Professional Development Report

Character Development Project Report Name: _Sarah Kangas______

Identify the strategy you used for character development:  Class Meeting

What were your objectives for this strategy?  Develop positive sporting behavior by giving positive encouragement and no negative putdowns.

Explain how you implemented this strategy:  While doing the team-building unit, which focusing on working together to accomplish a challenge, during the beginning of one of the lessons I held a class meeting. The purpose of the meeting was to address behavior that had been happening among a few of the students. Some of the students would get frustrated with each other and exchange negative putdowns. I brought in all the students and had them sit in a semi-circle with no double parking. I wanted all of the students to be able to see each other. I opened up the discussion by explaining in a serious tone about the situation and letting the students know that this type of behavior is not acceptable. I told them that I don’t want anybody’s day ruined by a negative comment in PE class. I then asked the students to pair up with the person beside them to talk about for a minute how it makes them feel when someone tells them a negative putdown. I then brought the class back together and had 3-4 pairs share their experiences. I then had them pair up again and share what they felt like when someone gave them a positive comment. I then allowed each student to quickly share in a few words of how it made them feel. I wanted each of the student’s voices to be heard. I then wrapped up the class meeting by summarizing what was said. In order to make sure each student understood the point being made, I had them give a thumbs up. Lastly, I challenged each student to give at least one positive encouragement to another student in that day’s lesson.

After you first implemented the strategy, was there any follow-up? Please describe:  During the closing discussion I asked the students what kind of positive encouragement they gave during class. I also asked them how it made them feeling saying something nice compared to saying something negative. I then gave my own feedback on how I thought the students did with encouraging each other instead of tearing each other down. For the remainder of the unit I reminded the students about the expectation of positive encouragement instead of negative putdowns. I also continued to challenge them to make positive comments during class time.

Describe your evaluation of the success of implementing this strategy. What was the engagement level of the students? How did they react to your implementation? What would you do similarly/differently if you used this strategy for character development in the future?  By making the students pair share together, it got all of them talking and engaged in the class meeting. Because I approached it in a serious manner, the students were more attentive to how I didn’t like it happening. The students really liked sharing how it made them feel when they received positive encouraging. I think it helped them connect with the point I was trying to make: negative putdowns can ruin a day, but positive encouragement can make a day. If I were to do this again I would follow the same outline. I thought it worked well and was effective. It worked because I approached it in a serious manner, the students bought into it, and each voice was appreciated and heard.

*Please attach a lesson plan with the sections that involved the character strategy highlighted (this would include an objective as well as the activities that you planned) LESSON PLAN

Instructor: Ms. Kangas Date: Time: 45 minutes

Grade: 5th # Students: 22-25 Unit: Teambuilding Lesson #: 1

Equipment needed:  6 cones (2 of each color)  Zam-po-po Game  Team Trolly  8 poly-spots  Directions for each activity

Objectives (Evaluation): By the end of the lesson the students will be able to:  Develop honesty, cooperation, and teamwork in the activities  Abide by the teambuilding and class rules  Reflect on what didn’t/did go well with team during the activities  Reflect on whether team felt successful and why  Develop positive sporting behavior by using positive encouragement instead of negative putdowns  Discuss in a class meeting how they feel when they receive negative putdowns vs. positive encouragement  Share what kind of positive encouragement they were able to make to classmates during the lesson

Time Lesson Description Points to Emphasize Introduction: Intro Unit: Teambuilding, start from the ground and build up to the rock wall and higher elements. What is teambuilding? Working together to accomplish challenges. -Be safe, communicate, read directions, brainstorm ideas, try ideas, evaluate, try other ideas, reflect, cooperate.

Class Meeting: Positive encouragement vs. negative putdowns -explain the situation, ask the question and have students pair share together, summarize the meetings and offer challenge to students.

D/E each station.

Closing Activity: Split class into 3 groups. Each group is assigned to a different station. Raging River-team must cross over river without touching the ground or lose contact with stepping stones. Team Trolley-team must use trolley to walk across the gym around the cone and back to the starting point. Cannot touch the ground or drop handles. Zam-po-po: team must use transporters to move the zamp-po-po from the cone to the zamp-po-po base. Cannot touch hands, roll backwards, or touch the ground. Closing Discussion: What kind of positive encouragement did you give today?

Did your team feel successful? Why/why not? Did your team use good communication? Why/why not? Did you feel like everyone worked together? Why/why not? Give teacher impressions