Learning Styles

Students are expected to process information at different rates and in different ways, so material is presented in as many forms and mediums as possible to benefit all students. The unit topic, daily lesson and lesson objectives are written out at the beginning of each class period so that students know what to expect, and what will be expected of them during the class period. Students will be given direction, and then allowed to explore the movement or concept on their own in small groups.  This age group holds peer interactions as very important, so using models such as TGFU (teaching games for understanding) where one student takes on the role of "teacher" for his/her group for a particular topic can be very beneficial for teaching content. Also at this level students are expected to have mastered basic movement concepts such as throwing, kicking, catching, running, sliding, etc. so the focus is more on cognitive aspects of game play such as how to mark an opponent, or a certain "play" used for a particular sport,  rather than on individuals' physical performance of movement skills.  High school students also typically demonstrate a much lower level of motivation during P.E than the lower grades, 9th grade P.E in particular since it is a requirement and not a class that the students have chosen to take themselves. , teaching novel, or unusual sports is a great way  to increase interest and motivation in students, and also levels the playing field for those students who are not as physical active, fit, or who have lower ability levels as their peers since everyone is learning something new. These activities can be totally new, such as the game of kin ball, or have novel elements such as the sport of rugby where it is illegal to perform a forward throw in order to move the ball up the field. Most high school students don't lack physical ability to participate in P.E classes, just the motivation to do so and providing stimulating activities can help to increase that motivation.