Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/2864
T Today’s kids prefer video games to tag. They watch television for hours each day. Instead of walking down the street to see if their friends can come out and play, they text and instant-message is keep them moving.” Meneses, a United Educators of San Francisco member, keeps students in con- stant motion with jumping jacks, sit-ups, games with rubber tires or laps around the blacktop. Between activities, he ex- plains why it is so important to be physi- cally active. “Push-ups build muscular strength to one another. Walk or ride a bike to school? Forget about it! “Due to technology, it’s hard to get kids moving,” says Michael Meneses, a physi- cal education teacher in San Francisco and winner of the Fox Sports Network All-Star Teacher Award. “Studies show more and more that our kids are out of shape. The best thing we can do for them protect bones from breaking,” he tells stu- dents at Presidio Middle School, which he also attended as a youth. “Girls, it’s impor- tant to prevent osteoporosis, or decay in the bones, before they become fragile.” His students engage in a variety of ac- tivities; nobody sits around warming the bench or waiting for a turn. There’s a lot of laughing and playfulness. The most im- portant thing, confides Meneses, is mak- ing PE fun. “At fitness gyms, I hear people say they hated physical education as a child,” he says. “Because they disliked it as a child, they may really need it as adults.” The old school mentality that made many hate gym class is changing, say PE specialists. Instead of competition, the fo- cus is on individual activities that students can enjoy without fear of failing. Students are picked at random for group activities; nobody is picked last and made to feel aw- ful. And a growing number of PE teachers’ classes place greater emphasis on fitness and nutrition than on sports and winning. (For those who prefer sports, there are school and club athletic teams.) “Teachers are doing a much better job today as far as teaching about health and fitness, as opposed to sports,” relates Me- neses. “Our real goal is to teach students how to live a long and healthy lifestyle.” Though required, PE is not a priority The 2008 California Physical Fitness Left: Fillmore High School students play soccer during PE class in Fillmore. Above: Fillmore Unified Teachers Association member Kari Hayes is developing a new class called Fitness for Life. 8 California Educator | february 2009