Well today was Parent-Teacher Conference Night at school from 4 -6 so I just got home from School. This is my active rest WEEK, so taking today completely off, I may go in to do Abs and Weights...but...."I doubt it".
CMT's are over, and my classes are going much more smoothly. Students are less stressed so are not acting out all the time. We actually did goals for the up coming fitness re-assessment coming up after break, and they did great! I have the students set a 20% increase over their fall scores as a target for the re-assessment. If they reach their goals they get a piece of physical activity equipment of their choose (Basketball, football, soccer ball, volleyball, or jump rope). I buy them in bulk for about $4-5 each, and the kids work very hard to earn them. Last year students in grade 4-6 showed a 27% increase from pre-post testing on aerobic fitness...awesome! I have written grants to pay for the program, and this is a major piece to the puzzle. Non-exercisers work very hard for extrinsic rewards...and So do I! This year the school paid for the equipment to give the kids a positive motivator going into the end of the year, and provide classrooms with needed playground equipment. During the past 3 years, an average of nearly 90% of all students met their goals. Those that didn't we for behavioral reasons mostly...Just didn't take the test due to absence or not in class. All students meeting their goals are placed on a bulletin board (the wall of Flame. NOT FAME, because it too hot) outside the gym with their goal and score posted, a picture of them performing their goal exercise, and them receiving their reward. This is then sent home after about a month.
This is also very rewarding for me to see the growth, and determination in the students. The joy on a students face when they reach their goal is fantastic. This is when I love my job! Someone has to do it, might as well be me.
This year I am going to have the students graph their increases on a task sheet for each of the four fitness components assessed. That should be interesting.
Tomorrow, ride to work and cynergy! Nice weather is back, I hope the wind subsides a bit.
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