A Tough Act to Follow: How a "bad" PE teacher can sometimes be the hardest one to replace

written by Dustin Yakoubian (website)

Author of The New P.E. Teacher’s Handbook ©
Available in paperback at http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/the-new-pe-teachers-handbook/18857579 or in epub format at http://www.lulu.com/product/ebook/the-new-pe-teachers-handbook/18859881

ABSTRACT

This article is meant to be practical and to-the-point. It is not put forth as a research-based
article or one "academia" level discussion; instead it is meant to be informational and helpful to
practicing PE teachers who are out in PreK-12 classrooms every day.

This article is meant to shine light on a potentially surprising phenomenon: that a "New PE" teacher may actually meet resistance from students, staff and others when attempting to implement positive changes to a pre-existing "Old PE" program. This article primarily approaches this topic from the standpoint of the "New PE" teacher replacing an "Old PE" teacher at a given school. The reasons for these problems, ways in which the problems may manifest themselves, and strategies for resolving them are discussed.

ARTICLE

Differentiation, skill development, developmentally appropriate content and instructional methods, best practices, cooperative activities...These concepts are nothing new to informed and progressive teachers. Chances are, as an apparent reader of professional literature, you are such a teacher. Your concern for and knowledge of educational best practices are surely a benefit to your students and should surely be an asset to you in professional endeavors such as searching for a new job, building and continually improving your PE program, and contributing to the profession in other ways. But could it be that these positive attributes might actually make your teaching life more difficult?

A few years back, when I was completing my teacher preparation program, it was enlightening and empowering to know that I was learning the so-called 'New PE,' and I felt confident in my abilities to design and deliver a quality PE lesson when I entered the workplace. I knew that many less-informed and less-progressive PE teachers (so called 'old PE' teachers) were out there teaching, and there was a good possibility that I might be replacing one sooner or later. If and when this happened, it seemed intuitive that my newer, more informed/progressive/enlightened brand of PE would be lovingly embraced by administration, parents, and students; and why wouldn't it? New PE improves learning, fairness, cooperation, participation rates, and overall educational quality. Despite this all, I have come to realize a rather surprising thing: a teacher of 'Old PE' can actually be the hardest act to follow!

Since facing this realization and experiencing its many facets, I have given this topic quite a lot of thought. What follows is meant to answer several questions to several different audiences. Why and how might this phenomenon manifest itself? What factors and individuals may exacerbate the problem? And finally, what can be done to remedy these problems?

Students
Whether you like the metaphor of learners as sponges (which soak up knowledge) or balls of clay (which are continually being formed and shaped in various ways as a result of their education and other experiences), the underlying thought is the same: students learn and adapt to their educational environment. It is, of course, a good thing this is true; if all the things we do and say didn't affect students then we'd be no more useful than the paint on the walls. However, when replacing an 'Old PE' teacher, that teacher's legacy - his/her effects on the students - remain. Students who have come to learn that PE class equals free play time, or have become accustomed to a PE teacher who is the equivalent of the fun babysitter, will have a tough time shedding those paradigms.

One of the most prevalent manifestations of this problem that I experienced was that students simply did not want to listen to instructions for sustained periods of time. This, as you'd expect, created difficulties from my lesson introduction/scaffolding to my lesson closure and all points of short feedback/instruction/transitions throughout the lessons. Since PE historically meant very loosely structured, instructionally-deficient lessons, the students had a hard time accepting the idea of a PE teacher (emphasis on "teacher," i.e. on the same level as other teachers).

Beyond their perception of me as the teacher, students had also grown used to PE meaning play, not learning, which caused resistance to skill development and practice. Put simply, students didn’t want to go through the "difficulty" of actually learning skills. Those who considered themselves to be proficient with a given skill/game simply wanted to have free play time. Those who did not consider themselves proficient wanted a free pass to fade into the background of a poorly designed lesson.

Classroom Teachers
Many teachers, just as many people of any age and profession, are all-too-happy (or at least all too-content) to stick with the way it was done before. As discussed above, the environments and people in them which surround us become part of our routines and we get used to them. Whether good, bad, or otherwise, the comfort of the known is often preferred to the disequilibrium of change. I will spare the myriad examples I've experienced, but suffice to say that during my first month at a new school (which will remain nameless) I remember saying to myself "If I hear another coworker start a sentence with 'what we did in the past was…' I'm going to lose my mind!" Anyone who has been a new kid on the block, a new teacher in a school, or a new anyone anywhere will hear me loud and clear.

Administration
Administration, even when they've hired a new teacher for the right reasons (to enjoy the benefits of a new educator with new ideas, a new teaching style and strategies), may still hold on to bits of old thinking, whether consciously or unconsciously (i.e. PE teachers considered extracurricular coaches by default, etc.). As I've found, the unconsciously-held outdated beliefs regarding PE can be the most dangerous ones, because you are often not faced with them right away. In interviews, a well-meaning administrator's best of intentions will be clear. What may not be clear until time has passed on the job are the assumptions your boss has about your role in the school.

Fellow PE Teachers
Much to my surprise, though in retrospect it should not have been surprising, one's fellow PE teachers can sometimes cause resistance to the introduction of "New PE" thinking. If you are an elementary PE teacher, for example, and share facilities with middle/high school PE teachers, they have most likely historically had the top picks of equipment and space, because, after all (the old thinking goes) secondary PE is the "big time" compared to elementary PE which is just "play time."

In my own experience of the same, it was all too easy to get preempted out of the better PE spaces (larger gymnasiums or better groomed fields) and better/newer equipment. This was done automatically without my coworkers even thinking twice about it. Even when I spoke up for the benefit of my program (i.e. what's best for my students), I was quite simply and emphatically reminded that "this is the way it's always been" - ergo this is the way it's going to stay!

What can be done?
It most likely goes without saying, but the first thing to be done is simple, though maybe not easy. Simply put: be confident in the quality and validity of your program, and keep with it. The aforementioned problems created by your predecessor all sum up to our human gift of adaptation. Of course this has been a trait that's served us well, allowing us to learn, adjust, and get used to various stimuli in our lives. Problem is that once we're used to something, we all know how hard it is to change in the face of new stimuli, but it can and does happen - with time. In this way, the ones who may be the source of your most frequent headaches (students who are used to dodgeball 24/7) have the advantage of youth. Sure, it means their coping skills are a bit less developed, and so their propensity to whine about dissatisfaction with change is quite high. They are also among the most able to adapt to new changes with adequate time and reinforcement.

I took time to explain the various benefits of high-participation games, the disadvantages of elimination games such as dodgeball, and other aspects of my PE program, and the information did help a bit. Beyond that, it is important to know when explaining your program isn't necessary. Provide information as just described, but don't let it go too far - to the point where you are required to explain yourself or justify every activity to students. At the end of the day, you are the new teacher, and this is the direction classes are going. Period.

So if youth is an advantage to adaptation, then what can be done when it comes to adults who are entrenched in your predecessor's ways of teaching? Here, I would argue that the lynch pin - the one person who could be either your biggest roadblock or your biggest advocate - is your principal. We all know that administrative support of your program comes in direct ways such as provision for budgets, equipment and facilities. But this support can also go a long way in moral/philosophical support, and I've come to learn how important this piece really is!

No matter someone's age (students, their parents, and even your coworkers), the I'm gonna go tell the principal mentality often remains strong! As a result, your principal will likely be hearing everything from students' passing comments about what games you are (and are not - read: dodgeball and the like) teaching in PE this year, to intense parental or coworker concerns. Having a principal who understands, agrees with, and openly supports the validity of your PE program is the absolute asset. Such a supportive principal will be the first line of defense against questions/concerns/attacks to your new program's direction, and is essential if the school is to put forth a united front on the issue.

Conclusion
In summary, if you find yourself replacing or revamping an outdated PE program, as with any systemic change, you will likely face a wide spectrum of resistance. That resistance will mostly come from the simple fact of life that we all tend to get quite comfortable in the familiar, whether good or bad. However jarring change can be to students, staff, parents, or others, as long as you are confident and competent in what you're doing, you can weather the storm. In all hopes, with your persistence, attention to detail and a supportive principal, you may be clear through that storm easier and faster than you might expect.

I want to close with a note that, although this article's topic required the majority of the article to focus on problems (how they manifest themselves and how to solve them), I hope it is not mistaken for an overall-negative view of the workplace, even one in flux between old and new. As with everything, there are ups and downs. I don't want to obscure the positives, but certainly defend the importance of identifying the negatives in as much as this will allow us to most effectively deal with them, and ideally in a proactive rather than reactive fashion.

Biography: Dustin received his B.S. in physical education from Eastern Connecticut State University, and is certified to teach Pre-K through Grade 12 physical education and health education in the state of Connecticut. He has taught elementary physical education at international schools overseas (in both China and Thailand).

In 2010 he wrote and published The New P.E. Teacher's Handbook (a 384-page book addressing everything from how to find a PE job to ideas for cross-disciplinary collaboration, and of course over 80 ready-to-use lesson plans cover all grades from K-Grade 12). Dustin also has a B.A. in economics from the University of Connecticut, and a M.Ed. in International Education with ESL Specialization from Endicott College.

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