Craig Nieman, an assistant professor of instruction in Physical Education, and undergraduate students in the Physical Education Teacher Education (PETE) program
at the University of South Florida College of Education are providing a free homeschool
elementary physical education program to 50 local K-5 students this fall. The program
is a part of Nieman's PET 4432: Instructional Design and Content Elementary I course,
and it is hosted in the USF Recreation Center.
"Hillsborough County has the highest number of homeschooled students in the United
States. They have over 10,000 homeschooled students within this county alone," said
Nieman. "One thing our program really wants to do is provide a high-quality, free
program for students in the community who may not be getting physical education instruction
in their home school curriculum."
Now in its second year, the program has received an overwhelmingly positive reception
in the local homeschool community, with spots for this fall filling up in 20 minutes.
The activities offered are designed to help students learn locomotor skills, chasing
and fleeing, throwing and catching, kicking, dribbling, and more. Each lesson includes
carefully planned skill practice and modified games, focusing on building fundamental
skills at a developmentally appropriate level.
Skylar Burns and Lindsey Nichols teaching during the homeschool physical education program.
"I think it is so wonderful, especially for the students that aren't able to go into
schools and take these regular physical education classes," said Skylar Burns, a junior
Physical Education major teaching in the program. "Just seeing these kids come in
with smiles on their faces and happy to be able to come into PE class makes us happy
and gives us hope for the future of becoming Phys. Ed. teachers."
Students are split by grade year in K-2 and 3-5 groups during classes. While Nieman
helps run one group, Sara Flory, a professor of Physical Education at USF, helps run the other. The participating
PETE student teachers conduct activities throughout the program, taking over more
responsibility with each session.
"Since these kids are homeschooled, they don't get the physical activity time that you would get in a typical school. So, getting them to come here and move their bodies and just learn about how important it is to move your body every day is so valuable," said Lindsey Nichols, a junior physical education major, when asked about the impact of this program. "Seeing the different personalities and working with different kids who need different teaching styles is so great for us in our teaching program. It is huge for us to get this opportunity."
The Physical Education program at the USF College of Education's curriculum is designed
to meet the Florida Department of Education's requirements and prepare students to become certified teachers in K-12 physical education.
The free homeschool elementary physical education program is one of many clinical
experiences that immerse Physical Education students in K-12 school settings, allowing
them to collaborate with teacher mentors such as Nieman and Flory.
"We provide our students opportunities every single semester of their programs to
work with students, either in the community or out in schools," said Nieman. "We're
a very hands-on program, which is why hands-on clinical experiences are at the forefront
of everything we do."
For more information about the free homeschool elementary physical education program,
please contact Craig Nieman.