Muskego teacher helps keep physical education on the move

Muskego - For going above and beyond to provide a physical education program that looks into the future, the Wisconsin Health and Physical Education Association has bestowed its Promising Professional Award on a teacher in the Muskego-Norway School District.

Scott Carlson, who teaches physical education, works at Muskego and Tess Corners elementary schools and at Lake Denoon Middle School. He's in his sixth year of full time teaching at Muskego-Norway and was a guest teacher for three years at Muskego High School before that.

"He is one of our finest educators," said Superintendent of Schools Joe Schroeder, noting that last year the school district itself honored Carlson as one of its Compass Award winners.

Movin' & Munchin'

Weighing heavily into Carlson receiving the state honor was that he brought the Movin' & Munchin' program into the schools when it was almost unknown in Wisconsin.

The program takes direct aim at the schools' two major physical education goals: upping physical activity outside of school and making healthier food choices.

Although only a few physical education teachers across the state ran the state Department of Public Instruction-sanctioned Movin' & Munchin" program, Carlson said he thought it was too good to pass up.

"It was a cool opportunity," Carlson said.

It starts students thinking about food choices and being active even when they are very little, he said. And that's a big change from the way things have been.

"I never thought about what I was eating when I was a kid," Carlson said.

Even his littlest students earned Movin' & Munchin" miles when they made good food choices such as not having sugared soda or when they stay away from fast food for a week.

They got more miles when they took a walk after school or played football or did something else that got them movin' - the more strenuous, the more miles. They got even more miles if they got their families moving, increasing family time together, which he likes, Carlson said.

When students piled up enough miles, they got tokens that many hung on bracelets or necklaces.

At the end of Movin' & Munchin', Carlson holds a Family Fun Night with interactive stations such as a food challenge. That's where kids are challenged to try a fruit they may have never had before, or a healthy cereal. Movin' & Munchin' is held at least once a year.

"It was a lot of work to organize the first year," Carlson said, adding he had to overcome some resistance from some students who first asked "Do we have to do this?"

Eventually, Carlson's enthusiasm lighted a fire under the other students and soon a snowball effect took over.

Beyond sports skills

Movin' and Munchin' is consistent with a new way of thinking about physical education in the schools.

The old way of teaching physical education was to just focus on sports skills, but winners of the Promising Professional Award go beyond that to teach physical education as an academic subject, said Keith Bakken, state association executive director.

The physical education program of the future teaches how the body responds to exercise and the lack of it and how it responds to the food choices we make, Bakken said.

The association honors those who are leaders in promoting the association's goal: "By the time students graduate, they should know how to take care of the only body they've been given," Bakken said.