Teachers share ideas for battling obesity
By JOHN RICHMEIER, Times Staff Writer
Published: Wednesday, April 12, 2006 9:26 AM CDT
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A group of physical education teachers in the Leavenworth public schools have recommendations for changing the way they do business in order to help combat obesity.
The teachers shared their ideas last week with members of the Leavenworth Board of Education. Teachers recommended doing more things “out of the box,” using non-traditional PE activities and equipment.
The presentation included remarks from elementary instructors Jaclyn Laurie and Merrit Brinkman and middle school teachers Deborah Keighley and Christyn Crane. High school teacher Tamra Strano also spoke.
Among the things teachers talked about was the use of fitness centers and activities such as virtual cycling.
And while it’s exercise equipment, virtual cycling was described by Assistant Superintendent Mike Aytes as being similar to a video game.
The teachers also talked about using other technology such as heart-rate monitors. The devices can provide instant feedback to students about reaching target heart rates during PE class.
The suggestions included providing quarterly student fitness reports to parents.
A PowerPoint presentation made by the teachers ended with the recommendation that “it is more important for a child to have a life-long wellness plan that encourages a healthy lifestyle than to be proficient at a backhand in badminton.”
PE teachers in the district were said to have reviewed the current curriculum during the last two years. In December, nine teachers attended a two-day PE 4 Life Institute in Grundy Center, Iowa, according to information provided to board members before the meeting.
Teachers making last week’s presentation referenced the PE 4 Life program, which was said to advocate revamping physical education programs.
Strano said the traditional PE curriculum isn’t working.
“Our kids today are a lot more different,” she said.
She said students used to be excited to grab a ball at the beginning of PE class and go play. Today, it’s more of a challenge for teachers.
She said students want to be more active.
“They don’t want to be the way they are, but they don’t know anything different,” she said.
Much of the teachers’ presentation last week was devoted to providing data about obesity trends in the United States and the fitness of Leavenworth students.
Strano said she has seen other proposals for PE curriculum changes end up in a drawer during her 33-year career and teachers continued to do the same old thing.
Aytes said he has assured the high school teacher that this time will be different.
The assistant superintendent said there’s evidence in the district of a correlation between physical activity in children and academic performance at the elementary and middle school levels and possibly at the high school.
If the district has to pay for exercise bikes, climbing walls and other equipment, it may take five years, Aytes said.
“It’s a long-range plan,” he said.
The district grant coordinator is applying for a PE Program grant, and Aytes said he hopes that can jump-start the process.
Aytes said board members weren’t being asked to approve any of the recommendations from the teachers.
Board vice president Shay Baker said she didn’t see a plan in what was presented. She said she would like to see more specific information about what the teachers are wanting, including dollar amounts.
Aytes said that information can be provided.
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