Our goals for ALL students are to:

Promote Independence Build Competence Grow Confidence

Craddock Physical Education Program

G. Jessel: Paraeducators in PE 1
 Our goals for ALL students are to:
Promote Independence Build Competence Grow Confidence

About PE
The gymnasium is a unique classroom setting. The space is large, noisy, and active. Students
have opportunities to work alone, in small groups, in large groups, and with the whole class.
During PE, students experience freedoms that are not available to them in their regular education
classroom. For some this can be overwhelming, confusing, and exciting. Through their P.E.
lessons, the students will be encouraged to try all activities, participate with others, teach and
learn from their peers, and create self-challenges.

Teaching Style
As the physical education instructor, I generally facilitate lessons, allowing students to explore
movement, games, and sports through guided discovery and inquiry (questioning). Rarely do I
‘give’ students the answer to problems. Instead, I allow students to explore the many solutions to
physical activity questions and challenges. Through the inquiry method, I expect students to
explore time, speed, force, flow, direction, levels, and path. Students will also be encouraged to
experiment with many different pieces of equipment, thus altering the outcomes of the activity. I
tend to follow a movement education model and share how to encourage students to move with
creativity and purpose. My style of teaching will however chage andis dependent upon the grade
level of the students and course content. Currently this document was designed for Craddock
Elementary school, a first and second grade building.

Management Style
Due to my style of teaching, it may appear as if students are not following directions. When
given a task, I allow students multiple opportunities to accomplish the goal or objective. I may
ask students to remain within certain boundaries or apply a specific degree of force to an object.
It may take a student one try or 100 attempts to accomplish the challenge.

You will observe that I rarely (if ever) ask a student to “sit” out of a game or activity. I avoid
employing this method of classroom management unless removal is explicitly stated in the IEP,
504, or the behavioral specialist. Suppose a student is off-task, misbehaving, or purposefully

G. Jessel: Paraeducators in PE 2
 Our goals for ALL students are to:
Promote Independence Build Competence Grow Confidence

refusing to follow classroom procedures. In that case, I will have the student identify the
problem, remember a solution, and then demonstrate the necessary changes. I believe that all
students should be given multiple opportunities in physical education to make mistakes and then
correct or change the outcome. This is how students become physically literate individuals.

In addition, it is important to remember that physical education is a ‘right’, not a ‘privilege’. All
students have a right to PE and to access the PE curriculum. It is our ethical responsibility to
ensure our methods, management, and teaching promotes the advancement and progress of all
students in the physical, social, and emotional domains of human growth and development.

Physical Literacy
Physical Literacy is the mastering of fundamental movement skills and fundamental sports
skills that permit a child to read their environment and make appropriate decisions, allowing
them to move confidently and with control in a wide range of physical activity situations. I can
not stress these two words enough -CONFIDENCE and COMPETENCE. Being physically
literate gives a child confidence and competence to play in a wide range of ENVIRONMENTS
thus allowing for increased independence throughout their growth and development.

What is Adapted Physical Education (APE)?

Mrs. Tracy Kidd, is the Aurora City School District’s certified physical education/adapted
physical education teacher. She has been with the district for over 20 years providing APE to all
our qualifying students in grades PK-12.

Adapted Physical Education is physical education, adapted or modified to be appropriate for the
student with a disability as it is for a person without a disability.

Federal law mandates that physical education be provided to students with disabilities if physical
education is also offered to students without disabilities. APE is NOT a related service. Physical
Education is the development of:
● physical and motor skills
● fundamental motor skills and patterns (throwing, catching, walking, running, etc.)
● skills in aquatics, dance, and individual and group games and sports (including intramural
and lifetime sports)

G. Jessel: Paraeducators in PE 3
 Our goals for ALL students are to:
Promote Independence Build Competence Grow Confidence

How/What does Adaptive PE look like in an elementary school setting? What is the
focus of lessons in grades 1 & 2?

● We as a team
o Look at the IEP/504.
o Establish goals.
o Ask what the student/family wishes to be able to accomplish.
o Ask what typical peers are working on in class.
● Working together with the PE teacher and the APE teacher, we include the following into our
instruction:

● Manipulative: o Strike oUp/Down

With any ● Gross Motor oLeft/Right
object, how o Reach/Curl/ oIn/Out
many ways can Stretch oAround
the student o Twist/Turn oBetween
manipulate it? o Push/Pull oToward/
o Roll o Swing/Sway Away From
o Bounce ● Understanding o Over/Under
o Throw of Movement o Onto/Off of
o Catch Vocabulary ● Social
o Twirl o Stop/Go interaction
o Smash o Give/Take among peers
o Kick o Directions

Your Role -“Am I helping or hovering?”

As a paraeducator/co-teacher in the gymnasium, I rely on you to help in this mission. As a
student’s paraeducator, I would like you to
1. First and foremost, follow guidelines for the student set forth by the intervention team
related to behavior and or physical needs and as directed to you through their IEP, 504, or
case manager.
2. When in the gym
a. Assist as needed
b. Provide verbal cues or physical assistance if needed
c. Keep student-focused, on task
d. Help students maintain a good position in class to see/hear instructions.
e. Help students maintain attention
f. Repeat instructions as needed
g. Identify classmates who are beneficial to their learning but at the same time
encourage friendships with all classmates.

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 Our goals for ALL students:
Promote Independence Build Competence Grow Confidence

i. Do not burden the same student(s) with this job.

ii. Peer mediated interventions are good but you must also address ethical
issues
1. How often am I asking a peer to help mediate
2. Does the peer without disabilities have the skill set and knowledge
to mediate
3. Are there any safety concerns when using peer mediation
4. How can a encourage/train/foster a diverse set of peer mediators
iii. Together, you and I, with the help of the IEP team can establish a protocol
for peer mediation methods
3. Allow students to participate with classmates in group situations without you as a
member of the group (stand back and observe, support students in making positive forms
of self-expression, encourage respect of members of the group)
4. Allow the student to make mistakes in PE, guiding them to a better choice through
movement education statements (will be provided).
5. Removing a student from an activity is not an option unless expressly stated in the IEP,
504, BIP, or through the intervention team. Generally, I will suggest alternative actions,
and I will help facilitate alternative practices. I expect that every student participates
fully in each lesson unless otherwise stated by the intervention team.
6. It is easy to lose yourself in the gym and want to “play,” but remember, we guide students
to discover physical literacy. Please refrain from telling them “what to do,” thus
allowing them to learn. Feel free to question their choices, forcing them to think about
how their actions caused alternative outcomes.
7. When teaching students with disabilities (SWD), “Am I helping or hovering?”
8. My goal with all students is for them to be able to lead an independent, active lifestyle.
Does my proximity to the target student (during physical education) help or hinder their
ability to participate in the least restrictive way?
9. You will also observe me standing back, “watching” a particular student or group. As
much as possible, I allow students to work through frustrations, grouping, turn-taking,
etc. In other words, all the behavior we as adults want to jump in and fix. Physical
education is a unique classroom in which I try to foster decision-making, self-direction,
and movement supported and facilitated by the teacher and not dictated by the teacher.
10. It is OK to work with other students in the gymnasium using #2 above as a guide.

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 Our goals for ALL students:
Promote Independence Build Competence Grow Confidence

REMEMBER OUR GOALS FOR ALL STUDENTS:

Presume competence
Promote Independence
Build Competence to Grow Confidence

Thank you for all you do to create a successful and independent environment for all students. If
you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.

Gretchen Jessel
Craddock Elementary School
gjessel@aurora-schools.org
Physical Education K-12
Health Education PK-12
Adapted Physical Education K-12
Autism Exercise Specialist
B.S., M.A.T., KSU Education Doctoral Student -Special Education

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