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Print2011 District Teacher of the Year
Elementary School
- Eastern District -
 |
Name: Laura Shaw |
Describe one or two of the newest and/or most innovative activities that you do with your students in physical education? (i.e. instructional units, assessment strategies/techniques, development of personal/social skills, parent/family involvement, special events, etc).
Portfolio Assessment Project: Over the last three years, each student at Dows Lane Elementary School has developed a Physical Education Portfolio. In this portfolio, a variety of assessment pieces are completed and collected. Students complete a variety of self assessments, peer assessments and knowledge assessments which are filed in a folder and kept in the gymnasium. In addition, a variety of different teacher assessments are completed and filed in the portfolio as well. At the end of the year, the knowledge assessments are sent home for the parents to see, and the skill assessments are kept for future reference. At the end of Third Grade, the portfolios are sent to our 4th/5th Grade School for use by the Physical Education Teacher. This project has evolved greatly over the last several years, and I am proud of the progress we have made in the area of assessment as a result.
What is your particular expertise in regard to teaching physical education – what is the focus of your teaching?
The primary focus of my teaching at the K-3 level is movement education. For my students in grades K-2, I focus on the basic locomotor, non-locomotor, and manipulative movements. During those years, I introduce my students to a variety of different basic skills and activities, in addition to fitness concepts, dance and gymnastics. Starting in 3rd Grade, I begin to introduce basic concepts of different team sports, such as soccer and basketball, while continuing to build upon the fitness concepts introduced in the early grades. In 3rd Grade, students have to opportunity to play in modified games that utilize the different skills they have learned. Overall, my goal is to introduce my students to a wide variety of skills and activities, in hopes that they will continue to practice those skills outside of school for a lifetime of health and fitness.
What is your philosophy for physical education – what do you believe in?
My philosophy of teaching physical education is to teach my students that moving and being active can be fun! It is my belief that if children enjoy physical activity as a child, they will learn to make it a part of their life and continue to exercise and be active for a lifetime. If an elementary aged child starts out disliking movement and physical activity at such a young age, it is likely that those feelings will remain with them and thus activity will not be a part of their lifestyle in the future. I believe that I have the best avenue to prevent these feelings from becoming part of a child's lifestyle. With that in mind, I strive to make each of my classes fun and exciting so my students look forward to coming back to the gymnasium in the future.
What does being a physical education Teacher of the Year mean to you?
Being named the EDA Physical Education Teacher of the Year is a great honor. As I present at different conferences throughout this year, I look forward to sharing various components of my physical education program. By reaching out to other Physical Educators through these presentations, it is my hope that I can help others provide a high quality physical education experience for their students.
What do you do to help other physical education teachers plan and implement exemplary programs?
Throughout the year, I do presentations at a variety of different local, state and district conferences. Through these presentations, I offer a variety of different approaches that other Physical Education teachers can use to plan and implement an exemplary program. The activities that I present all help meet the state and national standards and other teachers can easily implement these activities in their classes. In addition, I encourage those that attend my presentations to contact me for further information and to visit my classroom if they are nearby. I welcome the visitors and enjoy working with other teachers in the hope that both of us can learn something to improve our individual programs.
Any quotes from students about you as a physical education teacher, or the classes taught by you?
"Mrs. Shaw always has fun activities for us to do!" Leo S., Mrs. Buttino's Kindergarten Class
"Mrs. Shaw always has new games for us to play in class. P.E. is always so fun!" Ben B., Mr. Cullen's 3rd Grade Class
List three of your "favorite" conference session titles that you have presented, with a brief description of each.
A Potpourri of Activities for your Elementary Physical Education Classes. Are you looking for some new activities to enhance your current Physical Education curriculum? If so, then this is the presentation for you! Come learn a variety of different activities for skill development, team building, assessment, and interdisciplinary teaching.
Incorporating the Academics in your Elementary Physical Education Classes. This presentation will showcase a variety of different activities that you can utilize to incorporate the core academic areas of ELA, Math, and Social Studies into your Physical Education classes, while still meeting the State and National Physical Education Standards. All of these activities can easily be incorporated into what you are already teaching!
Any additional major teaching awards you have received:
- 2009 NYS AHPERD Elementary Physical Education TOY
- NYS AHPERD Amazing Person Award
- Southern Westchester BOCES Shining Star Award