Resources Used for this Page
  • Foundations of Sport and Exercise Psychology. Weinberg, R. & Gould, D. (2006).
  • The Relaxation & Stress Reduction Workbook. Eshelman, E.R. & McKay, M. (2008).

GET ACTIVE FOR LIFE

The GET ACTIVE FOR LIFE mnemonic phrase summarizes the research on what helps people become and stay active, and what tends to get in the way. Convey this information to your students and use it to inform your curricular decisions. ​Also see this webpage from the CDC on Overcoming Barriers to Physical Activity.
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Negative Student Experiences in Physical Education

Students Sharing their Experiences - Youtube Playlist

Physical Education's "Hall of Shame" Activities

The Reasons Why Dodgeball is an Inappropriate Activity

​Resources for Research

  • Dictation.io: Use the magic of speech recognition to write emails, narrate essays and long documents in the browser without touching the keyboard.  
  • Google Alerts: The service sends emails to the user when it finds new results (ie. web pages, online articles, or blogs) that matches the user's search term.  
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MUSIC and AI
You can also use AI to find appropriate songs for your context. 

Example of a completed prompt and the results: "Create a list of 10 Fast Tempo Songs, from 2000-2010, for Hip Hop that are appropriate for Elementary Students."

Resources for Fitness Testing

Find resources for various fitness tests on our ​​Fitnessgram Guidelines and Resources​ page.
Resources Used for this Page (instructional models)
  • Instructional Models for Physical Education. Metzler, M. (2011).
  • Teaching Secondary Physical Education: Preparing Adolescents to Be Active for Life. Himberg, C., Hutchinson, G., & Roussell, J. (2003).
Changing the Culture of Games: "This 'culture of games' exists in our physical education history and will exist in our physical education futures unless we are prepared to acknowledge that it exists and take steps to create better physical education experiences for our students...."​
Resources Used for this Page (grouping)
  • Foundations of Sport and Exercise Psychology. Weinberg, R. & Gould, D. (2006).
Resources Used for this Page (class management)
  • Children Moving: A Reflective Approach to Teaching Physical Education. Graham, G., Holt/Hale, S., & Parker, M. (2007). 
  • Teaching Children Physical Education: Becoming a Master Teacher. Graham, G. (2008). 
  • Teaching Secondary Physical Education: Preparing Adolescents to Be Active for Life. Himberg, C., Hutchinson, G., & Roussell, J. (2003). ​
Resources Used for this Page
  • Creating Rubrics for Physical Education. Lund, J. (2000). 
Resources Used for this Page (assessment)
  • Children Moving: A Reflective Approach to Teaching Physical Education. Graham, G., Holt/Hale, S., & Parker, M. (2007).
  • Teaching Secondary Physical Education: Preparing Adolescents to Be Active for Life. Himberg, C., Hutchinson, G., & Roussell, J. (2003).

​Guidelines for Active Listening

  • Show that you are Listening: Give non-verbal messages that your are listening; Ensure your posture is open and inviting; Encourage the speaker to continue using small verbal comments.​
  • Defer Judgment & Respond Appropriately: Allow the speaker to finish; Don’t interrupt with counterarguments; Be honest and respectful in your response.
  • Pay Attention: Look at the speaker directly; Listen to the message without forming a rebuttal; Avoid environmental distractions; “Listen” to the speaker’s body language.
  • Provide Feedback: Reflect what has been said by paraphrasing; Ask questions to clarify certain points; Periodically summarize the speaker’s comments.

Resources Used for this Page

  • The New PE. Cummiskey, M. (2012). ​
  • Tips And Tools: The Art of Experiential Group Facilitation. Stanchfield, J. (2008). ​
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how it started
PARADISE U was created in response to the research showing that physical activity can be an effective tool to reduce feelings of Stress, Anxiety and Depression, and  increase Energy levels. Here’s a brief explanation based on the work of John Ratey, MD:
  • Giving you more ENERGY: Regular physical activity can give you a boost in motivation as it increases and improves the flow of Dopamine in the brain. Elevated levels of endorphins lift your mood. Your muscles get stronger and more effective, and it takes less effort to do your daily chores. Even though you may be tired after a workout, the sum of all the effects of regular exercise is more energy. And better sleep!
  • Improving the STRESS-response: Exercise provides a form or stress for the brain that works like a vaccine. Brain cells break down and rebuild similarly to muscles. Stressing the neurons with exercise makes them more resilient. Regular aerobic physical activity raises the trigger point of the brain’s reaction to stress, and allows you to handle it better. It builds proteins that repair the damage of cortisol. Exercise increases blood flow and availability of glucose, and triggers the production of more insulin receptors. It also relaxes the muscles at rest, and that tells the brain your body isn’t stressed, so it can relax too.
  • Reducing ANXIETY: Physical activity increases the brains production of Serotonin (which works to inhibit fear), Norepinephrine (which helps regulate arousal), and Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor and Atrial Natriuretic Peptide (which work at the cellular level to counter the negative responses to stress). Exercise also helps you get used to a rapid heart-rate and increased breathing that often come with an anxiety attack, so you can form a more positive association with the symptoms, improving resilience.
  • Reducing DEPRESSION: Regular physical activity adjusts the chemistry of the whole brain to more ideal levels. It elevates endorphins, the feel-good hormones, and balances the neurotransmitters Dopamine, Serotonin and Norepinephrine in a way that is often better for patients than antidepressant medication. It increases the production of Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor and related growth factors, which makes brain cells stronger and more resilient.  And all this with some wonderful side effects, such as improved physical health, elevated mood, and better self-esteem.