PE is about to begin. You’re walking with your students out to the yard. How should you start your class?
Your first item of business is to prepare your students to listen to directions. It’s tempting to ask students to gather loosely around you, but that’s not the best approach. All your students need to focus on you and be able to hear you. That’s easiest when each one has an unobstructed view of your face. Find a clearly defined area where your students can stand side by side in a simple formation—a single line, for example.
Here are some great ways to position your students for the listening-intensive start of your PE session:
- Find a long painted line on the blacktop. Tell your students to stand with both feet on the line.
- Tell your students to stand directly on the edge of the blacktop. If you have a grass field adjacent to the blacktop, tell your students to stand with their heels on the grass and toes on the blacktop.
- If your blacktop has painted basketball courts, have your students stand along the curved arch of the key (which is near the free throw line).
Once the students are in position, and you have their attention, you can begin your PE class.
Our book, “PE by Design: The Classroom Teachers Physical Education Program, Grades K-5” includes many more class management tips. To purchase the book, click here.
