Physical education teachers adjust amid coronavirus pandemic

Originally published Oct. 13, 2020 by MyTwinTiers.com.

By Mikayla Newton

Teachers, administrators, faculty, and staff have all had to adjust amid the coronavirus pandemic. Physical education teachers have had to tackle an entirely different kind of adjustment by keeping students active.

Physical education teachers, classroom teachers, FCOCs, and administrators, have been meeting all around the district to share recess activities since playground equipment cannot be used.

One Elmira teacher created a recess bag for her class that included a foldable frisbee, paddleball, chalk, jump rope, hacky sack.

Another teacher, Troy Monks, a physical education teacher at Diven and Fassett Elementary is working with students in Pre-K through 2nd grade to make sure that kids are staying active while at home.

“At Diven, I made six different recess bags. Each class goes out (only two classes go out at a time). They take the bag and use whatever is in their mesh bags and then when they are done with their equipment they put it back in the bag. We spray it down and then it hangs for 24 hours,” said Monks.

“I just use those quad spaces and we stay within the quads. We’ve done everything from working on motor skills and other exercises. I’ve been teaching for over 30 years and I am a teacher that loves kids freely moving around. It bugs me that I’ve keep them contained in 12 by 12 spot, it bothers me but it is what it is,” said Monks.

Monks works with Cohort A students only. On Wednesdays, he teaches virtually, and on Thursdays and Fridays (in-person) with Cohort B.

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