Physical education plays a vital role in the overall development of middle school students, promoting physical fitness, social skills, and lifelong healthy habits. However, many students often have negative associations with physical education, leading to a lack of engagement and limited enthusiasm.
To address these common challenges, Corona Fundamental Intermediate School in California has set out to create a fun and formative physical education experience for its 7th and 8th-grade students. Corona PE teachers have instituted various strategies to make middle school physical education fun and formative, ensuring students develop their physical abilities and cultivate a lifelong love for fitness and well-being.
Brandon Smith, Rachael Lance, and Shellie Norland are the three PE teachers at Corona spearheading this mission. We spoke with Brandon Smith, who shared his insights and experiences working with middle school students in physical education.
Fun Physical Education at Corona
Brandon Smith is heading into his 37th and final year as a PE teacher. And while his teaching style and curriculum have evolved over the years, his philosophy for middle school physical education has always centered around fun,
“I have always worked to make it fun for kids. I want them to find something they like to do. Because just like adults, students aren’t going to do things they aren’t interested in.”
As a result, Brandon has worked over the years to introduce students to everything from spikeball, yoga, bootcamp workouts, and more. In fact, one of Brandon’s new favorites for fun and formative physical education is bootcamp. He explains students’ excitement and engagement working out,
“At first, we displayed bootcamp workouts up on a projector. But then we started letting students get into small groups to do the workouts on their laptops. It was great to see students working out together and smiling as they followed along to this fun version of fitness.”
Bonus Content: Check out a bodyweight bootcamp lesson.
Formative Physical Education
Beyond just fun, Corona wants to ensure students learn and develop essential fitness and healthy living skills. To help empower this learning, Corona uses various forms of technology in physical education. Brandon explains the different ways technology has created a formative physical education experience,
“We have Polar heart rate monitors that give students real-time feedback on heart rate zones during workouts. And we also use PLT4M, where students can log and track different fitness metrics. Both have really helped to motivate and engage students in physical education.”
Another layer of formative physical education at Corona is the wide range of curriculum covered in class. So while students spend the majority of the class being physically active, they also have opportunities to learn different health and wellness concepts. Brandon explains the other elements of the class,
“We started incorporating nutrition and mindfulness lessons over the last few years. These lessons help round out the mission of teaching students the complete picture of healthy and happy living.”
Bonus Content: Check out a mindfulness lesson.
Technology’s Role In Fun and Formative Physical Education
Technology in physical education has always been a hotly debated topic. But Brandon says technology has helped to drive a fun and formative physical education experience,
“First and foremost, we are teaching students how to navigate technology in a positive way. That alone is important for middle school students living in a digital age.”
And while much of the technology use happens during class time, Brandon says it has also helped bridge the gap beyond the classroom,
“With PLT4M, we can assign make-up work for students with extended absences. We use the fitness anywhere program that allows students to workout at home, which is another valuable life skill.”
Finally, technology gives students context for their hard work and progress in class. Brandon highlights an end-of-semester assignment that students completed,
“With PLT4M, students have access to all their fitness testing. So we had some students write reflections using their progress charts from the pacer test. It was a meaningful way students could make connections to what they had done in class over the semester.”
Key Takeaways on Corona’s Fun and Formative Physical Education
Middle school physical education presents its fair share of challenges, ranging from student disengagement to limited resources and time constraints. However, it is crucial to recognize and address these challenges to create a positive and impactful learning environment for middle school students.
Corona Fundamental Intermediate School showcases the power of a fun and formative physical education program for its 7th and 8th-grade students. And Brandon will be the first to admit that it is anything but perfect,
“We have faced our fair share of challenges over the years. From Covid to new facilities to short class periods, we have had to adapt and change at a moment’s notice. But regardless of the challenges, our students have benefited from our teachers’ team approach to physical education.”
As more middle schools aim to create a fun and formative physical education experience, they can look no further than schools like Corona for ideas and inspiration.
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FAQ
What type of lesson plans does PLT4M have for middle school PE?
PLT4M has a wide range of middle school PE lesson plans. At Corona, the school has utilized different middle school units like Intro To Fitness, Nutrition, Yoga, Bootcamp, Mindfulness, Fitness Anywhere, and more. Want to learn more about our programs and how schools like Corona use them? Reach out for a free consultation.
Are PLT4M programs aligned with state and national standards?
Yes, PLT4M is a proud partner of Shape America. And every program is aligned with the Shape Standards for physical education.
Can My School Afford PLT4M?
Yes, PLT4M is made for middle and high schools, and so is our pricing. For example, Corona is a Title 1 school and has utilized PLT4M for the last 3 years. And if pricing is an issue, we help schools explore grants for physical education and other funding options. Reach out to learn more!
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