I need BASIC choreography - please HELP!!!

[Nancy SV]

I am now teaching a high school PE class - one of those flukes of the scheduling process (due to scheduling conflicts, the PE teacher is now teaching my math class, and I have his PE!!!). Anyway - I don't know the first thing about teaching PE, and right now I am swamped with all my other classes. So - I'll do something I am familiar with until I can take the time to learn something about some team sports. So - I'll be doing aerobics with the kids for a while until I get my feet on the ground.

The problem is this - I tend to like more complicated choreography and I prefer step. So - almost all of my tapes are complex choreography step tapes. I don't have steps to use with my class, and I know they won't be able to handle the more advanced choreography. So - I need to order some new tapes QUICKLY!!! I figure I'll do some kickboxing and I have a few Tae Bo tapes so I'll review those and use some of Billy's combo's. I also have one Charlene Prickett hi/lo tape with some moves that I can use. But - those are gonna qet old real quickly!! Can you suggest some good basic choreo hi/lo tapes that I could use for ideas?? Thanks for all your help!!!

[Debbie S.]

Do you have access to a TV? Our local highschool has actually used Billy's tapes and my kid's friends all loved doing Tae Bo! You could first teach them the basic punches and kicks and then plug a tape in when they are ready for a real workout.

[Sher]

My daughter is in 9th grade and I just went to "Parent Info Night" last night! So I have some info for you. She will have PE every day this year.

First they are doing softball, soccer, and (?I forgot) all for the 1st 9 weeks. The teacher also includes a 10 min. total body warm up, stretching, ab work combo each day. She also has them run laps around the gym for 1.5 min. before going outside. She will be slowly increasing the run to 5 min. which she estimates should be 1/2 mile.

I think the second grading period will be volleyball, basketball, and maybe some other indoor sport.

The third grading period will be weight training in the weight room. She will focus on form and increasing strenth in all muscle groups on MWF, on T and Th she plans to do Tae Bo, step class, yoga, pilates, running, and basic exercises like jump roping, jumping jacks, etc. My daughter commented that all the girls are anxious for the aerobics section.

The last grading period will take place outside if the weather is good. It will focus on racquet sports like Pickle Ball(?), Badmitton, Tennis, etc.

As far as other videos you may be limited with space or equipment and I'm not too familiar with many programs. I just thought I'd share this info because it's so fresh in my mind.

I hope this helps. I know they also used Tae Bo in the middle school and the kids liked it a lot!

Good luck with your class!

Sher

[Nancy SV]

Thanks for your help!! I hadn't thought about actually using the videos, but that is a great idea!! I think I could probably get a TV in the room.

Fortunately, I am co-teaching with another teacher who feels comfortable with team sports, so we will rotate - I'll take one group for aerobics, while he has the other half of the class. The bad news is that we don't have a gym - we will be confined to a regular classroom, so it will be tight to have 22 kids in one room. But - that is managable if I can think of some things to do.

So - Tae Bo sounds like a definite, but what other suggestions do you guys have????

[Laura S.]

Nancy,

My brain is fried and I'm not coming up with much, but I did a search on threads with the word "teenage*" in the subject of the thread. Here are links to some of those threads. They may not all apply, but they may get you started:

http://205.214.68.83/vbulletin/showt...ght=teenage%2A

http://205.214.68.83/vbulletin/showt...ght=teenage%2A

http://205.214.68.83/vbulletin/showt...ght=teenage%2A

Good luck! It sounds like quite a project.

Laura

[Losin it]

I have Gilad's Quick Fit series. The cardios are very basic and have some punch & kick moves. My 11 yr old son saw me doing them and joined in last month. Since Gilad is male and buff, the guys won't think it's dancy, girl stuff as my DS calls my Christi.

[grungie77]

Minna Lessig's Fat Eliminator alternates really basic cardio and strength moves--and you don't need weights or a step.

[Nancy SV]

Thanks for your suggestions. I thought about Gilad - do you think high school kids would like him?? Or are his moves basic enough that I could lead the class??

I would also like to do strength with them, but only have a few sets of dumbells and the class will be 22 or 23 kids. Minna's Fat Eliminator might work since it doesn't use weights. Any others???

I have a feeling that Collage will be getting a fair amount of money from me in the near future.....

[Loretta S.]

I think Gilad's stuff would be easy to follow.

Kathy Smith's Peak Fat Burning has simple choreo, uses no equipment and shows three different levels of modification.

Maybe something like Mindy Mylrea's cardio tapes, intervals with sports moves.

Crunch: Boot Camp might be good, even though it uses dumbells for some of the exercises, it also has a lot of pushups and thing that you don't need weight for.

Charlene Prickett's No Equipment Needed (need I say more).

Kathy Smith's Kickboxing Workout or Aerobox. Or maybe Tae Bo or some of the other kickboxing tapes, since they all require no equipment.

Crunch: Joy of Yoga is a nice accessible tape that I think teenagers might like (not that I know what teenagers like!)

[Pam61]

Maybe some of these videos would work?

Kathy Smith's Aerobox with Michael Olajadia

Gilad's Quick Fit Cardio Strike (has jabs and kicks) Gilad's very personable!

Gay Gasper's Fat Burning for Dummies (very basic, fun Hi-Lo.)

Mindy Mylrea's Jump This (has jump-roping drills.)

Leslie Sansone's original WATP's (some of the kids may need this!) No fancy steps. Don't have to use weights.

Christi Taylor's Solid Gold Cardio or Step. You may have this already, but the kids might enjoy the funky cool-down with her son's song!) It's very brief, and you'd have to use this to end your class with. Also, you can use the choreography 101 on the step tape, to teach them basic step patterns. They could practice on the floor.

Althea has more "funk" aerobics. They might enjoy that, too! (I haven't actually tried her yet, though.)


Hope that helps!
Pam