Learning Through Movement
/“The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails.” - William Arthur Ward
Wyatt Franz, Athletic Director, PE Teacher, Coach
I like to start off my writing with a quote, and since I’m the new kid on the block in regard to VIMSIA’s physical education program, change is a word that often comes to mind. As the instigator of change, of course I am an optimist. It’s important to look backward and forward—not to take away from what just happened—but to ultimately build on the foundation of what has taken place.
One big change is to tweak the culture of what it means to be an active participant in physical education class. Games are great and there is a lot to learn from them, and the keyword here is ‘learn.” In this blog post by veteran PE teacher Nathan Horne, he says that playing games is essential, however, it has to be purposeful.
Like other classes at school, physical education has its own standards to be taught (we use SHAPE America standards). It is also a part of the Middle Years Program. I encourage you to take a look at these to familiarize yourself with what is out there, and what will happen at school.
We don’t want to overwhelm our children with all of this change, so the aim is to do it piece-by-piece and embrace the idea that PE is a class where learning is taking place through movement. As parents, one part of this is to ask your child, “What did you learn in PE/Movement class?” rather than “What did you do or play?”
A great thing about the VIMSIA community is our students are naturally active. As a result, we have to make sure we are always prepared. It’s important to wear proper footwear. Crocs, sandals, and dress shoes are not acceptable for PE class. Any type of sport shoe that completely covers the foot and has proper support is fine. The older PGIA students should wear clothes they can be physically active in, and since they have PE class early in the day, it is best they wear them to school (they can change clothes at the end of class). Additionally, it is crucial everyone is properly hydrated throughout the day, not only while at PE class.
I look forward to a great year of working with our wonderful students, and getting them to their physically active best!
In his 21 years working at schools in Arizona, Myanmar, and Saudi Arabia, Wyatt has been fortunate to work with students and teachers from many different nationalities and backgrounds. He has worked as a classroom teacher, Athletics and Activities Director, sports coach, and he has spent the past 13 years teaching health and physical education to grades PreK - 12. In teaching Physical Education, Wyatt’s goal is to create create an environment where all students can thrive in moving their bodies and to inspire them to be physically active for life . He joins our VIMSIA community along with his wife, Tonia Lopez-Franz, and his children Diego (grade 5) and Paloma (grade 1). When not teaching, Wyatt enjoys traveling, cooking, playing pretty much any sport, and spending time with his family.