Learning by Choice in Secondary Physical Education [Paperback]

Do your high school students get excited when it's time for physical education class? Do they cooperate ... participate ... perform with little direction? You can stop laughing, because now there's help for you to develop individualized physical education programs so motivating, every student will get hooked on exercise—even the couch potatoes.

In Learning by Choice in Secondary Physical Education: Creating a Goal-Directed Program, Kevin Kaardal describes an innovative, step-by-step program that he developed and perfected while teaching physical education for many years at the middle and high school levels. Teachers love it because it reduces downtime, increases involvement, and makes teaching more enjoyable. Kids love it, too—90 percent of those surveyed anonymously gave it their overwhelming approval.

Imagine classes where students select their activities, organize themselves, plan personal objectives, follow through, and stay on course—with little direction from the teacher. The author shows you how “facilitating” rather than “teaching” classes will help you achieve better results. Your job will be easier and students will learn important lessons in goal setting and responsibility. In this practitioner's guide, you'll also find valuable information on building individualized programs that ensure students learn appropriate skills, progress at their own rate—and succeed.

Part One explains in simple terms how the program works, and details curriculum, teaching, and assessment techniques. Part Two provides the materials to develop your own program, including ready-to-use units that contain master curriculum sheets, contracts or student progress record sheets, student planning sheets, suggested modified games, and assessment tools.

The book also features the following items:
- 123 reproducibles
- A complete set of reproducibles for creating and running a
basketball unit and 30 task card posters with examples of how to
create your own posters
- Sample reproducibles for six other sports
- How-tos for creating a complete curriculum for any sport,
including unit overviews, handouts, and assessment forms

This book should be in the library of every physical education teacher—whether you're just starting out or you're experienced and feeling a little frustrated and burned out. It's a wellspring of sure-fire ideas and techniques to make physical education so fun and rewarding for students, they'll enjoy exercise for the rest of their lives.

Kevin Kaardal is vice principal at Reynolds Secondary School in British Columbia, Canada. He drew upon his 11 years of teaching physical education in grades 3 to 12 to develop and perfect the approach presented in this book. He was vice principal at Bishop Grandin High School; coordinating teacher of physical education at Bishop McNally High School; and a physical education contact teacher at Bishop Kidd Junior High School and Hugh Sutherland School, where he created programs that earned six Quality Daily Physical Education awards from 1988 to 1996. Recognized by his colleagues, he won a Young Professional's award from CAPHERD, a HPEC Commendation, and a Teacher Plus award. He also has been recognized by students and parents, winning two Excellence in Teaching awards. Kaardal earned a master's degree in curriculum and instruction in kinesiology from the University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada.