reached
a certain target level or have attained
a level that they believe to be worthy
of recognition. Choosing the most appropriate
way to recognize a student is something
that needs to be considered carefully.
Whatever the
form of celebration you choose, it is
most important that students value the
recognition and believe that working
toward such recognition is a worthy
cause. It has been found that students’
motivation is often increased when they
are asked what they would like to be
recognized for, what the criteria for
recognition is, and how such recognition
should occur. Perhaps these issues should
become a regular fixture in our start
of year or semester conversations that
we have with our students.
School sports
and the achievement of student athletes
are most worthy of recognition and are
often celebrated. However, when considering
the number of participants, physical
education programming can be far more
inclusive than many of our sports teams.
Therefore, we need to consider the highlighting
and celebrating of successes beyond
the achievements of school sports teams.
So, perhaps we can also celebrate and
recognize those students who are completing
coaching certification programs, those
who have reached a certain level of
activity per week, or those who provide
physical activity programming for others.
A potential
benefit of celebrating the successes
of the wide range of students who participate
in our programs is the positive impact
it can have on the value attributed
to our subject area. By providing students,
colleagues, parents, and community members
with a friendly reminder of how well
all of our students do in our programs,
we can perhaps assist our communities
in becoming healthy, active places where
physical education programs are appreciated
and valued.
We might also
consider providing large-scale style
opportunities at our schools to view
our students in action. Have physical
education student-ambassadors direct
physical education performances during
open houses that demonstrate the successes
that occur in our classes. Parents always
enjoy seeing their children performing
such things as dance routines or gymnastics
sequences. Why not showcase physical
education during school assemblies?
Having staff members perform a dance
at an assembly can be most entertaining
for students to watch.
You might also
consider taking a class to a Senior
Citizens’ Community to dance the
afternoon away with individuals from
older generations. You could also sponsor
a Family Physical Activity Celebration
Night event. Such a celebration,
led by physical education student-ambassadors,
might include having activities in the
gymnasium, relaxation activities in
one room, and Pilates in another. Passing
out informational brochures that discuss
the importance of physical education
and physical activity, and how parents
can influence activity patterns in their
children outside of school, might be
an added extra to consider.
Student-led
challenge style goals are another effective
way to motivate our school communities
and celebrate what we can do. For example,
Can we run around the world? Can
we reach a million rope jumps? Can we
create a record by having the largest
line-dance in school history? While
such events promote opportunities for
whole school or even community-wide
celebrations, when we recognize that
every journey starts with a single step,
such activities also enable our students
to celebrate their own achievements
- be it large or small. Another added
benefit of these types of events is
the extra opportunity to recognize the
student leadership that occurs during
the organization and running of such
activities.
If children
are to truly become physically educated,
then we, as educators, need to ensure
that we find ways to recognize such
behaviour and action when it is displayed
by our students. Physical education
plays a critical role in promoting a
positive attitude toward being physically
active; however, we as physical educators
need to also share the successes that
our students have in our programs to
ensure that physical education remains
an important part of the daily lives
of children. By doing so, students will
receive the support and encouragement
that they need to keep striving for
success and gain the associated health
benefits from being physically active.
Celebrate what students do in your
physical education program, and see
the impact it can have on their future
choices and behaviors!
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