Children from Montessori Circle of Friends Pre-School in Norfolk spent just under an hour with the 15 students in Dr. Michele Gill’s elementary school physical education class, which is designed to give instructional methods for teaching of physical education to elementary aged school children.
While the children were having the time of their lives running around, dancing and jumping, the college students were assessing skills related to classroom management, fitness, lifetime activities, team sports, locomotor skills, non-locomotor skills, rhythmic and dance activities, and low organized games.
“During the spring semester, students designed unit plans and lessons for a three-week period, along with practice teaching experiences to help them understand how to teach physical education to students,” said Gill, dean of Health and Wellness at Northeast. “Giving a hands-on approach in working with elementary-aged students helps provide a teaching-learning opportunity that brings the ‘real world’ experience of teaching to the students.”
Gill said the class designed the 45-minute lesson the five-year olds participated in. It followed a four-part lesson plan of an “instant activity” – a dash for colors, “fitness activity” - stretching, “Rhythmics”- teaching of the “Chicken Dance,” the use of rhythmic sticks to the songs “Who Let the Dogs Out,” “Sing a Happy Song (Smurf TV Theme),” and “Cupid Shuffle,” and a closing activity – a Frisbee flip.
“This was a great experience for all students and the class,” Gill said.
--###--
PHOTO CUTLINE
Northeast Community College students Kylie Thelen, Randolph, (left) and Leann Aldana, and Jan-Louw de Jager, Battle Creek, dance to the music with children from Montessori Circle of Friends Pre-School in Norfolk recently. The children were at Northeast as part of the College’s elementary school physical education class.