AAHPERD/SHAPE America TOY Website Questionnaire

Transcription

1 AAHPERD/SHAPE America TOY Website Questionnaire Name: Christina Luntzer School Name: All 15 Schools (K 12) in Williamsburg James City County Public Schools School Address: 117 Ironbound Road Williamsburg, VA School phone: Ext Your address: Your website: Under construction Questions Describe one or two of the newest and/or most innovative activities that you do with your students in physical education? (i.e. instructional units, assessment strategies/techniques, development of personal/social skills, parent/family involvement, special events, etc) Two of the newest innovative activities that I incorporate into Adapted Physical Education (APE) are video assessments from the IPad with object control skills and Quick Response (QR) Codes with lesson instruction and implementation. Video assessments with the IPad allow for the student to have an immediate visual of their skill performance, be able to rewind/play again to reflect on their movement pattern and potentially correct their technique. Ultimately video assessments may improve the quality of skills in APE. Implementing QR Codes throughout the APE lesson and/or station work allows for quality movement examples and station explanation without the instructor having to be everywhere in the gymnasium at one time. I have three separate QR Codes at a station one Red (emerging technique), Yellow (satisfactory technique) and Green (mastered/proficient technique) so that my assistants will watch the video with my students and see how to help them improve. The QR implementation takes pressure off of myself, because I cannot be everywhere in the gymnasium modeling skills for students. So, I can be positioned at the station that needs me the most for the day and quality instruction/modeling can still be observed via the IPad. What is your particular expertise in regard to teaching physical education what is the focus of your teaching? My expertise in regards to teaching APE is working with students with Autism and students who are Visually Impaired. My quality of teaching is enhanced through the use of technology (Wii, LCD, IPad, QR Codes, YouTube, video assessment, etc.) because I am very comfortable with accessing and implementing technology throughout the APE units, instruction and student performance are enhanced. I believe that technology supports my method of making lessons more concrete for my students with Autism. So much of P.E. is based off of abstract teaching, which works for the general education population. However, my students with Autism require tangible, visual and defined methods of instruction to enhance their movement form. My favorite units to teach are gymnastics, dance and Dr. Seuss themed skill stations. My lessons focus on preparing ALL of my students to be

2 lifelong learners and find one or two activities that they love, so they can participate in the activities for a lifetime. What is your philosophy for physical education what do you believe in? I believe ALL students are able to learn. I believe APE should keep students SAFE, support their SUCCESS and be MEANINGFUL to the students life (supporting life long learning) and learning environment (supporting academic success within and throughout multiple disciplines). I love creating cross curricular activities that blend Special Education Aligned Standards of Learning with APE curriculum! What does being a physical education Teacher of the Year mean to you? Being APE Teacher of the Year means more than words can express. The title is a validation that all the hard work after hours, on weekends and over summer break was worth the sacrifices I made, ultimately reflected through student progress and student/program success. I am now being honored by my peers and joining a group of excellent professionals, some who have been my personal role models throughout the past eleven years and I could not be more flattered. What do you do to help other physical education teachers plan and implement exemplary programs? First and foremost attend professional development opportunities (State Convention, Physical Activity Institutes, NCPEID Conference, etc.), this allows me to bring back information to colleagues, staff with questions, parents, etc. Second, establish small groups of other APE teachers while I am at professional development events through round table discussions, dinners and collecting s for mass distribution of APE information throughout the year. So that other professionals feel connected in the small APE community we have in Virginia. Third, accept leadership roles in the State LDC to advocate for APE and give APE needs, concerns, and strengths a voice. Finally, create networking opportunities for professionals who are interested in connecting with other professionals in their field to ensure that they too are implementing exemplary APE programs throughout Virginia through quarterly small group lunches, the Facebook group, mass distribution, etc. Any quotes from students about you as a physical education teacher, or the classes taught by you? 4 th grader named Kyle, this class (self contained dance unit for students with Autism) was the best P.E. class I ever had! This day was the first time he had tried self contained APE after having a really bad meltdown in general physical education (GPE). His comment made my day because as I was teaching the class I thought to myself this is organized caucus at best! Come to find out after talking with his mom via a face to face follow up conversation, he has hated P.E. since Kindergarten (he is a new transfer student who has repeated grades two times, so he should be in 6 th grade) and to know he truly has enjoyed himself in my APE class made my year!!!

3 List three of your favorite conference session titles that you have presented, with a brief description of each. Physical Education Icebreakers: One of my very first state conference presentations in college. I provided the audience with the box idea. Where you file/store numerous ice breaker activity ideas, instant activity ideas and warm up activity ideas in an index card box when you are planning your lesson randomly pull from your box and theme the activity to the unit you are doing. My favorite Icebreaker Activity is using the energy ball with the entire class the first week of school which teaches the students that together we are a team/working unit and we ALL need to work together to the best of our ability to have a great day EVERYDAY. Adapted Physical Education: An Analysis Between States: A former professor of mine had moved to Michigan and she and I came together at the Virginia AHPERD (VAHPERD) to compare and contrast practices between the two states to illustrate how even though Federal Regulations guide all 50 States, each state may implement the guidelines differently. We highlighted strengths and weakness from each State to hopefully inspire other professionals to get involved and advocate for our program needs and program successes to give our cause a positive voice through positive actions and implementations. Favorite Games Presentation: This is one I just recently presented with a colleague of mine at two different professional developments (VAHPERD and JMU Health and Physical Activity Institute). The presentation highlights numerous current activities and equipment that we use in APE on a day to day basis in hopes to spark creative ideas of those who attend our presentations. Any additional major teaching awards you have received: The Superintendent s Starfish Award: I was presented this award from the Superintendent with a group of team members (classroom self contained instructors, teacher assistants, occupational therapist, physical therapist and speech instructor) recognizing all of our outstanding work with did (and continue to do) with students with Autism at the elementary level VAHPERD Adapted Physical Education Teacher of the Year: Recognizing my hard work and dedication to student success in Adapted Physical Education and in the community Southern District Adapted Physical Education Teacher of the Year: Recognizing my hard work and dedication to student success in Adapted Physical Education and in the community. If you could have a teaching super power what would it be and why? I would be a Health Healer I would want to cure all aliments, disease and disorders. So that every human being could be as healthy as possible, be more productive and live happier lives. Share a funny or shocking story from your years of teaching.

4 The funniest (not sure if appropriate) teaching story: One of my non verbal students with Autism started emerging into one to two word utterances. So, we started encouraging him to say no thank you if he did not want to engage in something. The only problem was his thank sounded like so something that was meant for good sounded awful and took YEARS to correct. This sweet boy was walking around telling people no, f%#* you completely unintentional oh the looks we received during that time :o) With teaching there can be good and bad days. What s a moment in your career that s made it all seem worthwhile? In June of 2012, we were participating in the modified field day activities and one of my students who rarely made a facial expression smiled from ear to ear and at that moment I knew it was all worth it!!! If you could go back in time to when you first started teaching what advice would you give yourself? Get involved with the JMU Summer Health and Physical Activity Institute and NCPEID NOW do not wait until eight years into your career. Once you attend, your life will never be the same!!! My students would think I m awesome if they knew I knew I love shooting bows and guns as a hobby. One of my unhealthy guilty pleasures is pajama day (a weekend day or summer day were you stay in your pajamas all day and do NOTHING) with chocolate covered almonds. If I wasn t a PE teacher I would be a Pediatrician. What s the biggest challenge PE teachers face and how would you change it? Budget concerns. PE teachers are tasked with one of the most essential and critical jobs for our youth, yet PE equipment does require replacement and it is more

5 expensive than ever. I would federally mandate that PE teachers were given adequate storage with all the equipment essential to organize an all encompassing (locomotor, object control, social, cognitive especially Brain Gym pieces, etc.) physical education lesson. Describe your teaching style in one word. Creative Compare your teaching to that of your own PE experience. As an elementary PE student I remember sitting on the sidelines (excluded) watching a lot because I had severe asthma. I always thought to myself, I play more than this at home, why can t I join in? I did get to do the gymnastics unit and LOVED it. As an APE Specialist, I include every student I know that needs my services. As a middle school PE student, I was discouraged from getting better and if I was going to do all the work to make my PE teachers job easier, than they were not going to work with me towards success. As an APE Specialist, I encourage ALL students to try their very best every day. On average there is 2,112 steps in a mile just take the first step! As a high school PE student, I was challenged to reach my full potential, find the best in me and polish her up! As an APE Specialist, I also challenge my students to be better than you were yesterday and be even better tomorrow! How or what made you become a PE teacher? I was inspired to be a PE teacher because of the awful experience I had as a middle school student in PE. I then experienced the BEST high school PE during both courses. After high school PE, I was determined to become a PE teacher to ensure students who came through my class would never have an experience like I had in middle school. Ask your students to describe you in one word. Share a few responses. Liz, 16, Awesome