Nifty Idea
School eliminates bullying by letting kids run playground
DENVER - Dealing with bullying is a problem every school faces. However, Teller Elementary claims fights and arguments have disappeared simply by giving children a little responsibility.
"When I first started here eight years ago, the 45 minutes I was out on the playground I was just putting out fires," said Chris Baumgartner, physical education teacher at Teller. "I decided I needed help and with funding the way it is, we weren't going to hire more people to be on the playground."
So, Baumgartner created the P.E. Ace program.
Standing for peace, Baumgartner started tapping 4th and 5th graders to become leaders on the playground during recess. Donning a red shirt and a whistle, 30 older kids teach the younger kids how to play games and activities, volunteering their own lunch and recess time to be student leaders.
"We're teaching them how to be responsible," said Karina Orrellana, 5th Grader and captain of the P.E. Aces. "It stops the kids hurting each other, 'cause they might like want to do something, but after all we keep them all controlled and having making sure they have fun."
"Bullying, fights, arguments, it just doesn't happen," Baumgartner said.
She said the entire school has helped with the effort, keeping the playground safe and giving the younger kids someone to look up to.
"P.E. Aces have to be good role models and they have to be good role models wherever they are, whatever classroom they are in," she said.
Orrellana said becoming a P.E. Ace is a big deal to all the kids at Teller.
"I think a lot of kids want to be a P.E. Ace when they grow up," she said.
Second Grader Coco Hindlemann agrees.
"Working with kids is going to be really fun and teaching them how to play games and activities," Hindlemann said.
She hopes to don the shirt and whistle when she reaches 4th grade.
"They help you learn the activities you're supposed to learn," she said.
Right now, Baumgartner is trying to raise money to expand the P.E. Ace program and purchase more equipment and sweatshirts for the kids to wear on colder days. Other schools have asked Baumgartner about how to start a similar program.
DENVER - Dealing with bullying is a problem every school faces. However, Teller Elementary claims fights and arguments have disappeared simply by giving children a little responsibility.
"When I first started here eight years ago, the 45 minutes I was out on the playground I was just putting out fires," said Chris Baumgartner, physical education teacher at Teller. "I decided I needed help and with funding the way it is, we weren't going to hire more people to be on the playground."
So, Baumgartner created the P.E. Ace program.
Standing for peace, Baumgartner started tapping 4th and 5th graders to become leaders on the playground during recess. Donning a red shirt and a whistle, 30 older kids teach the younger kids how to play games and activities, volunteering their own lunch and recess time to be student leaders.
"We're teaching them how to be responsible," said Karina Orrellana, 5th Grader and captain of the P.E. Aces. "It stops the kids hurting each other, 'cause they might like want to do something, but after all we keep them all controlled and having making sure they have fun."
"Bullying, fights, arguments, it just doesn't happen," Baumgartner said.
She said the entire school has helped with the effort, keeping the playground safe and giving the younger kids someone to look up to.
"P.E. Aces have to be good role models and they have to be good role models wherever they are, whatever classroom they are in," she said.
Orrellana said becoming a P.E. Ace is a big deal to all the kids at Teller.
"I think a lot of kids want to be a P.E. Ace when they grow up," she said.
Second Grader Coco Hindlemann agrees.
"Working with kids is going to be really fun and teaching them how to play games and activities," Hindlemann said.
She hopes to don the shirt and whistle when she reaches 4th grade.
"They help you learn the activities you're supposed to learn," she said.
Right now, Baumgartner is trying to raise money to expand the P.E. Ace program and purchase more equipment and sweatshirts for the kids to wear on colder days. Other schools have asked Baumgartner about how to start a similar program.
posted by Big Daddy at
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
Denver
1 Comments:
That's extremely cool. What a great idea.
And ... well ... okay, I know I'm reading into this, but she's a woman who goes by "Chris" and she's a gym teacher, so I don't think it's too much of a stretch to say that if lesbians ruled the world, it would be a much happier place.
That is all.
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