Leader of the Pack

Learning to teach with the "Firm but Warm" ideals is an art all unto itself. In a way it is also the same mantra for Cesar Milan (AKA - The Dog Whisperer). Casar takes the toughest cases of dog misbehavior and works tirelessly to "re-rehabilitate the dog" but "train the owners" - and NOT the other way around. What does he say about the importance of a) walking together (exercise), b) belief in yourself as the leader of the pack, and c) creating a pack to create harmony. Watch this video and leave a comment that best explains your reactions to Cesar's techniques and the parallel to teaching youngsters. If you want to see more of Cesar and his techniques and awesome effectiveness click on this YouTube playlist and National Geographic Channel.

Spring Class Rocking

We're off and running with a great bunch of new 255 students who were quick studies and adapted well to the "Ambush Teaching" lab. You can find their blogs listed in the right hand column of this Rockstar PE blog. Please take some time to read through their reactions to their teaching and to follow their growth in learning to become a Rockstar PE Teacher. Some students (Melissa and Kristen) have already mastered adding videos to their blog...Bravo! Lots more to come so hold on to your hats.

Dream The Art of Possibility

@ Yahoo! Video

Benjamin Zander at Pop!Tech 2008: How Fascinating!

Benjamin Zander is indeed a Maestro in every sense. As the conductor of the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra, he lives and breathes his mantra of "The Art of Possibility" which opposes the tide of negativity, conformity, and the downward spiral. The question is, how will you "move" people into the world of "Possibility" and "take them to a place they couldn't reach without you?"

Describe in detail which "Rockstar" essential teaching elements that Zander demonstrates in his motivational speech? Be sure to include: a) at least five elements, b) with each element describe what Zander said or did, and c) what the effect was on the audience or the student.

Compare and contrast your teaching style and technique to Zander's. Can you describe in detail two elements you covered in your Lab C or D and three of Zander’s teaching elements/techniques you want to be able to do by the end of your 256 experience. How will these changes in your teaching affect your communication style, student learning, overall growth towards being an outstanding leader, and reduce student misbehavior?

[Via Presentation Zen, TED Talks, Benjamin Zander, ]

Motor development skits (Part 2)

Here is the second batch of class presentations from Motor Development - infant development (reflexes, fundamental motor skills, and perception).

Skit #1 "Push It" by Bart, Efraim, Mindy & Julie


Skit #2 "Fresh Prince" by John, Matt, Matt, & Rich


Skit #3 "Monster Mash" by Russ, Kaitlyn, Amanda & Andie



And here is the rest of it.

Alphabet Re-Mix

Teaching well requires you to take the ordinary and make it extraordinary. The alphabet serves as a perfect example of an activity you can do to make it extra spicy. Even on Sesame Street, the simple alphabet plays an integral part of the overall mission of the TV series. And here is the rest of it.

Motor development skits (Part 1)

Here are the class presentations from Motor Development on infant development (reflexes, fundamental motor skills, and perception).

Skit #4 "ABC" by Julie, Brittany, Eric & Joe


Skit $5 "Every breath" by Care, Ryan & Sarah


Skit #6 "ChaChaSlide" by Melissa, Dan, Jason & Kris

And here is the rest of it.

No Limits - Hardcore Sitting

Abigail Branson sees not limits in what she can do. As a teacher you will have to find ways to help your students learn no matter what their level of ability. Listen how positive she is and how compelled and inspired her parents are to help and advocate for others with spina bifida SB. Where and how are you building your students competence (perceived or real), self-confidence, and above all self-concept. Are you providing motivating environments and engaging tasks that are developmentally appropriate for your students or is everyone supposed to do the same thing? Which is the better way to help your students? It takes work. No one said that teaching is easy. You have to have heart, dedication and be willing to put the time in to find ways to reach your students. It's all about them. No go out and find inspiration, be inspired, and most of all be inspirational. Carpe Diem!





Aaron enters the Guiness Book of World Records. Congrats Aaron!

Giving Thanks

Taking time to be with or remember our loved ones is the essence of Thanksgiving. As teachers, we should also be thankful of the plentiful resources available for all levels and disciplines. Some of the free resources and online guides that I've neglected to feature include: Lifehacker - most popular top 10's of 2008 - Persuade people subconsciously, Chris Brogan - social media master gives you 50 ways to take your blog to the next level, send text messages via e-mail, Think Anatomy, Zamar, Gizmodo's post on video formats, NYT article on reaching teens with autism, GTD-free is a personal TODO/action manager inspired by GTD (Getting Things Done) method by David Allen (see David Allen & Co. official site), Pazera - audio extractor, Audicity - free open-source all-purpose audio editor, Gmail Drive Config - mount more than one Gmail account as a remote disk drive Excel Chart Advisor, Busuu , Frengly, and Mango - language learning sites. Given the plethora of free resources and the ease of online tools and social networking sites there really is no excuse for not learning new skills to help you become a Rockstar PE Teacher. To see previously featured resources that can help you and your students just click on the "resources" label in the right-hand column of this blog and you'll find stuff for nutrition, physical activity, disability awareness, and many more topics.

Reading this short post further supports our hopes for you to become effective and powerful communicators as teachers and leaders. In Nagesh Belludi's blog you can find more tips on how to make an impact in all that you do.

In personal communication, the words of a speaker are just a part of his efforts to communicate.The pitch and tone of his voice, the speed and rhythm of the spoken word and the pauses between his words may express more than what is being communicated by words alone. Further, his gestures, posture, pose and expressions usually convey a variety of subtle signals. These non-verbal elements can present a listener with important clues to the speaker’s thoughts and feelings, thus substantiating or contradicting the speaker’s words.

As a teacher candidate/beginning teacher, you will need to communicate positively and clearly with many people. From your mentor teachers, principals, superintendents, parents, athletic directors, university supervisors, vice-principals, other faculty members, students, players, other coaches....the list goes on and on. Remember that communication not only involves the face-to-face encounters, but written documents, phone conversations, e-mails, faxes, text-messaging, instant messaging, and posts to social networking sites, websites, and blogs.
And here is the rest of it.
[Via Right Attitudes]

"Just Trying to Fit In" - Standup Comic with Cerbral Palsy

Josh Blue says he's not naturally funny but he certainly doesn't look uncomfortable delivering his routines. Bringing awareness to people with disabilities is one of his main missions and I think he does a wonderful job of delivering his message. And here is the rest of it.