Another step to being Future Ready? Collaborate with PE...

I dedicate this post to Dr. Jen Cannell, for without her nudge I never would have considered attending a PE conference be beneficial.

This year I am mentoring a PE teacher.  Seemed odd at first and honestly, I wasn't sure I was the best fit.  Library and PE?  How and what could I ever do to mentor him?  And yet, 10 weeks down, I think we make a pretty good pair.

Jen Cannell, my partner in our fondness of Texas, is now the School Library System Director for Capital Region BOCES.  Talking with her this summer, she told me that she was going to charge the librarians in her new region to attend a conference outside of the library world.  Even though she is no longer my system director, I took that to heart .  What could Eric and I do as a mentor/mentee team?  Of course! Attend the NYS AHPERD (Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance) together! And last Thursday we did! If that isn't outside my discipline, I don't know what is!

The morning began with Dave Burgess, "Teach Like a Pirate."  Although he spoke faster than a leaping cheetah, I did get a few good ideas from him.

I walked in a tad late to my first workshop and nearly fainted.  One small group was talking about how they incorporate The Crossover in the health curriculum. Kwame is everywhere! But even though I have read that book many times, I never considered how it could be used outside of the library and ELA world.  Now my idea wheels are spinning almost as fast as Dave Burgess speaks!

The most beneficial workshop for me still has me thinking and brainstorming days afterwards.  It was called, "Research Partnerships in Physical Education: The Dos and Don'ts."  Although it was more about the research process, it got my gears going.  The presenters shared a study they conducted on integrating Common Core ELA Standards into a Middle School PE class. This is something teachers consider doing?! Although the results weren't earth shattering, the conversation is something we should all be thinking about as we move forward.  When Physical Education teachers integrate literacy in their class physical activity rates are impacted negatively.  I'm wasn't surprised so I spoke up.

"Hi! I'm a librarian." You could hear the gasps in the room.  Then I continued, "We don't want you to decrease your levels of physical activity at all.  I love that you want to integrate literacy with PE but it doesn't have to happen in the gym.  Have a conversation with your ELA teachers and librarians. Let's ALL collaborate!  If we read a book in the library and then you incorporate skills and themes from that book in your class, it's a win-win..." I went on and they agreed wholeheartedly. The next step is to make it happen!

Besides the aforementioned The Crossover, what else?  Ghost and Patina* by Jason Reynolds. Laura Shovan has a new book coming out in June called, Takedown, about wrestling. What about James Preller's Six Innings about a little league game? Last year, I loved Soar by Joan Bauer. Or any of the Matt Christopher, Tim Green and Dan Gutman books? Others?

Here's the question for "Future Ready Librarians"-- How do we convince our colleagues in Physical Education to collaborate?  And if you already are doing it, what's your secret to success?  Or if you are like me and on the cusp, let's support each other!  This could be the beginning of an incredibly worthwhile student-centered partnership.

*Without even knowing it, we're already in our infant stages of collaboration.  I asked my mentee, Eric, if he would be willing to lead one of our Mock Newbery book groups.  How could he say no to his mentor ;-)  so I gave him the perfect book. Patina.