NBPTS Physical Education

Transcription

1 NBPTS Physical Education STANDARDS for teachers of students ages 3 18+

2 The National Board would like to express appreciation to the U.S. Department of Education for its support of the cost of developing this standards document. This project is funded in part with grants from the U.S. Department of Education and the National Science Foundation. Through September 2000, NBPTS has been appropriated federal funds of $90.8 million, representing approximately 55 percent of the National Board Certification project. More than $75.5 million (45 percent) of the project s cost will be financed by nongovernmental sources. The contents of this document were developed under a grant from the Department of Education. However, the contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the Department of Education, and the reader should not assume endorsement by the federal government.

3 National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, National Board Certification, National Board Certified Teacher, and the NBPTS logo are trademarks and service marks of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. All rights reserved. Second Printing 2001 Note: This second printing has been reformatted and reedited.

4 Physical Education STANDARDS (for teachers of students ages 3 18+) Table of Contents Preface...v Introduction... 1 Overview... 5 The Standards... 7 I. Knowledge of Students... 7 II. Knowledge of Subject Matter III. Sound Teaching Practices IV. Student Engagement in Learning V. High Expectations for Learners VI. Learning Environment VII. Curricular Choices VIII. Assessment IX. Equity, Fairness, and Diversity X. Reflective Practice and Professional Growth XI. Promoting an Active Lifestyle XII. Collaboration with Colleagues XIII. Family and Community Partnerships Epilogue Standards Committee Acknowledgments iii

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6 The world-class schools the United States requires cannot exist without a worldclass teaching force; the two go hand in hand. Many accomplished teachers already work in the nation s schools, but their knowledge and skills are often unacknowledged and underutilized. Delineating outstanding practice and recognizing those who achieve it are important first steps in shaping the kind of teaching profession the nation needs. This is the core challenge embraced by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS). Founded in 1987 with a broad base of support from governors, teacher union and school board leaders, school administrators, college and university officials, business executives, foundations, and concerned citizens, NBPTS is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization governed by a 63-member board of directors, the majority of whom are teachers. Committed to basic reform in education, NBPTS recognizes that teaching is at the heart of education and, further, that the single most important action the nation can take to improve schools is to strengthen teaching. The National Board s mission is to advance the quality of teaching and learning by: maintaining high and rigorous standards for what accomplished teachers should know and be able to do, providing a national voluntary system certifying teachers who meet these standards, and advocating related education reforms to integrate National Board Certification in American education and to capitalize on the expertise of National Board Certified Teachers. Dedication to this mission is elevating the teaching profession, educating the public about the demands and complexity of accomplished teaching practice, and making teaching a more attractive profession for talented college graduates with many other promising career options. National Board Certification is more than a system for recognizing and rewarding accomplished teachers. It offers an opportunity to guide the continuing growth and development of the teaching profession. Together with other reforms, National Board Certification is a catalyst for significant change in the teaching profession and in education. Preface The Philosophical Context The standards presented here lay the foundation for the Physical Education certificates. They represent a professional consensus on the aspects of practice that distinguish accomplished teachers. Cast in terms of actions that teachers take to advance student achievement, these standards also incorporate the essential knowledge, skills, dispositions, and commitments that allow teachers to practice at a high level. Like all NBPTS Standards, this standards document is grounded philosophically in the NBPTS policy statement What Teachers Should Know and Be Able to Do. That statement identifies five core propositions. v

7 Preface 1) Teachers are committed to students and their learning. Accomplished teachers are dedicated to making knowledge accessible to all students. They act on the belief that all students can learn. They treat students equitably, recognizing the individual differences that distinguish their students from one another and taking account of these differences in their practice. They adjust their practice, as appropriate, on the basis of observation and knowledge of their students interests, abilities, skills, knowledge, family circumstances, and peer relationships. Accomplished teachers understand how students develop and learn. They incorporate the prevailing theories of cognition and intelligence in their practice. They are aware of the influence of context and culture on behavior. They develop students cognitive capacity and respect for learning. Equally important, they foster students self-esteem; motivation; character; sense of civic responsibility; and respect for individual, cultural, religious, and racial differences. 2) Teachers know the subjects they teach and how to teach those subjects to students. Accomplished teachers have a rich understanding of the subject(s) they teach and appreciate how knowledge in their subjects is created, organized, linked to other disciplines, and applied to real-world settings. While faithfully representing the collective wisdom of our culture and upholding the value of disciplinary knowledge, they also develop the critical and analytical capacities of their students. Accomplished teachers command specialized knowledge of how to convey subject matter to students. They are aware of the preconceptions and background knowledge that students typically bring to each subject and of strategies and instructional resources that can be of assistance. Their instructional repertoire allows them to create multiple paths to learning the subjects they teach, and they are adept at teaching students how to pose and solve challenging problems. 3) Teachers are responsible for managing and monitoring student learning. Accomplished teachers create, enrich, maintain, and alter instructional settings to capture and sustain the interest of their students. They make the most effective use of time in their instruction. They are adept at engaging students and adults to assist their teaching and at making use of their colleagues knowledge and expertise to complement their own. Accomplished teachers command a range of instructional techniques and know when to employ them. They are devoted to high-quality practice and know how to offer each student the opportunity to succeed. Accomplished teachers know how to engage groups of students to ensure a disciplined learning environment and how to organize instruction so as to meet the schools goals for students. They are adept at setting norms of social interaction among students and between students and teachers. They understand how to motivate students to learn and how to maintain their interest even in the face of temporary setbacks. Accomplished teachers can assess the progress of individual students as well as the progress of the class as a whole. They employ multiple methods for assessing student growth and understanding and can clearly explain student performance to students, parents, and administrators. vi

8 Preface 4) Teachers think systematically about their practice and learn from experience. Accomplished teachers are models of educated persons, exemplifying the virtues they seek to inspire in students curiosity, tolerance, honesty, fairness, respect for diversity, and appreciation of cultural differences. They demonstrate capacities that are prerequisites for intellectual growth the ability to reason, take multiple perspectives, be creative and take risks, and experiment and solve problems. Accomplished teachers draw on their knowledge of human development, subject matter, and instruction, and their understanding of their students, to make principled judgments about sound practice. Their decisions are grounded not only in the literature of their fields but also in their experience. They engage in lifelong learning, which they seek to encourage in their students. Striving to strengthen their teaching, accomplished teachers examine their practice critically; expand their repertoire; deepen their knowledge; sharpen their judgment; and adapt their teaching to new findings, ideas, and theories. 5) Teachers are members of learning communities. Accomplished teachers contribute to the effectiveness of the school by working collaboratively with other professionals on instructional policy, curriculum development, and staff development. They can evaluate school progress and the allocation of school resources in light of their understanding of state and local educational objectives. They are knowledgeable about specialized school and community resources that can be engaged for their students benefit and are skilled at employing such resources as needed. Accomplished teachers find ways to work collaboratively and creatively with parents, engaging them productively in the work of the school. The Certification Framework Using the Five Core Propositions as a springboard, NBPTS sets standards and offers National Board Certification in nearly 30 fields. These fields are defined by the developmental level of the students and the subject or subjects being taught. The first descriptor represents the four overlapping student developmental levels: Early Childhood, ages 3 8; Middle Childhood, ages 7 12; Early Adolescence, ages 11 15; Adolescence and Young Adulthood, ages The second descriptor indicates the substantive focus of a teacher s practice. Teachers may select either a subject-specific or a generalist certificate at a particular developmental level. Subject-specific certificates are designed for teachers who emphasize a single subject area in their teaching (e.g., Early Adolescence/English Language Arts, Adolescence and Young Adulthood/Mathematics); generalist certificates are designed for teachers who develop student skills and knowledge across the curriculum (e.g., Early Childhood/Generalist, Middle Childhood/Generalist). For some subject-specific certificates, developmental levels are joined vii

9 Preface together to recognize the commonalities in teaching students at those developmental levels (e.g., Early and Middle Childhood/Art). Standards and Assessment Development Following a nationwide search for outstanding educators, a standards committee is appointed for each field. The committees are generally made up of 15 members who are broadly representative of accomplished professionals in their fields. A majority of committee members are teachers regularly engaged in teaching students in the field in question; other members are typically professors, experts in child development, teacher educators, and other professionals in the relevant discipline. The standards committees develop the specific standards for each field, which are then disseminated widely for public critique and comment and subsequently revised as necessary before their adoption by the NBPTS Board of Directors. Periodically, standards are updated so that they remain dynamic documents, responsive to changes in the field. Determining whether or not candidates meet the standards requires performancebased assessment methods that are fair, valid, and reliable and that ask teachers to demonstrate principled, professional judgments in a variety of situations. A testing contractor specializing in assessment development works with standards committee members, teacher assessment development teams, and members of the NBPTS staff to develop assessment exercises and pilot test them with teachers active in each certificate field. The assessment process involves two primary activities: (1) the compilation of a portfolio of teaching practice over a period of time and (2) the demonstration of content knowledge through assessment center exercises. Teachers prepare their portfolios by videotaping their teaching, gathering student learning products and other teaching artifacts, and providing detailed analyses of their practice. At the assessment center, teachers write answers to questions that relate primarily to content knowledge specific to their fields. The portfolio is designed to capture teaching in real-time, real-life settings, thus allowing trained assessors from the field in question to examine how teachers translate knowledge and theory into practice. It also yields the most valued evidence NBPTS collects videos of practice and samples of student work. The videos and student work are accompanied by commentaries on the goals and purposes of instruction, the effectiveness of the practice, teachers reflections on what occurred, and their rationales for the professional judgments they made. In addition, the portfolio allows candidates to document their accomplishments in contributing to the advancement of the profession and the improvement of schooling whether at the local, state, or national level and to document their ability to work constructively with their students families. Teachers report that the portfolio is a professional development vehicle of considerable power, in part because it challenges the historic isolation of teachers from their peers. It accomplishes this by actively encouraging candidates to seek the advice and counsel of their professional colleagues whether across the hall or across the country as they build their portfolios. It also requires teachers to examine the underlying assumptions of their practice and the results of their efforts in viii

10 Preface critical but healthy ways. This emphasis on reflection is highly valued by teachers who go through the process of National Board Certification. The assessment center exercises are designed to complement the portfolio. They validate that the knowledge and skills exhibited in the portfolio are, in fact, accurate reflections of what candidates know and can do, and they give candidates an opportunity to demonstrate knowledge and skills not sampled in the portfolio because of the candidate s specific teaching assignment. For example, high school science teachers assigned to teach only physics in a given year might have difficulty demonstrating in their portfolio a broad knowledge of biology. Given that the NBPTS Standards for science teachers place a high value on such capabilities, another strategy for data collection is necessary. The assessment center exercises fill this gap and otherwise augment the portfolio. Each candidate s work is examined by trained assessors who teach in the certificate field. The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards believes that a valid assessment of accomplished practice must allow for the variety of forms sound practice takes. It must also sample the range of content knowledge that teachers possess and must provide appropriate contexts for assessments of teaching knowledge and skill. Teaching is not just about knowing things; it is about the use of knowledge knowledge of learners and of learning, of schools and of subjects in the service of helping students grow and develop. Consequently, NBPTS believes that the most valid teacher assessment processes engage candidates in the activities of teaching activities that require the display and use of teaching knowledge and skill and that allow teachers the opportunity to explain and justify their actions. In its assessment development work, NBPTS uses technology for assessment when appropriate; ensures broad representation of the diversity that exists within the profession; engages pertinent disciplinary and specialty associations at key points in the process; collaborates closely with appropriate state agencies, academic institutions, and independent research and education organizations; establishes procedures to detect and eliminate instances of external and internal bias with respect to age, gender, and racial and ethnic background of teacher-candidates; and selects the method exhibiting the least adverse impact when given a choice among equally valid assessments. Once an assessment has been thoroughly tested and found to meet NBPTS requirements for validity, reliability, and fairness, eligible teachers may apply for National Board Certification. To be eligible, a teacher must hold a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution; have a minimum of three years teaching experience at the early childhood, elementary school, middle school, or high school level; and have held a valid state teaching license for those three years or, where a license is not required, have taught in schools recognized and approved to operate by the state. Strengthening Teaching and Improving Learning The National Board s system of standards and certification is commanding the respect of the profession and the public, thereby making a difference in how communities and policymakers view teachers, how teachers view themselves, and ix

11 Preface how teachers improve their practice throughout their careers. National Board Certification has yielded such results in part because it has forged a national consensus on the characteristics of accomplished teaching practice in each field. The traditional conversation about teacher competence has focused on beginning teachers. The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards has helped broaden this conversation to span the entire career of teachers. Developing standards of accomplished practice helps to elevate the teaching profession as the standards make public the knowledge, skills, and dispositions of accomplished teachers. However, making such standards the basis for National Board Certification promises much more. Since National Board Certification identifies accomplished teachers in a fair and trustworthy manner, it can offer career paths for teachers that will make use of their knowledge, wisdom, and expertise; give accomplished practitioners the opportunity to achieve greater status, authority, and compensation; and accelerate efforts to build more successful school organizations and structures. By holding accomplished teachers to high and rigorous standards, National Board Certification encourages change along several key fronts: changing what it means to have a career in teaching by recognizing and rewarding accomplished teachers and by making it possible for teachers to advance in responsibility, status, and compensation without having to leave the classroom; changing the culture of teaching by accelerating growth in the knowledge base of teaching, by placing real value on professional judgment and accomplished practice in all its various manifestations, and by encouraging teachers to search for new knowledge and better practice through a steady regimen of collaboration and reflection with peers and others; changing the way schools are organized and managed by creating a vehicle that facilitates the establishment of unique teacher positions, providing accomplished teachers with greater authority and autonomy in making instructional decisions and greater responsibility for sharing their expertise to strengthen the practice of others; changing the nature of teacher preparation and ongoing professional development by laying a standards-based foundation for a fully articulated career development path that begins with prospective teachers and leads to accomplished teachers; changing the way school districts think about hiring and compensating teachers by encouraging administrators and school boards to reward excellence in teaching by seeking to hire accomplished teachers. x

12 Preface Although National Board Certification has been designed with the entire country in mind, each state and locality decides for itself how best to encourage teachers to achieve National Board Certification and how best to take advantage of the expertise of the National Board Certified Teachers in their midst. Across the country, legislation has been enacted that supports National Board Certification, including allocations of funds to pay for the certification fee for teachers, release time for candidates to work on their portfolios and prepare for the assessment center exercises, and salary supplements for teachers who achieve National Board Certification. Incentives for National Board Certification exist at the state or local level in all 50 states and in the District of Columbia. As this support at the state and local levels suggests, National Board Certification is recognized throughout the nation as a rich professional development experience. Because National Board Certification provides states and localities with a way to structure teachers roles and responsibilities more effectively and to allow schools to benefit from the wisdom of their strongest teachers, National Board Certification is a strong component of education reform in the United States. xi

13 Introduction There is substantial evidence of the health benefits of regular physical activity. Various medical studies have reported that regular exercise can improve cardiovascular health, reduce the incidence of certain types of cancer, help maintain optimum body weight, and reduce mental stress. Studies have also shown that children who acquire healthy exercise habits are more likely than their sedentary counterparts to grow into adults who lead physically active lives. But there is more to be gained from physical education than the health benefits of physical fitness. Physical education can teach students confidence; social skills such as sportsmanship, fairness, and cooperation; and physical abilities that will serve them well throughout life as they enjoy physical activity and respect for their bodies. Motor development has even been correlated to cognitive maturation. Accomplished teachers of physical education combine the art and the science of teaching in the development of skilled movers and socially adjusted individuals. The success of accomplished physical education teachers is measured not by the number of professional athletes or Olympic gold medalists they count among their former students but by their students having the skills, knowledge, confidence, and enjoyment of movement to continue a physically active, healthy lifestyle throughout their lives. Accomplished teachers of physical education also facilitate students becoming independent learners, lifelong learners, and responsible people people who have enough respect for themselves to respect and value all other people. These teachers are studentcentered; they foster positive self-esteem and self-acceptance; they build self-confidence while providing students opportunities to develop a positive self-image and to accept and value individual differences; and they provide opportunities for fun and joy and exhilaration. Accomplished physical educators therefore address the whole person. Accomplished physical educators understand that physical education is a means by which they empower young people to function successfully in the world, not an end unto itself. Accomplished physical educators welcome opportunities to serve as advocates, role models, and advisors to all their students. They recognize and accept their responsibility to play a critical role in fostering lifetime activity and encouraging individuals to enjoy activity in a variety of forms. Teachers open doors for their students to a wide range of activity possibilities and future options, engaging them in and expanding the boundaries of their physical abilities and stretching their interests in physical activity and the means by which to achieve and maintain healthy lifestyles. Many physical educators work in environments that pose great challenges to achieving their professional goals. Such issues as class size and class load, limited time for contact with students, less-than-optimal facilities and equipment, and curricular demands can present obstacles to student success. Yet accomplished teaching occurs even in the context of such daunting challenges. Accomplished teachers work to bring about positive change, improve their teaching practice, and strengthen the quality of physical education instruction, even under the most challenging conditions. Accomplished physical education teachers genuinely care for and appreciate all their students. They expect all students to achieve. Skilled diagnosticians and clinicians, they tailor instruction, as appropriate, to the strengths and limitations of their students. They pay particular attention to students with special needs, recognizing that appropriate instruction in physical education is key to such students developing self-esteem and confidence. Accomplished teachers base instructional decisions on students individual requirements and characteristics in order to promote growth and learning. 1

14 Introduction The Educational Context Accomplished physical education teachers provide students of all abilities and interests with a foundation of movement experiences designed to help them lead active and healthy lifestyles. Teachers instructional objectives and approaches form a continuum of essential skills, knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors that students need to be healthy, productive individuals. The practice of accomplished physical educators has broadened from a focus on competition, games, and sports to a greater emphasis on individual needs and matters of personal and social responsibility and on the promotion of lifetime participation in physical activity. Teachers emphasize cooperative learning and problem solving to enable individuals to integrate the physical, cognitive, and social aspects of physical activities; such opportunities for students to cooperate as well as to compete with one another help them function in and respond appropriately to a variety of situations. Physical education is a wide-ranging, complex field that should influence and involve learning in other academic areas. Physical education classes can provide laboratories in which to apply concepts from other subjects, such as social studies, psychology, physics, mathematics, biology, chemistry, literature, and theatre. The very breadth of the field confirms the special integrative function of physical education, which occurs not only at the individual level but also on a larger curricular level. Developing High and Rigorous Standards for Accomplished Teaching In 1997, a committee of physical education teachers and other educators with expertise in this field began the process of developing advanced professional standards for teachers of students ages The Physical Education Standards Committee was charged with translating the Five Core Propositions of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards into a standards document that defines outstanding teaching in this field. This NBPTS Standards document describes in observable form what accomplished teachers should know and be able to do. The standards are meant to reflect the professional consensus at this point about the essential aspects of accomplished practice. The deliberations of the Physical Education Standards Committee were informed by various national and state initiatives on student and teacher standards that have been operating concurrently with the development of NBPTS Standards. As the understanding of teaching and learning continues to evolve over the next several years, Physical Education Standards will be updated again. An essential tension of describing accomplished practice concerns the difference between the analysis and the practice of teaching. The former tends to fragment the profession into any number of discrete duties, such as designing learning activities, providing quality explanation, modeling, managing the classroom, and monitoring student progress. Teaching as it actually occurs, on the other hand, is a seamless activity. 2

15 Introduction Everything an accomplished teacher knows through study, research, and experience is brought to bear daily in the classroom through innumerable decisions that shape learning. Teaching frequently requires balancing the demands of several important educational goals. It depends on accurate observations of particular students and settings. And it is subject to revision on the basis of continuing developments in the classroom. The professional judgments that accomplished teachers make also reflect a certain improvisational artistry. The paradox, then, is that any attempt to write standards that dissect what accomplished teachers know and are able to do will, to a certain extent, misrepresent the holistic nature of how teaching actually takes place. Nevertheless, the fact remains: Certain identifiable commonalties characterize the accomplished practice of teachers. The 13 standards that follow are designed to capture the craft, artistry, proficiency, and understandings both deep and broad that contribute to the complex work that is accomplished teaching. The Standards Format Accomplished teaching appears in many different forms, and it should be acknowledged at the outset that these specific standards are not the only way it could have been described. No linearity, atomization, or hierarchy is implied in this vision of accomplished teaching, nor is each standard of equal weight. Rather, the standards are presented as aspects of teaching that are analytically separable for the purposes of this standards document but that are not discrete when they appear in practice. The report follows a two-part format for each of the 13 standards: I. Summary of the Standard This is a succinct statement of one vital aspect of the practice of the accomplished physical education teacher. Each standard is expressed in terms of observable teacher actions that have an impact on students. II. Elaboration This passage provides a context for the standard, along with an explanation of what teachers need to know, value, and do if they are to fulfill the standard. The elaboration includes descriptions of teacher dispositions toward students, their distinctive roles and responsibilities, and their stances on a range of ethical and intellectual issues that regularly confront them. The National Board does not believe that there is a single right way to teach. There are many different ways accomplished practice can be achieved, and this standards report gives examples of some of those ways. The standards presented in this report characterize and offer exemplars of the outstanding practice of accomplished physical educators; it is not meant to serve as a prescriptive handbook of correct practice. 3

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17 The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards has developed the following 13 standards of accomplished practice for physical education teachers. The standards have been ordered as they have to facilitate understanding, not to assign priorities. Physical Education STANDARDS (for teachers of students ages 3 18+) OVERVIEW They each describe an important facet of accomplished teaching; they often occur concurrently because of the seamless quality of teaching. The standards serve as the basis for the National Board Certification in this field. I. Knowledge of Students (p. 7) Accomplished physical education teachers use their knowledge of students to make every student feel important. They communicate through a humane, sensitive approach that each child, regardless of ability, can succeed and will benefit from a physically active, healthy lifestyle. II. Knowledge of Subject Matter (p. 11) Accomplished physical education teachers have a deep and broad understanding of the content and principles of physical education, which enables them to devise sound and developmentally appropriate instructional activities. III. Sound Teaching Practices (p. 15) Accomplished physical education teachers possess a thorough comprehension of the fundamentals of physical education and a broad grasp of relevant principles and theories that give their teaching purpose and guide them as they carry out a flexible, yet effective, instructional program responsive to students needs and developmental levels. IV. Student Engagement in Learning (p. 19) Through their own passion for teaching and their personal example, accomplished physical education teachers inspire their students to learn and to participate in and appreciate physical education. V. High Expectations for Learners (p. 23) Accomplished physical education teachers tenaciously maintain a stimulating, productive setting that encourages participation, discovery, goal setting, and cooperation and that holds all students to the highest expectations. VI. Learning Environment (p. 25) Accomplished teachers of physical education create and sustain a welcoming, safe, and challenging environment in which students engage in and enjoy physical activity. They establish an orderly atmosphere with established protocols and expectations conducive to providing maximum learning for all students. VII. Curricular Choices (p. 29) Accomplished physical education teachers select, plan, and evaluate curriculum in a continuous process meant to ensure a sensible, properly structured, positive physical education program that meets students needs and results in student learning. VIII. Assessment (p. 33) Accomplished physical education teachers design assessment strategies appropriate to the curriculum and to the learner. They use assessment results to provide feedback to the learner, to report student progress, and to shape instruction. 5

18 IX. Equity, Fairness, and Diversity (p. 37) Accomplished physical education teachers model and promote behavior appropriate in a diverse society by showing respect for and valuing all members of their communities and by having high expectations that their students will treat one another fairly and with dignity. X. Reflective Practice and Professional Growth (p. 41) Accomplished physical education teachers participate in a wide range of reflective practices that foster their creativity, stimulate personal growth, contribute to content knowledge and classroom skill, and enhance professionalism. XII. Collaboration with Colleagues (p. 49) Accomplished physical education teachers do not work in isolation but function as members of a large learning community. Recognizing that their responsibilities extend beyond their own classrooms, they contribute purposefully to enhancing instructional programs and improving the professional culture of their field. XIII. Family and Community Partnerships (p. 53) Accomplished physical education teachers create advocates for physical education by providing opportunities for family involvement and the involvement of the broader community in the physical education program. XI. Promoting an Active Lifestyle (p. 45) Accomplished physical education teachers recognize the multiple benefits of a physically active lifestyle and promote purposeful daily activities for all students that will encourage them to become lifelong adherents of physical activity. The pages that follow provide elaborations of each standard that discuss the knowledge, skills, dispositions, and habits of mind that describe accomplished teaching in the field. 6

19 Standard I: Knowledge of Students Accomplished physical education teachers use their knowledge of students to make every student feel important. They communicate through a humane, sensitive Accomplished Adolescence and Young Adulthood/English Language Arts teachers approach that each child, regardless of ability, can succeed and will benefit from a systematically acquire knowledge of their students as individual language learners. physically active, healthy lifestyle. Students entering a physical education class demonstrate a wide array of physical skills, abilities, and attitudes about physical activity. Understanding the value of students prior achievements and experiences, accomplished physical education teachers continually learn about their students and use this information to shape instructional decisions. Practically everything about the learner is relevant information in physical education instruction, including an awareness and appreciation of the student s cultural, linguistic, and ethnic heritage; family setting; socioeconomic status; prior learning experiences; abilities and disabilities; and personal interests, needs, and goals. Although class size and teaching load affect the depth of knowledge that teachers can acquire about students, accomplished teachers do their best to find out about their students as individuals. The relationships that teachers 1 develop with their students not only support student learning and development but also provide teachers with perspectives from which to view aspects of students character, values, interests, and talents. Accomplished physical educators therefore make an effort to know each student as a whole person, not just as a subject for motor-skill development. Accomplished teachers employ various means to learn about students, their communities, and their social and cultural environments. They listen to and observe students actively and willingly in various settings in which students express themselves. They offer opportunities for students to share personal information and experiences and to establish an emotional rapport. Teachers enhance their understanding of students through discussions with family members and colleagues. They use the information they gather, including their identification of students with exceptional talents, needs, or disabilities, to ensure that they unquestionably meet the unique and common needs of all students. Teachers incorporate their knowledge of the physical, cognitive, social, and emotional developmental aspects of their students in their lessons; effective lessons meet the needs of all the students in a class and demonstrate objectives that value each individual. While striving to meet goals that set high expectations for all their students, teachers modify and extend instruction appropriately for individual learners, adapting lessons as necessary to address students developmental and skilllevel differences. A student with an extensive youth soccer background, for example, should be presented with challenges and expectations in a kicking lesson that are different from those given to a student with minimal kicking experience. Understanding students allows teachers to shape effective and appropriate instruction and makes teachers knowledgeable in ways that will facilitate instruction. Changes in a student s behavior or attitude might indicate to the teacher who knows the student that the teacher should consider some type of intervention strategy. Similarly, when confronting the sensitive issue of touching students in such situations as gymnastics, archery, or self-defense instruction, teachers who have established strong relationships with students will know what is acceptable before proceeding and will act appropriately. 1. All references to teachers in this report, whether stated explicitly or not, refer to accomplished physical education teachers. 7

20 Physical Education Standards Teachers know that each student, regardless of skill level, brings to class intuitive movement ability; from this starting point, teachers reach out to each individual student. Teachers extend to every student the opportunity to succeed. Teachers understanding of what students know and can do, combined with their knowledge of student attitudes toward physical activity, enables them to design meaningful movement activities and instructional tasks. Accomplished physical education teachers recognize the unique position they hold in the lives of students. Teachers know that their field offers special opportunities for students to learn motor skills and feel good about their bodies and their physical abilities and potential. In physical education classes, students can interact with others and express themselves in ways that are not available in other academic areas. Experiences in a physical education class can have lasting effects that shape students attitudes toward themselves and future physical education classes and physical activity in general. Teachers communicate their enthusiasm for their field in a positive, caring manner that recognizes, respects, and appreciates the abilities and knowledge of each student. In building effective relationships with their students, teachers readily celebrate students accomplishments, knowing the value of positive, personal responses to students efforts. Teachers demonstrate compassion and care for their students. They like children and believe that each one can learn. Reflections on Standard I: 8

21 Knowledge of Students 9

22 Physical Education Standards 10

23 Standard II: Knowledge of Subject Matter Accomplished physical education teachers have a deep and broad understanding of the Accomplished content and principles Adolescence of physical and Young education, Adulthood/English which enables Language them to devise Arts teachers sound and systematically developmentally acquire appropriate knowledge instructional of their students activities. as individual language learners. Accomplished teachers exhibit as the foundation of their practice a broad body of knowledge. With a solid grasp of this body of knowledge and of the effective methods by which to communicate it to students, teachers are well prepared to meet the needs of all students while working toward measured class outcomes. Vital to teachers knowledge of subject matter is the fact that teachers understand the importance of higher-order thinking skills, such as discovery, critique, analysis, synthesis, and creation. Motor Development and Motor Learning Teachers understand that the acquisition of motor skills lies at the core of the developmental physical education program. They have a thorough comprehension of the components and development of motor skills. Thus, they can and do actively engage students in learning how to foster more mature (i.e., more effective and efficient) motor patterns. They know how to proceed from the initial stages of motor learning into the application of refined, mature motor skills and capably guide students through the process of gradual motor skill development. Teachers understand modeling as it applies to the development of basic and refined motor skills. Furthermore, they know how to assess and evaluate the physical and motor skills they teach. For example, teachers can design rubrics that specify desired outcomes for students and provide teachers a means by which they can measure their own performance. Teachers use developmentally appropriate progressions for teaching motor skills, focusing on the mechanics of movement as the sequence is experienced by the learner. For young children, teachers design lessons that use fundamental movement skills to develop motor patterns; for the older learner, the lessons of accomplished teachers accommodate the adaptation and application of mature patterns in complex, dynamic settings. Exercise Science Teachers are knowledgeable about the organic, skeletal, and neuromuscular structures of the human body and know how these structures contribute to motor performance. Fundamentally, teachers understand and can communicate to students how the human body functions and moves. They understand how principles of biomechanics and exercise physiology relate to a broad range of movement activities. They apply movement concepts and principles to the teaching of motor skills and help students understand how motor skills are learned. Teachers know how flexibility, strengthening, and recovery relate to motor performance, and they comprehend the effects of exercise on bodily systems. They are knowledgeable about the principles of force, time, and flow as they relate to movement activities. Teachers understand components of healthrelated physical fitness, such as body composition, cardiovascular endurance, flexibility, muscular endurance, and muscular strength, and such skill-related fitness components as agility, balance, coordination, power, reaction time, and speed. Teachers know how to apply principles of physical training to the teaching of all fitness components. They also know how to teach the methods and practices of personal 11

24 Physical Education Standards physical activity as an integral part of healthy, productive lifestyles. Physical Activity and Wellness Accomplished teachers recognize that wellness involves a dynamic and deliberate effort to stay healthy and achieve one s optimal wellbeing. They acknowledge and understand the interrelated dimensions of wellness and the links between optimal wellness and physical activity; they utilize that knowledge in planning and carrying out their program of instruction in physical education, designing activities that promote behaviors that enhance health and the quality of life in the present as well as in the future. Teachers know that high-level wellness clearly means more than just the absence of disease and the attainment of optimal fitness, encompassing also such considerations as adequate physical activity, proper nutrition, substance abuse avoidance, regular physical examinations, personal safety, and emotional health and well-being. Further, they understand that achieving wellness requires adopting positive lifestyle behaviors that lead to improved health and quality of life as well as to prolonged life. Through their daily interaction with students and in their instructional practices, teachers therefore set the stage for students to choose appropriate behaviors leading to healthy lifestyles. Movement Forms and Concepts Accomplished teachers are knowledgeable in a wide variety of movement forms specific to the age group they teach. Early- and middlechildhood teachers need a knowledge base of basic movement themes; fundamental motor skills; fitness activities; games, both traditional and nontraditional and competitive as well as cooperative; dance and rhythms; and gymnastics. Teachers of early adolescents and young adults include in their curriculum such fitness activities as aerobic conditioning, resistance training, and stretching; sports individual, dual, and team; aquatics; dance; outdoor education and adventure activities; lifetime sports; and game structure and game strategy, which refine students understanding and encourage independence on the part of learners. In teaching all developmental levels, teachers understand that the appropriate modeling of various movement forms is an important part of the instructional process. This knowledge of movement forms and concepts, coupled with an awareness of developmentally appropriate practice, guides curriculum choices and teaching. Sociology and Psychology of Movement Teachers understand sociological and psychological principles as they relate to physical activity and sport. They acknowledge the association between successful performance and self-esteem. They design challenging and effective activities and tasks that create an environment for student success in developing their individual identities, expressing themselves in positive ways, and learning self-discipline. Teachers understand the ethical practices associated with physically active settings, for instance, fair play, sportsmanship, team selection, cooperation, personal responsibility, and respect for oneself and others. Teachers are familiar with the roles of physical education, movement activities, and sports in establishing and maintaining social mores and institutions. They are aware of the important economic concerns associated with wellness and understand that physical activity is a major consumer-related issue. Teachers therefore prepare students to make informed, mature decisions regarding health-related products and services. 12

25 Knowledge of Subject Matter History, Philosophy, and Current Issues of Physical Education Teachers are conversant in the history, philosophy, and trends of physical education as they affect the goals and components of instructional programs and as they relate to current issues in the field. They stay informed of current social, political, and economic issues influencing physical education instruction in their immediate areas and are also aware of the manner in which such issues affect the profession at state, national, and global levels. Teachers also have personal philosophies regarding the importance of developing a healthy, active lifestyle and the role that physical education should play in the total education of students. These philosophies guide decisions teachers make in choosing curriculum and in daily practice. Legal and Safety Issues Accomplished teachers know how to prevent injuries related to movement and teach their students how to engage in physical activity safely. For instance, they might teach students how to warm up properly before engaging in physical activity. Teachers model safe participation in sport and movement, demonstrating correct technique and the use of safety equipment, such as weight belts, fencing masks, goggles, and bicycle helmets. Teachers stress as a paramount concern the safety of their students within a physically active setting; they therefore uphold safe practices and procedures. They teach students how to use equipment properly. They understand the necessity of inspecting and maintaining equipment and ensure the safety of students within the facilities used for instruction. They have an emergency plan discussed and rehearsed with students and colleagues, and they keep records in emergency situations. Teachers stay current with CPR and first aid practices. They are familiar with local procedures to handle blood-borne pathogens. Accomplished teachers have the knowledge to recognize detriments to wellness, such as substance abuse, child abuse, eating disorders, or poor nutrition. They comply with local regulations and employ professional resources effectively when such concerns arise. Teachers are familiar with safety factors associated with particular disabilities and contraindicated movements of their students. They are familiar with liability and negligence issues as related to school law and know the legal implications of such regulations as Title IX, Section 504, of the Rehabilitation Act, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Physical education teachers understand the issues associated with inclusion of students with disabilities. They know the importance of their role as team members in the Individualized Education Program (IEP) process for students with disabilities and in facilitating appropriate physical education placement and program modifications. Technology Accomplished physical education teachers stay abreast of technological advances in their field as part of their dedication to professional growth and utilize the most current technological resources available to enhance their teaching practice. They are familiar with and, where applicable and available, display competence in the use of appropriate technological tools, such as computer software, video-recording equipment, and fitness testing equipment in lesson-plan development, instruction, record keeping, assessment, research, and a variety of other tasks. 13