In the years since the authors published two articles with tips for effective teaching, they have acquired and developed more advice and impressions on teaching. This article presents ideas that can help physical educators become increasingly effective in their teaching.

Model-based instruction has been increasingly used in physical education for the past two decades. Metzler (2011) identified eight instructional models that are commonly used in physical education today. Each model is designed to promote certain kinds of learning outcomes for students and to address different combinations of the national…

People's feelings toward physical activity are often influenced by memories of their childhood experiences in physical education and sport. Unfortunately, many adults remember negative experiences, which may affect their desire to maintain a physically active lifestyle. A survey that asked 293 students about recollections from their childhood…

Children who become competent in a wide variety of motor skills and movement patterns are more likely to remain physically active for life. Physical education can achieve this goal by providing an extensive selection of activities and by including learning units that encourage students to increase their skill level and stay active year-round.…

Distance running is often underutilized in elementary physical education due to three common misconceptions about using this activity with young children: (1) it is not enjoyable, (2) it is not safe, and (3) children will get mentally "burned out." Through reviewing the literature and offering guidelines, practical tips, instant…

While many teachers continue to ignore the practice of assessing student achievement in physical education, recent federal pressures to include student assessment data in teacher evaluation systems has shown that assessment of student outcomes is here to stay. Though there is a strong tradition of assessing teacher practice in physical education,…

Approximately 85% of all deaf and hard-of-hearing students in the United States are educated in public school programs. This high percentage makes it very likely that physical educators will at some point have to teach a student who is deaf or hard-of-hearing. It is considered best practice for all educators to be aware of Deaf culture,…

Comprehensive School Physical Activity Programs (CSPAP) are designed to provide expanded opportunities for physical activity beyond regularly scheduled physical education time-including before, during, and after school, as well as at home and in the community. While CSPAPs are gaining support, currently there are no models for designing,…

This article provides strategies for teaching physical education outside. Specifically, it highlights safety considerations, classroom management protocols, and lesson selection.

Ratings of perceived exertion have been shown to be a valid method of monitoring physical activity intensity for both adults and children. As such, this subjective method may serve as an alternative to objective measurements for assessing students' performance on national standards 2 and 4. The OMNI-Child perceived exertion scales were…

Physical educators are constantly seeking ways to improve their teaching effectiveness and to manage the ever-increasing challenges they face, such as large classes, inadequate equipment, lack of support for children with special needs, and more. Teachers in special education and general education were introduced to Response to Intervention (RTI)…

The successes of 2012 in women's sports are worth celebrating--but professionals should not forget the important issues that still need to be addressed.

Although the importance of physical development as an integrated part of early childhood education is well understood, many early childhood teachers lack the specific background and training in this area. To fill this gap, this article presents a framework of recommended practices and a corresponding assessment tool. The Head Start Body Start…

The development of fundamental movement skills in physical education is an important contributor toward children's' lifetime interest and participation in physical activity. Physical education teachers and their curricula follow national and state standards to provide learning experiences and instruction that support the acquisition of…

This article offers practical advice for teachers interested in using Inventing Games (IG) as a way to facilitate learning about game structures, rules, and the principles of fair play that they can apply not only to game play, but to everyday life as members of a democratically organized society. Inventing Games gives students the opportunity to…