Students look forward to his playful, leadership on the field every day at recess and they learn from his mentoring as well.
What can we do to fill his shoes?
First, when thinking of school clothes, we'll have to wear more playful, sports clothes so we can engage in this healthy, recess activity.
Next, I'll have to get in shape this summer in order to keep up with our agile young students.
After that, I'll have to make a commitment to get in there and play the games at least once or twice a week. Perhaps as a team of teachers and assistants, we can each commit to a day or two of game play. The younger teachers on my team benefited from sports during their high school and college years so they can tutor me on all the rules related to these games.
Our teaching doesn't just happen on the classroom, it happens on the playground too. The more willing we are to get in there and lead by playing outdoor games with students, the more they'll learn from our leadership and our behavior on the field.
