Creating Wow! Moments for Students
Lindsay Baber, a first-year physical education teacher at Travelers Rest High School, said if she could do the first day of school over again, she would find a way to create more Wow! moments with her students.
“On the first day we introduced ourselves, covered the syllabus, lockers, routines, and things like that. I want to make the first day of school a time for students to get excited about being in PE. I want to create Wow! moments for them. We could incorporate ways for them to have input on day one about what they like and for us to get to know them a little,” she said.
She’s done a great job as a first-year teacher, according to Deanna McCarrell, the school’s media specialist and 
Lindsay’s mentor. “She immediately had an excellent rapport with the students. She’s gone above and beyond and the students really love her. She seems like she just eased into the job, almost effortlessly,” said McCarrell. “One thing we’re working on is putting together her PAS-T notebook. You need to be able to look at your plans and then look back once you’re finished with the lesson and see where you need to improve.”
Coach Baber quickly learned that incorporating music into the physical education environment encouraged students to become more active. “I was surprised at how on-task behavior increased with music. There was a new energy level that was brought into the PE environment. I had no idea that music could be such an inspiration for students,” she explained.
Baber hopes that every student can find a physical activity they enjoy outside the school environment. “I want my students to find new ways to be physically active and be healthier, and how to relate health subjects to their everyday lives while they’re teenagers,” she said.