Getting Kids Physically Active

1. Getting Kids Physically Active Aaron Beighle, Ph.D.

2. The Beginning • University of SouthFlorida's Prevention Research Center • Community Based Prevention Marketing in Lexington Grant • After-school programs targeted by “Tweens” Coalition • Commissioned by the Director of the Coalition, Anita Courtney

3. The Evolution • Started with six hours over three evenings • Participant feedback • More activities for children • Fewer sessions • Created a booklet • Management ideas • Activity ideas

4. Workshop Organization • Part 1 – Managing students in a physically active setting • Part 2 – Understand physical activity promotion for youth • Part 3 – Developmentally appropriate activities for youth

5. Part 1 – Managing children in a physically active setting

6. Part 1:Key Concepts • Stopping and starting children • Consistent signals • Grouping children • Humane and efficient • Efficient equipment retrieval • Set up • Giving instructions and directions • Thorough and concise • Simple activities and games • Fun for all

7. Part 2 – Understand physical activity promotion for youth

8. Fitness, Exercise, or Activity? • Fitness: A set of attributes that people have or achieve relating to their ability to perform physical activity (USDHHS, 1996) • Exercise: Leisure time physical activity conducted with the intention of developing physical fitness. • Physical Activity: Bodily movement that is produced by the contraction of skeletal muscle and that substantially increases energy expenditure (USDHHS, 1996)

9. Physical Activity Dance Recreation Exercise Leisure Activities Others Sports

10. Why physical activity? • Inactive people have twice the risk of developing heart disease • Inactivity is a primary risk factor for heart disease (so are smoking, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol • Reduces risk of cancer and diabetes • Improves posture and reduces lower back pain • Is as effective as psychotherapy for treating depression

11. Activity Is for All Youth • Regular activity for youth increases the probability of an active adult lifestyle Youth who are active at 3 or 4 years of age, are more active as adults • Moderate activity offers lifetime benefits • Activity helps those who need it most - unskilled and obese youth

12. Why the Concern about Inactivity among Youth? • A percentage of youth (15-30%) are inactive. • Other reasons for concern are: • The rapid decrease in activity among youth when they enter adolescence, particularly females • The increase in obesity among youth and adults

13. How active are they?

14. Steps across grade level Mean steps/day for female and male students in grades 1-12 Le Masurier, G., Beighle, A., et al, (2005) Pedometer determined physical activity levels of youth. Journal of Physical Activity and Health.

15. When are elementary school students active? Morgan, C. F., Pangrazi, R. P., & Beighle, A. (2003). Using pedometers to promote physical activity in physical education. Journal of Physical Education Recreation and Dance, 74(7), 33-38.

16. Promoting Activity

17. Factors • Environment • Staff Managed • Motivation • Staff interaction • Appropriate Activities • Staff determined

18. Managing Children

19. (teacher = anyone working with children) What is a teacher?

20. A Friend? • Friends play favorites • Friends want to be liked • Friends pick who they wish to help

21. A leader? • Leaders care about all students and treat them all fairly • Leaders earn respect • Leaders help all students • Leaser are proud of what they do • Leaders are about people • Leaders want to make a positive difference in the lives of all children • Are you a leader?

22. Understanding Youth • Elementary Age Children • Love activity…anything • Short attention spans • Concrete thinkers • Curious • Individuals • Self-centered

23. Understanding Youth • Late elementary to middle school • Peer acceptance is important • Success is extremely important • Activity may not be cool • Changing bodies • Can be emotional • Struggle for independence

24. Teacher’s Role in a Physical Activity Program 1. Teach students to be good people • Teachers are agents of change for society • If we don’t teach them to be better people who will • Make activity fun • Sell it

25. What is the most difficult part about working with children?

26. Causes of misbehavior • Looking for attention • Low self-esteem • Confused • Bored/Not challenged • Dislikes the activity/program • Expectations different from home or school day

27. Dealing with Misbehavior • Productive and unacceptable behavior are learned and can change • Be assertive • Know the role of emotion • Deal with the behavior immediately • The longer you wait the more difficult it is to change a behavior • Reprimanding children after a class or day is not effective

28. More Dealing with Behavior • Always address the behavior, not the child • Sermons or lectures are ineffective • Work to shape one behavior at a time

29. Preventing Behavior Problems • Plan ahead. Know what you are going to do. How will you react? • Call attention to desirable behavior • Positive, specific feedback is very powerful • Identify your leaders and problems right away • Model your expectations • How?

30. Preventing Behavior Problems • Address behavior PRIVATELY • Understand how failure and frustration impact behavior • What do people that are failing do? • Clown around • Make negative comments • Stop trying • Disrupt others

31. Preventing Discipline Problems • Separate students who are having problems • Talk with appropriate adults early on • Parents?????? • Supervisor • Never allow the least cooperative student to run the show

32. Changing Behavior • Get to know kids as individuals • What makes each of them tick? • Kids don’t care how much you know… • Reinforce desired behavior • Tell students what you expect and then when they give it to you, bombard them with SPF • Evaluate and modify what you are doing • Is it working? Why not?

33. What determines misbehavior?

34. Rules/Expectations • Rules should be general and concise • 3-5 rules at the most • Clearly stated in the positive • Rules should teach being a good person

35. Rules/Expectations • Rules reflect the values of the teacher and/or the organization • Rules must be observable • Rules must be reasonable for the age • Rules should be displayed prominently • For students, teachers, supervisors, etc.

36. Consequences(My suggestions) • First Warning • Second Warning • TO, child decides when to come back • Third Warning • Child out for rest of time • If you have kids for over 30 minutes, start over each half hour to 45 minutes • Severe Clause

37. Using Time Out • It is only effective if the program/activity is fun • Student must face away from the action • Eliminates teacher/student emotion • Is better than one child disrupting others • Is for everyday problems • Is consistent with societies consequences • Is a place to “Take a break”, cool down, and reflect • Why not TO for time?

38. Responding to Misbehavior • Avoid showing trigger points • Keep composed • Avoid internalizing the problem • Control your emotions • Do you have a plan? • Avoid taking it personally • The cause of the behavior is probably not you • Remember kids have bad days too

39. Dealing with Misbehavior • Do not feel threatened • Acknowledge your feelings • How are you going to feel when kids don’t listen? • Do you have a plan? • Avoid arguments • Move away • Don’t eyeball the child

40. Dealing with Deviant Behavior • Avoid asking questions…at the time • Avoid touching • Avoid cussing • Avoid sarcasm • Difficult to interpret • Avoid punishing a group for the actions of one

41. What are your options? • Ignore • Quiet Warning • Time out • Send to your superior • Explode???

42. Delivering consequences • Always privately, NEVER publicly • Always privately, NEVER publicly • Always privately, NEVER publicly

43. Delivering Consequences • If publicly, what could happen? • It works. • Tension • Fracture relationship between you and the child • Child becomes the hero • Class sees your trigger points • YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN YOU ARE GOING TO CRUSH A CHILD

44. Delivering Consequences • Buying time • Engages other children • Provides privacy • Avoids upsetting the other children • Not embarrassing • Doesn’t punish the kids that behave • Doesn’t place teacher on defense of kids talk back

45. Afraid of being the “bad guy”? • It’s not a good guy/bad guy situation • It’s not you against the child • Is it disciplining? • Our society rewards those that are disciplined • It is a system for correcting, shaping, and molding appropriate behavior • You are teaching children to be disciplined

46. Motivation • Success • Connection • Choice • Individuality • Support • Fun

47. Modifying Activities • Equipment • Scoring • Is it necessary? • Rules • If one kid dominates • To ensure success for all • Easy to difficult

48. Part 3 – Developmentally appropriate activities for youth

49. Key Concepts • Activity for all • Modified for success • Challenging • Appropriate • ENJOYABLE FOR ALL