Essential Skills to Teach APE 1

Essential skills to Teach APE

California State University, Long Beach

Anthony L. Tang
 Essential Skills to Teach APE 2

Introduction

Adapted physical education(APE) would be defined as physical education that has been

modified, so that it is appropriate for the person with a disability as it is for a person without a

disability. Every child or students within the public school are required to meet a specific number

of minutes based on their grade level. It is the duty of an adapted or general physical education

teacher to provide quality lessons and activities for students to reach these required minutes.

When it comes to APE every child has a different case and it is the APE teachers’ job to create

modified lessons for that child, individualized education plan to help reach goals, and provide a

quality education.

Being an APE teacher can be a tough and strenuous job. It requires skills such as

knowledge to teach the subject, knowledge on the different disabilities, knowing how to perform

assessments, legislation and advocacy, accommodations, managements, creating a culture with

students, and being tech savvy. Students are generally placed into APE by referrals and then

assessed by various type of assessments. Some examples of assessments include test of gross

motor development(TGMD), The Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency(BOT-2),

Curriculum, Assessment, Resources, and Evaluation(CARE-R2) just to name a few. APE

teachers possess unique job responsibilities. For example, most APE teachers are itinerants,

which means they must travel to various school sites with multiple students on their caseload. In

addition, APE teachers are expected to handle a lot paperwork and tasks, which include

administering assessments, tracking IEP goals and benchmarks, writing IEP, knowing each

school’s bell schedule, creating a schedule, examining each student’s medical records, creating

lesson plans, and many other job responsibilities.

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Physical Education Subject Matter Knowledge

For an APE teacher to be qualified to teach, they must first know the definition of

physical education, specifically the definition of individuals with disability education

act(IDEA). According to the APE Guidelines (2012), a Physical education is “the development

of physical and motor fitness; fundamental motor skills and patterns; and skills in aquatics,

dance, and individual and group games and sports (including intramural and lifetime sports); and

includes special physical education, adapted physical education, movement education, and motor

development.” Even though APE and general PE are two separate class they both do follow the

same guidelines such as California content standards and required minutes(elementary=200/10

days; secondary= 400 minutes/10 days) based on grade levels. APE teachers must also be aware

of the different policies school district have when creating content, too.

When it comes to presenting lessons and activities, APE teacher must be aware that every

student is different, and they all have their preferred way they learn best. It is important that APE

teachers should consider implementing universal design of learning(UDL). UDL creates the

optimal learning for all students. For example, you can provide visual and vocal cues for students

when teaching a lesson or even demonstrating movements. All students are different, for

example, some prefer being hands on, prefer to listen, or even by looking at visuals. It is

important to consider all styles and trying to fit them in a lesson or activity which will also help

optimize learning for all students.

Disability Specific Knowledge

When teaching a lesson or having student participate in activities, it is always important

to ensure safety, whether it is explaining rules, keeping a close eye on a student, or being aware
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of their disabilities. As an APE teacher it is important to have a full understanding of student’s

disabilities and safety concerns regarding students. For example, students with down syndrome

should avoid activity that puts pressure on their head and neck which can lead to atlantoaxial

instability. Another thing to note is that teachers should be aware of different types of medication

some students with disabilities are required to take. Being aware of the different type of

medication is important because some of these medications can affect a student’s ability and

performance.

APE teacher must have a full grasp of understanding of IDEA and the 14 various

disability categories which can range from mild to severe. Doing so can help apply certain

teaching strategies and help with efficient lesson planning or programming. Being familiar with

this is important because this information will assist in teachers knowing what activities students

can participate in, or how they can make changes to it. For example, if a student is known to

have spina bifida may be at risk of being allergic to latex. If that is the case the teacher must

avoid any activities that requires the use of latex or find an alternative to the equipment that is

being used. Since the world is constantly evolving is it good to do research to find new

discoveries on disabilities and have knowledge on that type of subject. It is even possible in the

future that IDEA can recognize other disabilities.

Assessments

Assessment is a critical responsibility for an APE teacher. They are necessary because

they give teachers a data-based results that show what the student is able to do and what areas

need focus. It’s important to pick a test that is appropriate for the student. An example of this

would be administering the CARE-R which is a developmental assessment that has a set list of

milestones, which would be appropriate for a 7-year-old child that has a severe disability.
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Teachers can also take notes on what is observed which can help with details on what the child is

having trouble with or need to improve on. Another thing to note with assessments is it can also

be a determining factor for students if they qualify for adapted physical education or general

physical education. An example of this would be if a child is referred to APE by a general PE,

and the APE teacher wants to assess if he/she qualifies for APE. The APE teacher would run for

example the TGMD-3 which variety of locomotor and ball skill movement students are assessed

on. In short if a student underperforms in majority of the movements, student will most likely be

directed into APE.

Teachers in general are constantly learning every day, and it is important for APE

teachers to find ways for students to perform their best when assessing their students. Behavior

can be a catalyst on what affects an assessment negatively. APE teachers can also collaborate

with other professionals such as IEP team member which can help give ideas/suggestions to help

improve motivate and improve on assessments. It is also important the APE teacher stay up to

date with their assessments and the changes they make. It is a duty of an APE teacher to

administer the most current assessment and have the most accurate result.

Legislation and Advocacy

It is important that APE teachers are well aware of the legal knowledge of special

education legislation and the history of those laws. Knowing these laws APE teachers must apply

them to their lessons and activities. For example, upon understanding the laws, APE teachers

must apply those laws to their teaching. According to the APE Guidelines (2012), one of the

state laws that must be followed is that once a child has qualified for special education, there

must be an IEP that offers free and appropriate public education (FAPE). Under California State

law, students are required to participate in 200 minutes of physical education in elementary, and
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400 minutes per 10 days in secondary grades (APE Guidelines, 2012). It is also important APE

teachers refer students with disabilities in a person first terminology. For example, there is a

student named Steven and he is a wheelchair user, using person first terminology you would

refer to him with his first name or what he prefers to be called. An example of failing to use

person first terminology would sound like “wheelchair boy” which is not person first

terminology and can be very offensive. Teachers are constantly learning and the world around is

evolving, it is also important to stay updated with the law if there were to be any changes or new

additions added.

Teaching and Learning Styles

As an APE teacher is it is important to be aware of difference types of approaches when

teaching. The two most common approaches would be bottom up and top down. Bottom-up

approach would refer to focusing on basic fundamentals, then progressing towards more

complex. Whereas top-down approach would refer to focusing on meeting desired goals or

learning outcomes that are age-appropriate skills and socially significant to each individual. My

preferred method would be to take up the bottom-up approach. This is because majority of

students that are in APE are already having trouble and moving straight forward to a skill would

be very difficult for most. Bottom-up approach allows student to master the fundamentals first

before moving on to more complex movements.

Every student is different, and they all have their own preferred learning styles. It is

always important to incorporate Universal Design Learning(UDL) when planning a lesson or

activity. UDL is designed in the very beginning when planning a lesson, creating alternative

methods of presenting the material, and making the content accessible for everyone. An example

of implementing UDL in a lesson would be having a variety of method of present the materials
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to the student. Such as teaching an overhand throw lesson, and the teacher presents it by having

student practice with a partner, demonstrating the form, utilizing visual cue cards, and explaining

out loud. This is appealing to the different types of learners such as kinesthetic, visual, and vocal

learners. Doing this will help students learn the material at a more efficient rate.

Behavior Management

Behavioral management is a key responsibility for teachers in general, being able to

properly manage the behavior of the class will help the class flow smoothly and have a more

effective lesson/activity. If a teacher is not able to control their class behavior it can lead

difficulties establishing control of the classroom. Disruptive behavior tends to be negative, and it

can affect a classroom negatively by impacting student’s success. APE teachers should be well

prepared with a highly strong behavior management plan and have different tools to help

reinforce positive behavior in a classroom. One example of this is introducing positive

reinforcement to a student. A student with autism is instructed to participate in an activity but

does not want to, but if he does, he gets five minutes to use the I-Pad after for participating.

Doing this will motivate the student to participate in the activity. Another example would be the

premack principle, and what it is exactly is presenting an “if and then” situation. An example of

using the premack principle would be “if” a student completes a undesirable activity such as run

around for ten minutes, “then” he/she get to do a more desirable activity in this case would be a

superhero workout.

It is important to establish the rules early in the beginning of the school year. Doing so

will set the tone of the class and gets it straight to students what is expected in the classroom.

Classroom rules should be easy to follow, and consequences for not following rules will be

presented when the circumstances arrive. Another thing to note is that setting a routine with the
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class can be effective to, and by doing so will help class transition fast and smooth and help keep

things in order. APE teachers are constantly learning, and it is important to try out different

strategies to see what fits best with a specific classroom.

Accommodation and modification

Accommodation and modification are an important skill to have when it comes to being

an APE teacher. Accommodation would refer to how a student learns a material. Whereas

modification refers to the changes on what a student is taught or expected to learn. An example

of accommodation would be including music and a theme in a lesson which will help increase

student’s motivation to participate. An example modification can be modifying a game for a

disables student to they can properly participate with their classmates/peers.

APE teachers should be very familiar with this skill because they will be using it

throughout their whole career teaching. This is important for students because this help gives

students a chance to participate and help promote a physically active lifestyle. Modifications in

particular is very important in APE because this will help makes the activity available for all

students to succeed regardless of their disabilities. An example of this would be teaching a soccer

obstacle course and there are three students will follow a part of cones with a soccer ball. Two of

them are able to stand and one is a wheelchair user, and to modify the activity for the wheelchair

user the instructor widens the path so he/she can participate too. Being strongly familiar with

accommodation and modification is greatly important because this skill will be used throughout

the entire career.

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Collaboration

Being able to effectively collaborate with the professionals and peers that an APE teacher

works with is a necessary skill. Collaboration would be described as when two profession work

together to reach a common goal. APE teacher work with a wide array of professionals such as

special education teacher, PE teachers, physical therapist, occupational therapist, etc. When

collaborating, the team will work together, the responsibility, and set up goals that suits the need

of the student. An example of this would be an APE teacher collaborating with a physical

therapist. By doing so they both can work together and learn how the child is behaving,

discussing type of movements being done, discussing movements to avoid, exchange different

information about the students. Another example would be collaborating with a special education

teacher, and you can collaborate on how to properly manage a student’s behavior. One of the

teachers can ask how the student is behaving in their class, and ask some techniques that made

them successful, then applying it to their classroom. Collaboration is an important skill and as

APE teacher are always learning, this skill is constantly developing throughout the career.

Culturally Responsive Pedagogy

Being culturally aware of the different types of heritage of different ethnic groups is a

necessity of being an APE teacher. When coming up with lessons and applying themes it is

always good to think back and see it from a broader perspective, whether if this is suitable to

present to a classroom or would this be offensive to some individuals. If the chances that an

offence is to occur, this can potentially be a huge problem for the APE teacher affecting parents

and administration. When it comes to coming up with themes/thematic avoiding holiday themes

such as Christmas and Easter would be wise since some ethnic culture does not celebrate them. It

would be better to focus on themes that are seasonal themes which would be a lot more
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appropriate for all students. Another thing to note is connecting with the community is important

and helps the teachers understand how the culture is around the school and community.

Assistive Technology

Technology is a great practice, and it helps APE teachers present their lessons or activity

more effective. There are three tiers when it comes to technology low-tech(picture task cards),

mid-tech(visual timer), and high-tech(media application; ex. Just dance, class dojo). All of the

tiers have their uses and can make teaching more effective and engaging for students. For

example, you are teaching a lesson or activity to students and the APE teacher wants to keep

students as engaged as possible. While incorporating high-tech, which in this case will be Class

Dojo. Class Dojo is an application that helps teachers track behavior, participation, etc. with

appealing visuals to present to students. Utilizing Class Dojo in the lesson will encourage

students to participate and produce positive behavior.

Technology is constantly evolving by the year, new application, and devices are

constantly being released. This means that APE teachers should be constantly trying to learn

about new technology or applications that are being released. It is also important for teachers to

be open to trying out new technology and application. Another thing to note is that is APE

teacher should do research on the different types of grants. If an APE teacher gets approved,

he/she may have the opportunity to have extra funds which can be used to fund purchases for

technology and necessary equipment. Overall technology is a tool, and teachers should not be

afraid of trying new thing out.

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Community and Family Resources

Being connected with students’ families is important. APE teacher required by law

specifically IDEA, helps APE teachers understand their students more, excellent public relations

tool informing families about the benefit of physical education, and inspires families to advocate

the program. There can be difficulties communicating with parents and APE teachers should

always be prepared and find the most efficient way of communicating with them. Some practices

would be trying to initiate the contact first, sharing information in their preferred language,

identifying themselves first, keep a positive attitude, keeping information short and to the point.

Being connected with families is important, they are who the students spend most of their lives

with and they know them the best.

Professional Leadership and Growth

APE teachers are lifelong learners, and they must continue learning about new things in

the field. Growing and learning is what is expected when it comes to being an APE teacher. One

of my future goals is get myself involved in professional organizations by becoming a member.

Some of the membership I was considering joining was CAPHER and SHAPE America. I plan

to attend future conferences such as CAPHERD and possibly the National Adapted Physical

Education Conference in the future. By doing so I get to connect with others that share the same

profession as myself, allow myself to stay up to date with practices, current events, studies, and

information on upcoming events. I also plan on subscribing to varieties of scholarly journal,

some journals I was considering would be JOPERD and Palestra. I have read a couple of their

material before and I thought that it was interesting and informative. By subscribing to the

journals, it will help keep myself up to date with what is current in the field.
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Reflection

As I look back on the wide array of skills discussed, all of them are all linked to one

another. These essential skills are important, and all are necessity for what it takes to become an

efficient APE teacher. I believe that that the most important one would be professional

leadership and growth. APE teacher are lifelong learners and by being, so we are always looking

to grow and plan for the future. This skill is important because we as professional should always

want to grow professionally throughout our career as a teacher. Whether it is attending

conferences, joining professional organization in the field, researching articles/research, and

staying up to date with the laws.

Looking back at my belief, which is that APE teachers hold a tough and strenuous job. It

requires skills such as knowledge to teach the subject, knowledge on the different disabilities,

knowing how to perform assessments, legislation and advocacy, accommodations, managements,

creating a culture with students, and being tech savvy. This is a lot to keep in mind, but this is the

types of obstacles an APE teacher has to go through throughout their career. Another belief is

that we as APE teachers hold a unique job responsibility compared to regular teachers. Such as

being itinerant, administering assessments, creating IEP, tracking progress/goals for students,

and having knowledge on the different type of disabilities out there. Overall, all of the skills

mentioned have their importance and the necessity to become an efficient APE teacher. It gets

me thinking about the future and what it entails for me, and I am grateful for the journey that I

went through to be in this profession.

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Reference

Adapted Physical Education Guidelines in California Schools (2012). California Department of

Education Special Education Division.

Adapted Physical Education National Standards - What is Adapted Physical Education? (2008).

Adapted Physical Education National Standards - What Is Adapted Physical Education?

https://www.apens.org/whatisape.html

California Department of Education. (2005). Physical Education Model Content Standards for

California Public Schools.

Defining APE Best Practice for Connectciut Schools. (2021). CT.Gov - Connecticut’s Official

State Website. https://portal.ct.gov/SDE/Publications/Guidelines-for-Adapted-Physical-

Education/Defining-APE-Best-Practice-for-Connecticut-Schools

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (2004).

Teaching Styles in Physical Education: A New Approach to Predicting Resilience and Bullying.

(2020, January 1). PubMed Central (PMC).

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6981834/