High School Fitness Classes

[MostMuscle]

I have been asked to give a 1 hour presentation to a group of local high school teachers who teach a "Personal Fitness" high school course. This class introduces the student to the basic concepts of fitness & nutrition and also exposes them to weight training techniques.

They are asking for me to show them some new exercises and ideas for working with a class of students in the weight room along with ways to organize a large group in the weight room.

If you have been in a similar high school personal fitness class my questions for you are:

• What sort of unique challenges did/do you face in high school gyms?
• What were some fun & effective activities your coach had the class do?
• What sort of info would you want your coach to leave with if he/she attended something like this?

Any other comments or teaching methods are also welcome.
I should mention that this presentation will take place in a high school weightroom.

Thanks!!!

[etothepii]

They are asking for me to show them some new exercises and ideas for working with a class of students in the weight room...

Sounds like they might want to hear about exercises using all kinds of bands, balls, heavy things with all kinds of handles coming out, etc... You know, faddish sorts of things. That's great if it gets the kinds off the couch and into the gym, I guess.

...along with ways to organize a large group in the weight room...

...Any other comments or teaching methods are also welcome...

Having the students be the teacher is a pretty good method that may work. Let's say there are 15 students. You group them into 3 groups of 5. Teach each group a new exercise, and let them practice it. Then regroup into 5 groups of 3, with one representative in each group. Those students must then teach each other the exercise they have learned. They will each get to be a trainer and a trainee.

[SNPiccolo5]

Originally Posted by etothepii

Having the students be the teacher is a pretty good method that may work. Let's say there are 15 students. You group them into 3 groups of 5. Teach each group a new exercise, and let them practice it. Then regroup into 5 groups of 3, with one representative in each group. Those students must then teach each other the exercise they have learned. They will each get to be a trainer and a trainee.

At my school, they have a name for that; it's called "jigsaw". Split up the work, and then teach it to everyone. Depending on the group of people, it can either be very successful, or a miserable failure.

-Tim

[ixoyc]

i'm a junior in highschool and i'm ina weight lifting class. it's mainly student led, the veteran lifters help out the younger students with types of lifts and proper form. fun stuff we do are class room competitions (bench press challenges, farmer's carry, etc.) once a year we have a power lifting competition (divided into weight classes)to raise money for football. positive info to leave would be how much students have gained in strength. (my bench and squat sophomore year was 95/170 pounds, now it's 210/300 lbs.)

[etothepii]

it can either be very successful, or a miserable failure.

As can be any technique you try. I wish I could find that one teaching technique that is always successful!!

[SNPiccolo5]

Originally Posted by etothepii

As can be any technique you try. I wish I could find that one teaching technique that is always successful!!

True; but in some cases there is an inbetween. With jigsaw, it is all or nothing. I remember I had a class in 10th grade that was largely jigsaw, and it was a joke- no one did anything. But my senior year, we had a lit class that had jigsawing and it worked pretty well. Maturity level makes a big difference, I think!

-Tim