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A well organized and practically based curriculum makes lesson planning easier. The curriculum should:
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Identify the major learning objective for each lesson
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Unify instruction across teachers and schools
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Makes switching schools less problematic

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Avoid curriculums which look like this:

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Motivation
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Show enthusiasm, set high expectations (beware expectancy and self-fulfilling prophecy)
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Provide remediation and enrichment
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What are some examples?

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Motivational Strategies
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Meaningful activities
Developmentally appropriate activities
Grades/assessment
Reward structures
Reasonably high expectations
High success rates
Lessen fear of embarrassment (teaching by invitation, intratask variation, task sheets, stations, “extra PE” time

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Brainstorm a list of four potential obstacles and be able to explore a solution for at least two of them.
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Budget – sponsorships, grants, document equipment needs/purchases, make your own,
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Parent/community support – newsletter, sport/family night, health status
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Improve test scores – setting goals, enrichment, emphasize throughout or periodically, fall/spring retest for improvement

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Brainstorm a list of four potential obstacles and be able to explore a solution for at least two of them.
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Time – set aside time, maximize time you do have, make clear to admin that “taking” PE class should be a last resort, having a quality program is the best buffer, enrichment, intramurals
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Transient students – enrichment, peer helper
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Facilities – creative, utilize all possible teaching spaces,
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Repetition – pairing like activities, staying current with new activities

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Colleagues (MS, HS)
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Can only deviate so far from the norm of the department.
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If you find yourself in a substandard program, create the best classes you can in the context provided. However, in time, you can elevate a program through your example and persuasion of colleagues.
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DO NOT belittle your colleagues or try and make too many changes too quickly.
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One nice attribute of elementary PE is more autonomy.
Avg

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Administration
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Many are “jaded” by their experiences in “gym”
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Important to educate them about the new PE, your goals, your instructional techniques. The more they know about quality programming, the better.
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Administrators can eliminate or reduce time in PE
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CT mandates
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Under duress from No Child Left Behind, budget, parents…all corners. Often PE is in the back of their minds.
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IMPORTANT to educate admin about PE and press for more time and more funding.
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What are some ways to educate admin about PE?

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Scheduling
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In K-8 PE, classes are organized by grade level. In HS, PE is often the last class considered when creating the schedule. The result is:
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Uneven number of students in classes
Uneven number of classes per period
Uneven distribution of grade levels (destroys vertical alignment)
Developmentally uneven proficiency levels (cog, psym, aff).
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HUGE PROBLEM
Communicate with guidance department or whoever schedules to address the needs of PE.
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Best case: Students pick activities/levels like in college
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Good case: Classes organized by grade level
Needs improvement: classes organized by multiple grades (9-10, 11-12)
Worst case: All grade levels thrown into one class.

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Lack of accountability
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Supervision of PE is usually undertaken by:
 administration who lack understanding of quality PE
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 department chairpersons who have the knowledge but lack the authority
No one – everyone does their own thing
Ideally a district supervisor an involved HPE & athletics director oversees PE, but this is usually not the case.
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Such individuals have the knowledge and the authority to require quality instruction, professional development, adherence to the curriculum, and program improvement.
If you become a department chairperson responsible for a PE program, the amount of authority you have depends upon you.
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Rapport, persuasion, & example are your most powerful tools.
Can hold district/department meetings, improve the curriculum, suggest instructional changes.

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Poorly designed curriculum
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Too many units
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Not representative of the interests and motivations of students.
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If students do not want to participate, are bored, and don’t take class seriously, that is the fault of the teachers and program.
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PE class should offer something for everyone, especially the atrisk students.
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Who is at risk?

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Autonomy
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Each teacher does “there own thing”
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It is important teachers collaborate to offer the best curriculum possible.
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Teachers working collectively can offer a more comprehensive and engaging curriculum than those working separately.

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No assessment
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Remember, the curriculum cycle is plan, teach, AND assess.
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Not having assessments and accountability promotes the idea that PE is about recreation and not real learning.
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AN effective teacher gets results (cog, psychomotor, affective).
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Students will oppose assessment by pressuring teachers to simplify the curriculum, assign low-demand activities, and reduce evaluation – resist this.

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Every activity of a school is undertaken for what?
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Students
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To prepare them for success as adults.
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Teachers have a responsibility to STUDENTS, to offer the best programming and education possible.