This is a new section that is dedicated to Physical Education enthusiasts, helping each other, with questions, comments, suggestions and ideas.  The success of this section depends on your help, so please take time to send me your ideas, comments or questions.  Thank you, and Enjoy!

     Question Archive
-New students with Multiple languages (Current Question)
-Physical Academic games for the classroom
-Bulletin board ideas

          Questions are typed in Red, Responses are typed in Blue

Current Question: I have been assigned to do PE with kids from the "Newcomers" center in our county.  These children will be sent here to learn English before they go back into their regular settings.  I will have anywhere from elementary to high schools in 3 different groups.  Does anyone have any ideas that will help me out to get started?  There should be a translator accompanying them, but this is a little intimidating to me.  Thanks for your help!
     -Sherry

Current Question - Response #1: I have a lot of ice breaker games that I feel would be great starting activities that will allow the students to get to know each other.  Also, I feel that cooperative games would be great activities as the students have a language barrier to overcome, this may also help students with non-verbal communication (I feel they will find a creative way to communicate).  I think you have a great opportunity to do some special things here.
     - Doug-  MrGym.com

Question #2:  Hi, I am a physical education instructor at a local college.  I teach a class called p.e. for elementary grades.  It teaches classroom teachers how to get students out of their chairs and doing some physical activity.  Needless to say these teachers did not go to school to teach p.e. and dread the thought of movement in their classroom.  I am looking for some academic games for use in a classroom setting.

Question 2- Response #2: You might want to try some “Brain Gym” activities with your class. Just Google “Brain Gym activities” and you will find all kinds of things you can do to get your students moving in limited space. Hope it helps!

     - Sherri

Question 2 -  Response #1: Hi, This is a response to the question on where to find academic or integrated games. Here is a couple web sites that I use. The first is www.ncpe-4me.com it is a North Carolina site that has movement academic games called Energizers. They work really well and the students enjoy them. The second site ie P.E. Central. They have a number of integrated activities that classroom and physical education teachers can do. Hope this helps.

Tim Alwine
Hillcrest Elementary School
Delphi, Indiana

Question #1: Need some ideas for my gym's bulletin board beginning from August through May.  Thank you. 
                             -Anne

Response #1:  Anne, Thank you for visiting MrGym.com.  Personally, I do not do a lot with bulletin boards, but here is what I do with mine.  In no particular order:
     Display a star chart, where classes earn stars for good behavior etc. which leads to free days.
     Display the Top Ten Boys, and the Top Ten Girls in each event of our fitness test.
     Display the All-Time fitness Records, Boys and Girls
     I Make a display of professional and Olympic athletes who have asthma, with information on asthma.
     I make a display on health, showing the nutritional information of popular fast food restaurants and colas, (especially Mountain Dew)
     I have displayer a Que Pasa Board which shows what we are doing this week and next in P.E. 
     I have also displayed secret messages made with sign language. 
     I  Display articles from our local paper, which contain the names of my students.
     I have displayed muscle, bone, or exercise of the week/month etc.  (Do muscle of the week and gear some of the activities to that muscle etc.
     I Display information about: Fitness Test, Field Day, Current Events, Rules, P.E. Aides, Etc.
I know these don't fit necessarily with what the classroom teachers do, but personally I try to do two things with my bulletin board. 1. Display pertinent information that the students, parents and staff will view. (It should be not be just a bunch of boring info, of course it needs to be appealing to the eye).  2.  Information that promotes my P.E. Program in a positive light.
     I am sure there are more possibilities, so I will add Bulletin boards to my site.  Furthermore, I will put this question on the web site and find out what others are doing.
      I hope this helps,
Doug 

Response #2 - Your response here.  Please send your responses and/or questions to: Ideas@MrGym.com.   Also, I would like to print your name and school when you respond.  If you do not want this printed just let me know in your e-mail.
Thank you.

As I receive more Questions and Answers, I will start an archive containing all the information from this section.

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