PFA All-Star Teacher Showcase

Christine Amond - 2012 PFA All-Star Teacher of the Year

This is THE MOST enthusiastic teacher whose passion is contagious….and all of her students have “fitness fever!” Her principal Jan James writes to us “She has not only embraced the program with her knowledge, energy and enthusiasm but she has wrapped her heart around it as well. She jumped right into the deep end from the very beginning.” Christine has tapped into the heart of and soul of her school, students, fellow teachers and parents. There are so many extraordinary student stories Christine shares it is hard to believe she is just completing her second year of this program!

This teacher raises the bar and sets the standard for what it means to be an All Star Teacher. We are extremely proud to share her story and program with you. She is PE caffeine and will really “get you going!”

When enthusiasm and Project Fit America come together lives are changed!!!

This enthusiasm is evident when I walk into school and see the activities I teach reach beyond the gym and one period of physical education per week. For example, I see a huge wall display of student-made soccer balls created in art class following my soccer juggle challenge. This is a great example of how Project Fit America can influence the lives of my students through artwork and integrated into other areas of the curriculum. Some of these were also displayed at our local senior fitness center. Further down the hallway, I see groups of students gathering around the Chart and Challenge, proudly showing their accomplishments to their peers. Outside I see a teacher exercising with her class on Project Fit America Equipment rather than sitting on a bench watching them play at recess. I see volunteers hanging up physical fitness achievement certificates in the hallway. On Friday afternoons, I see parents leaving work early to come to a Project Fit America Challenge to cheer wildly for their child to achieve a Kong or Top Kong level. An overwhelming reward and evidence of a changed life is hearing a parent say after a Top Kong Challenge, “This is the greatest thing I have experienced. Seeing all these kids cheering for each other is like being a part of a big, happy family.”

How do I accomplish this life-changing pattern for my students?

I believe providing opportunities for my students to experience success will have lasting benefits. Self-confidence is gained and feelings of embarrassment and awkwardness are overcome. This promotes positive peer interaction and helps motivate each student for more learning. Therefore, my goal for each student is to gain self-confidence by achieving some level of success in mastering physical activities.

Project Fit America gives me the tools for leading my students to success. Seeing them succeed is the most rewarding part of teaching. Through the Project Fit America lessons and the Chart and Challenge, I see growth in physical skills as well as social and thinking skills. The students experience success in different ways; physical, mental, and emotional. What is success?

How I define success

A student who could not do any push-ups is proudly able to complete one and is motivated to do two.
A student exclaims, “Look at me, Mrs. Amond, I can now climb up to the yellow part of the Pole Climb.”
First graders recognize what TCC means and can give examples of how to demonstrate TCC.
Watching a student lead others in building a pyramid that won’t fall down.
Helping a student gain confidence in jumping over the vault bar without hitting his shin.
Giving students a challenge and watching them accomplish more than they ever thought possible.
Second graders, are proud to show me the healthy food in their lunch boxes and I know they have talked about our lessons at home.
Coaching a student who was able to finish 7th place as a Kong Elite National Record Holder in sit-ups.

For me, success in small, but significant individual achievements is my greatest reward in teaching. I know that I am helping students, parents, and teachers make important lifestyle changes through new habits of eating and exercising. With this kind of enthusiasm and commitment from my students, school, and families, we, together, can create a healthier America. Project Fit America encourages recognition which motivates my students.

Challenges I had to overcome

The greatest challenge I had to overcome when integrating Project Fit America into my program was developing a consistent schedule to ensure equal time on the outside equipment. At first I was so excited about the challenges and equipment that I would have several different challenges going on at the same time with different classes and grade levels. Some classes would try a challenge and other classes would not get to finish one. This was very hard to manage and the results were limited to only my natural athletes. Now, I introduce a skill and together we all work on learning the skill and perfecting it over 3-4 week time frame. The lessons are in a sequential order leading up to a challenge, and all students have the same opportunity to participate. My challenges are more focused and specific to the skills I am teaching. Already this year I have held three challenges and my goal is to complete three to four more before the year is over. I love them and even have Gold in several challenges. Overall my students love all the activities, but our favorites include PFA Bunco, Poker Chip Challenge, Ro Sham Bo Fitness, Tummy Toughy, Puppy Power Push-ups, $10.00 and a Bone, and Basketball “Blitz.”

I am passionate about physical fitness and I want to impart that passion to students, teachers and the general public. In a 1960 article in Sports Illustrated, President John F. Kennedy wrote: “The physical vigor of our citizens is one of America’s most precious resources. If we waste and neglect this resource, if we allow it to dwindle and grow soft, then we will destroy much of our ability to meet the great and vital challenges which confront our people.” These words, penned 50 years ago, ring with more truth and urgency than at any other time in our nation’s history. Beginning now, in 2013, it is time for us to act!!

In conclusion

My greatest reward from implementing Project Fit America is seeing my students show so much improvement. At the beginning of this grant, my students did not have the skills to accomplish the physical challenges presented by Project Fit America. A year later, my students are succeeding with great measurable outcomes. My wall of achievement speaks for itself. For example, last year I only had 8 students able to achieve a Gold level on the Pole Climb. This year over 33 students made the Gold including myself. Amazingly, 11 of them completed the Kong level including three second graders. I love the saying, “If you build it, they will come.” Yes, they come and they keep coming, asking for more!!

The second reason Project Fit America is so much fun for me and my students is because it gives me the opportunity to adapt and manage the challenges With the encouragement of Kim Berg, I was able to write and design my own soccer and push-up challenges. It is exciting to think that something I love could be made into a Project Fit America lesson. Furthermore, I can share these lessons with teachers across the country. The pushup challenge has been my most successful lesson. Over 300 students in grades 2-5 have been able to display their success on the Wall of Achievement. As a third-grade student stated, “I finally got my name on the wall after all these years.” This is why I love Project Fit America and plan to continue implementing this successful program. The immediate gratification of feedback provided through this program is what makes learning fun and worthwhile.