The Herons' newest PE unit is cross country running. We have a set course that we return to every day and each day we share techniques that help us be stronger runners. Students have suggested such things as "when you feel like stopping, pick a nearby goal and run to that," "if you feel like you need to stop, jog or walk fast instead," "run with a friend who has a similar pace and encourage each other," "don't sprint at the start – try to run at the same pace," "use friendly competition to motivate you," "I try to run a little farther than I did the last time."
On our very first day I was impressed by the Herons. Every single child ran across the finish line — some of them had walked for a bit of the trail but, as soon as they were able, they had run again. Every single kid had committed to giving it a try and approaching the challenge positively. That's very unusual and I think the Herons took pride in being a group that is willing to tackle something new, even when it's difficult.
The next day there was not a single grumble when it was time to head out to the course again. Each child wanted to see if they could go a little faster than the day before. The Chickadees are also working on running and came over to watch us run and cheer us on. I wish I had a camera!
Here's a picture of our course. It's about .4 miles long: 
The image is from a great Dakota county website where you can draw and measure distances.
Typically, we focus on an activity in gym for a week and then we move to a new skill or game. I watch students carefully during gym and choose activities that will build needed skills. So far we've worked on throwing and catching with a modified game of handball. A week of rock climbing focused on upper body strength. We have also worked on strategy skills and anticipation of ball location through a game called monarch. I do direct teaching of skills for those who haven't had as much experience and structure games so that players of multiple skill levels can participate, practice and have fun. The weather doesn't look like it will cooperate for more cross country right now — but I know the Herons will want to return to it soon.
The Rookery 
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