Most students would cringe at the thought of babysitting two or three hyper, elementary-aged kids for a couple hours, but a group of BYU students tackle the chore of herding 200 children through a barrage of high-energy workouts each week.

The activity is a part of a dynamic curriculum for first-semester physical education majors aimed at providing first-hand experience to hopeful teachers.

Twenty juniors are admitted each semester to the physical education teaching program; their first semester, which includes frequent teaching opportunities with elementary-aged children, is trial by fire.

"It's like putting doctors into surgery during their first semester of medical school," said Larry Hall, chair of the physical education department.

Most physical education teaching programs provide student with teaching opportunities sometime after the first year, but this delay causes an interruption in student progression said Maria Zanandrea, BYU faculty member over the experiential teaching class.

"If they are going to be teachers, they must teach," Zanandrea said. "It's the same with any discipline, the more you do the more you learn."

With more than half of all Americans reported to be overweight, the program also offers considerable benefits to the elementary children who participate.

"These kids are out here having fun, we are trying to teach life-long habits to stay in shape," said Mel Olsen, assistant department chair. "A lot of kids just go home, sit and play video games all day and we wonder why we are overweight."

Olsen said students who participate in regular physical activity score higher on federal standardized tests.

Elementary administrators are also pleased with the program, which will reach out to nearly 10 local schools this year.

"This program brings physical education to the forefront, P.E. has taken little bit of a back seat," said Dean Nielsen, principal of Joaquin Elementary School. "We are glad we have a partner like BYU."

Copyright Brigham Young University 1 Nov 2006