“We bounce ideas off each other, and we come to a conclusion we both agree on,” says Blake. Darla quickly adds that “We share a gym. We have two classes that come in, and we merge them all together.”

 

While Darla and Blake went to Eastern Illinois University, they didn’t cross paths while in college. Neither started out expecting to teach physical education. While Darla majored in physical education and health, she anticipated becoming an athletic trainer. Blake started his teaching career in the classroom, transitioning to physical education eight years ago. Darla joined the Jasper County staff six years ago, and the two have worked together since.

 

First through fourth grade participate daily, whereas fifth and sixth graders have PE class three days a week. When joined, their classes have a minimum of forty and a maximum of ninety kids. As a team, one can proactively focus on a child who needs one-on-one attention while the other covers the other thirty-nine children.

 

Darla and Blake both take the responsibility to establish a strong foundation seriously. In the short term, Blake cites studies that show that when an individual’s heart rate is elevated, it increases blood flow. And increased blood flow primes our bodies for increased learning.

 

Whereas Blake focuses on the positive short-term effects, Darla takes a more long-term approach, suggesting that if children don’t learn how to move their bodies when they’re young, they’ll struggle to do so later in life. The foundational principles of movement and hand-eye coordination they teach children today will increase their life expectancy and satisfaction for decades to come.

 

Darla states, “Here at the elementary school; it all starts here. Hopefully, they’ll take something they learned here, and it’ll move with them through Junior high and High School. Whether it’s learning to be a good listener or whether they learn they’re really good at volleyball. They try things.”

 

“There’s a lot of skill that starts here. Hopefully, they’ll take away something they’ve learned. Sometimes it’s as simple as the kindness we show them as we ask how their day is going,” suggests Darla.

 

In the end, Darla and Blake realize it’s about the kids. If the kids like something, it’s much easier to pass the time and get them to buy in,” Blake suggests. If they buy in, they’re less sedentary, they learn, and they grow. They understand the rules of the game and the soft skills associated with being a strong teammate. They learn how to win and how to lose. And they prime their minds for the rest of the day. And THAT sets them up for the rest of their lives.