TPSR In Action
TPSR in Action
The following vignettes highlight the creativity, passion, and diversity found in TPSR programs. These programs have been developed and implemented in different contexts to meet specific community needs. They reflect the values and core practices of TPSR as well as the flexible nature of the model.
As a 13-year veteran of TPSR, I have embraced my lessons learned from Don Hellison and the TPSR Alliance, to always strive and encourage youth to think about physical education “beyond the walls” of the gym. One Stroke at a Time, a program for youth development through aquatics, is designed to promote physical activity through swimming and rowing. What makes this program unique? The integration of TPSR with occupational skills development, rowing, swimming, and injury prevention training (i.e., CPR/First Aid Basic Water Safety/lifeguard training) allows coaches/instructors to help youth apply concepts about responsible choices ‘in, on, and around bodies of water’. Youth are gaining and developing skills that can save their lives while developing real-world occupational skills in the classroom/physical activity setting. Goals of the program are to: 1) promote and develop the basics of rowing, 2) develop water safety, learn to swim, and lifesaving skills to prevent drowning, 3) foster occupational opportunities for youth in marginalized communities; and 4) to equip youth with educational aquatic experiences which promote health, physical activity and personal and social responsibility in other parts of their lives. Grounded in TPSR, youth are encouraged to become active participants in aquatics, while establishing valuable and sustainable friendships as well as professional relationships.
Angela Beale-Tawfeeq, DIA, ARC, Faculty of HPETE, College of Education, Rowan University, Glassboro, New Jersey & Brannon L. Johnson, Founder, CEO, BLJ Community Rowing, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Since 2017, an alternative physical education class grounded in TPSR values is offered to students at a high school in Greensboro, North Carolina. The class is offered every Tuesday and Thursday for 90 minutes during regularly scheduled physical education classes. Students participate in Taekwondo training during the physical activity portion of the program where they are challenged to explore the types of conflicts they encounter in life. The program emphasizes building positive relationships and identifying sources of conflict and harm that impacts individuals and their communities. Each class begins and ends with a circle process where students discuss successes and challenges they are experiencing within and beyond the classroom. The lesson structure was inspired by the TPSR lesson format, which provides students with voices through awareness talks and group meetings. These discussions are guided by program goals (similar to TPSR levels) that students strive to be “champions,” “heroes,” “achievers,” and “peacemakers.” The program emphasizes student voices by taking time to allow every student to be heard in class circles. It is also common for student leaders to facilitate circle conversation on a topic of their choice. Through this program, high school students are given the opportunity to learn how to navigate a new social environment and consider methods for peacefully resolving conflicts that inevitably occur. More importantly, the students often discuss systemic and structural issues that shape their ability to exhibit personal and social responsibility.
Michael A. Hemphill & Yongsun Lee, University of North Carolina at Greensboro
When schools closed due to COVID-19, we thought afterschool programs would be halted for a few weeks. A few weeks turned into months of virtual learning and programs attempting to transition to an online format or ceasing to exist. During this time, K-12 students were experiencing increased levels of stress and were missing out on valuable social experiences. In response, Mission Yoga was initiated. Faculty within the kinesiology and physical education department of Northern Illinois University collaborated with a local middle school in the creation of a virtual afterschool program that catered to middle school girls. The program curriculum centered on mindfulness and the TPSR model while the girls progressed through their yoga skill development. Teacher candidates within the physical education program attended the program as well, interacting with the participants and joining them in sharing their voices as equals. The program met twice per week throughout the semester as virtual education continued. Participants had opportunities to lead warmups and group discussions with guidance from faculty members, and the girls selected the program’s name and logo from options provided by a sports marketing course within the department. All participants consistently stated they had elevated moods and more relaxed states at the end of each day. As one session was wrapping up and everyone had their chance to talk with the group, one participant said, “this has been really tough [virtual learning], I miss seeing my friends, the yoga program is the best thing to happen to me.”
Victoria Shiver, Northern Illinois University
The Blue Dawg Strength Club (BDSC) at Shortridge High School (SHS) in Indianapolis is an after-school TPSR-based strength program in partnership with Butler University. The program utilizes undergraduate students enrolled in an experiential learning course to coach and mentor high school student-athletes by applying TPSR-based values and its daily format. Photos, videos, and written reflections are central to our coaching and mentoring practices and help document growth and learning. Short videos help students use their voices to talk through their movement patterns, which promotes students coaching themselves (TPSR Level 3). To further support self-directed training, at the end of the semester, we have used relational time and reflection time to ask the SHS students, “What do you think you will need from us when we are gone?” Most recently, they suggested a smartphone app would help access training resources to continue coaching themselves when we leave. This idea became a final project for the undergraduates, who spent the final five weeks of the semester designing and creating the app. In addition to other training-related content, the app included photos, videos, and documents collected throughout the semester, giving the SHS students a way to watch themselves and others model movement and model coaching skills (TPSR Level 4). The result of the collaboration between Butler students and SHS student-athletes was an authentic conceptualization and creation of an app that served to leave a small legacy of not only their time together, but also as a useful tool that can be accessed long after the conclusion of the program.
Fritz I. Ettl Rodríguez, Blue Dawg Strength Club. Butler University College of Education and Shortridge High School Partnership. Indianapolis, IN
Proyecto Esfuerzo began 10 years ago and is a value-based program that has two fundamental purposes. The first, is to impact the youth of one of the most disadvantaged communities in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The majority of the people living in the area are Dominican Republic immigrants with economic, academic and social disadvantages. The University of Puerto Rico Physical Education Program has preservice students impacting two schools in the community. The program seeks to model life skills and values to the participants and uses the TPSR model as a framework to achieve its goals. The second purpose is to prepare physical education preservice teachers and community leaders in the TPSR model. Preservice teachers study the TPSR model in a methodology course and are provided with weekly field experiences during the semester. Preservice teachers that have been part of Project Effort have reported that the TPSR model has changed their beliefs regarding physical education. In sum, Project Effort has had a positive influence in the community it has impacted and on the development of future Physical Education teachers.
Anthony Melendez, University of Puerto Rico at Río Piedras
How to turn a dramatic event into an experience of personal and social growth? The rape of a young woman by a group of boys was the call to action to create an after-school sports program to help young people eradicate attitudes of sexist violence in their daily lives, develop personal and social responsibility and become change agents in their community. The “Life on the line” program took place in Callosa d'en Sarrià, Spain. It is a town of 7,000 people with about 800 adolescents. The program attracted more than 100 young people, boys and girls, between 12 and 18 years of age. Prior to the program, many of them were sedentary and did not practice any type of extracurricular sports activity. They attended the program two days per week for 6 months. Three different sports were practiced in each session and all the participants were divided into mixed groups with different ages. They were responsible for setting the rules of the games and resolving conflicts peacefully. The TPSR model was the path that allowed them to experience, see, feel and reflect on their own attitudes in the program and transfer them for the prevention of violence and the development of environments of tolerance, respect and kindness in their family, school and group of friends. This program has become a healthy leisure and wellness alternative for many young people. As a sports educator I believe in TPSR as a very powerful weapon to take advantage of the challenges we face every day with hope and courage and an excellent opportunity to show the best version of young people and society.
Fede Carreres, University of Alicante, Spain
“She Hits Hard” is a TPSR afterschool club utilizing the sport of boxing to teach life skills, with an emphasis on facilitating body empowerment for girls. The program was designed for middle school girls who were uninvolved in school sports/clubs and were experiencing bullying or isolation from their peers. It meets twice per week after school and is led by university students from Northern Illinois University. While the program relies on TPSR goals to create a positive and inclusive environment, it also employs strategies to promote body empowerment. For example, during the group meeting time, the program leaders incorporate a “body image question box,” where youth write anonymous questions about their bodies, female issues, sexuality, gender, or any topic that promotes respectful exploration. For this activity, youth read a randomly selected question aloud, and students share experiences they had that related to the topic, along with offering solutions. Another body image strategy integrated with TPSR values is the program’s mantra: “We Are Strong, We Are One.” This was crafted using intentional language to emphasize the body’s functionality rather than physical appearance. The mantra is included on club t-shirts and is also incorporated with boxing moves (e.g., when the instructors calls out, “we are…,” the students respond with “strong!” and jump into their boxing stance; when the instructor repeats “we are…” the students respond with “one!” and perform the “1” (jab) punch). Ultimately, this TPSR program demonstrates how the model can be customized for a specific context (e.g., gender-based body empowerment).
Karisa Kuipers, Northern Illinois University
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Project Fitness Leadership Experience (FLEX) is a program that uses the power of sport to teach life skills to incarcerated youth. It runs within two Illinois youth prisons in the Chicagoland area, providing weekly group and individual physical activity time using elements of the TPSR model. The aims of the FLEX program are to a) create a safe space for physical activity enjoyment, b) provide university mentors the chance to teach specific leadership-focused skills to youth, and c) facilitate physical activity enjoyment and life skills learned in the program to transfer to youths’ lives post-release. Many of the youth in Project FLEX come from underserved areas where quality education and access to mentors is limited. In most cases, youth are serving sentences related to gang involvement and have been convicted of severe crimes (e.g., armed robbery, murder). Oftentimes, they have experienced significant trauma in their past including loss of family members due to gun violence, poverty and homelessness, incarceration of caregivers, and physical or mental abuse. For these reasons, the program places a heavy emphasis on training instructors to recognize their own biases around the prison system and immerse themselves in the facility setting in order to appropriately foster high quality and safe relationships with the youth. Because of the TPSR model’s relational focus, Project FLEX prioritizes connections with peers and program instructors as a way to foster self and social responsibility. The connection to level 5 (transfer), also provides meaningful chances for youth to intentionally envision life after prison.
Jenn Jacobs, Northern Illinois University
For the last three years, a TPSR program called the ‘Early Start To Approaching Responsibility – ESTAR’ has been developed at north of Portugal in Viana do Castelo. This program allows preschool children to develop personal and social responsibility through physical education as a part of a social and emotional learning curricula. The strategies used differ from typical TPSR programs that have focused on adolescent youth. For example, children have the possibility to solve conflicts in a ‘peace bench’ whereas they have a visual aid with examples of how an issue might be solved and a compromise attained (e.g., with a hug, shaking hands). Another example is how leaders are urged to care for other children in a motor task (e.g., by helping a child jump and overcome an obstacle), helping them form a line and go from the gym to the classroom, among other important opportunities for their development. The core principle of the program is to create an environment that empowers children and where responsibility is explicitly taught and embedded into their daily routines. This contradicts notion that convey the idea that children are “irresponsible” and “passive participants” of their own learning processes. This program involves masters’ students in the field of preschool education who receive training on Hellison’s philosophy and develop specific strategies to implement TPSR to preschool children. Based on these discussions and experiences, the program has evolved and included tools to engage parents and community in TPSR and assess preschool children’s diverse developmental needs. Such tools have increased our ability to make sure children are constantly challenged to partake in activities that suit their needs, as well as learn skills that enable them to become ready for life in the 21st century – compassionate, caring and tolerant.
Fernando Santos, School of Higher Education of Porto and Viana do Castelo, Portugal
As a disciple of Tom Martinek, I learned the importance of modeling TPSR core values. Whether he was teaching a doctoral class or playing with kids during Project Effort, “Doc” always made everyone feel valued. In my own career, I have begun planting the seed of TSPR by creating hands-on learning opportunities for college students at a local middle school. During my course, college students learn the TPSR model by teaching values-based, physical activity lessons to seventh graders. To start, they are asked to apply TPSR to their daily lives. “I’m currently working part time in a grocery store bakery. It sucks and people are so rude these days. That doesn’t mix well with my short temper. I’m going to work on controlling my temper and being more respectful. That’s goal 1.” Yes, this is a college student’s response! During the program, college students learn to make decisions and resolve conflicts on the spot. As one undergraduate stated, “I didn’t realize how much (TPSR) worked until we put it in play.” Middle school students have a chance to engage in small-sided, structured activities where their voices are heard. “Their faces light up with excitement when they see us”, as one college student mentioned. The college students have a place to build confidence, to improve their communication skills and to grow as leaders. Together, we are challenged to get uncomfortable in our role, become more caring human beings, and build a stronger community. For me, that is the impact of TPSR.
Cody Sanders, Associate Professor, University of Virginia's College at Wise
After teaching years at a wealthy suburban university, I had found myself working in an inner-city New York City High School. This urban school was experiencing escalating acts of violence and bullying, student’s absenteeism, principal suspensions and superintendent suspensions. As the Social and Emotional Lead Instructor in addition to Health and Physical Educator, I found that we needed to make sweeping changes, not only for student safety and
academic success but also for faculty, staff and the administrators. Along with a fellow HPETE teacher, who was trained in TPSR, we carried out a full-on assault to change the culture and climate by implementing TPSR fundamentals into all of our Social and Emotional Learning targets. The levels of TPSR were embedded into the daily advisory curriculum that we were charged to produce and roll out. We focused very heavily on Level 1 as none of our students were ever exposed to TPSR. We intently tried to get students to understand the benefits of respect in every way. The second year we focused on level 3 self-directed behaviors. Along with the remaining TPSR tenets of self-control, leadership, participation and effort, were added to our schools Core Values. As a result, our school has transformed. We are happily experiencing a culture and climate that has been highlighted and emulated by other schools in our network. We have been recognized as a model program, bringing school districts from around the city, country and as far as Asia to come see our program and learn how to transform their own programs.
Jenine DeMarzo, Urban Assembly Media High School, New York.
As an adapted physical education teacher in Illinois, I struggled to incorporate TPSR with students who were non-verbal with intellectual disabilities. Eventually I learn to assist in their reflective process by posing the TPSR levels as yes or no questions: “Were you nice to your friends today?” (Respect), “Did you try your best?” (Effort), “Did you help someone?” (Caring). Setting goals was more difficult. However, if I supported them in creating a goal, they could understand and work on it. I created pictures symbolizing each level on a different colored pocket folder with the question written as a statement: I was nice to friends, I tried my best, or I helped someone. I also had a visual for yes (thumbs up) and for no (thumbs down). I began focusing on one level per class period and expanded to students choosing which level they wanted to work on. Another strategy was having students place a popsicle stick with their name on it in a folder showing which TPSR level they wanted to work on and then reflect on how they did at the end of class by showing a thumbs up or down. My students amazed me! Some would choose the same level or respond “yes” every time, however when most students said “no” they were truly self-reflecting. They really do understand if they met a TPSR Level of responsibility. It became a motivator for students to honestly answer yes. For many years now, by the end of the school year, 80% of students answer honestly and consistently.
Karen Puckett, Cooperative Association for Special Education, Glen Ellyn, Illinois
Growing Young Movers (GYM) Youth Development is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to enhancing the social, emotional and physical well-being of Indigenous youth in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. GYM after-school programming is founded upon the core values of TPSR; putting kids first, human decency, holistic self-development, and a way of being. The program takes place every day with youth convening at the mâmawêyatitân centre. The name mâmawêyatitân is a Cree word for “let’s be all together”. Based on this interpretation, GYM is “relational” and utilizes the TPSR Program Format as a way to engage under-served youth in human movement experiences that serves to foster personal and social responsibility. The GYM team consists of Indigenous students from Scott Collegiate (a local high school) who are employed as mentors and facilitate the program for youth focusing on three key components: physical literacy enhancement, positive play and community building. In addition, pre-service teachers from the Health, Outdoor, Physical Education (HOPE) subject area, Faculty of Education at the University of Regina volunteer as part of the GYM Team. GYM’s intergenerational approach of connecting youth, Indigenous high school mentors, and students from HOPE epitomizes the relational aspects of TPSR while also ensuring a sustainable approach to programming. Through 8 years, former youth in GYM have transitioned into the role of mentor, while graduating mentors have continued to work in recreation through employment with the city of Regina. HOPE pre-service teachers have later been hired as part of the GYM Team. This approach reflects TPSR in action!
Brian Lewis, Growing Young Movers Youth Development Inc. & Nick Forsberg, HOPE, Faculty of Education, University of Regina Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada
“Be a Hero not a Zero” became the signage around the gymnasium and the school hallways at Thomas Harrison Middle School (THMS). The TPSR levels became the common language that helped the students to remember that it was THEIR program now and therefore THEIR responsibility to see that everyone was doing what they could to provide a safe and fun Physical Education environment. With budget cuts, decreased staffing, increased numbers of students and multiple languages being spoken, the gym at THMS wasn’t always a physically or social-emotionally safe place to be, until we started implementing the TPSR model. Hellison’s TPSR levels provide a fast and “easy to understand” framework for students to self-reflect, try hard, be independent, set goals, help others and look for opportunities to be responsible beyond the school walls. Lesson plans now reflect the 5 parts of the Daily Program Format. Making time for quality Relationships, having brief Awareness Talks, providing fun games and activities, encouraging Group Meetings and empowering students for honest Self-Reflection truly makes our TPSR PE program stronger. Organizing large groups of students into smaller, more manageable, like-minded, self-placed groups creates a less teacher-run and more student-led TPSR PE program. Students quickly realized that their unit on TPSR self-assessments became the main source for their final PE grade. The once exclusively physical skill–dominated student gymnasium quickly became an “all-inclusive” regardless of skill, safe and fun place for all students who embrace taking personal and social responsibility. Thank you Don Hellison! Erin Koslow, Andy Thompson, Grant Thompson & Brittany Rapert, Thomas Harrison Middle School Physical Education team, Harrisonburg Virginia
As a PE instructor and head teacher of the 28th Elementary School of Trikala, I found myself baffled and worried about the awkward school climate; constant incidences of unrestrained fights in recess, tense atmosphere, shouting and swearing, inability to resolve conflicts, backtalk, and endless bullying! Students’ misbehavior was reinforced by teachers being inconsistent, putting the blame on parents, and insisting that students defer to grown-ups’ authority. Although the crisis of faith in our school community deepened, it gave prominence to the power of TPSR! Through patience and perseverance, the kids were gradually empowered; the “levels” became comprehensible to them, both in PE practice and daily reality of school life. Marios, a fourth-grader, was rude and offending, occasionally trying to wriggle away from classes. His classmate, Stergios, had long been a social pariah of the school, disdained by other kids due to his sudden bursts of anger. Two challenging students had to coexist and cooperate in the same class. When Marios was assigned administrative duties, followed by a leadership role, his eyes swiveled and looked at me, full of surprise; he proved himself capable of supporting his classmates, showing patience and persistence to demonstrate and explain any skills taught. We also focused on Stergios’ ability to design and construct things. When his classmates asked him to participate in their problem solving assignment, he looked at me with his sparkling eyes and with emerging self-confidence exclaimed: “They need me to solve the problem! Because they know I am good at structuring!”
Achilles Koutelidas, 28th Elementary School of Trikala, Greece
Casual Ballerz is a unique youth development organization based in London, England that utilizes soccer and TPSR practices with 12 to 21 year olds. Life skill levels such as respect, effort, leadership, self-direction and transference are all implemented throughout each session. In addition, we have added ‘Self - Discipline’ and ‘Contribution’. After soccer training, young people gather for a group discussion around a designated life skill topic. Group activities and an ‘open floor’ policy are used to discuss and process each life skill. During reflection time, we challenge them to highlight moments where they successfully implemented the relevant life skill, or when they could have done a better job of using a life skill. Chuma said “I raised my standards by waking up 30 minutes so I can go for a run.” Maddi also added “... I raised my standards by replacing chocolate with fruit and nuts.” Dajhon said, “when I got tired, I stopped doing my homework. I could have increased my effort by taking a break and starting again.” One stated, “I can’t lie, the life skills have actually changed my life.” Hadi, who was a participant in Casual Ballerz, is now a part of the coaching staff as a volunteer. He has been excellent with inspiring and leading other young players. Naser has received a scholarship offer from St Mary’s University in Texas. The use of TPSR at Casual Ballerz has helped young people in London improve their mindset, take responsibility and accountability, and allowed them the opportunity to reach their potential.
Ashley Watson, Founder and Director at Casual Ballerz, England
The country of Malta is an island nation in the central Mediterranean between Sicily and the North African coast. At the Institute for Physical Education and Sport Studies we have recently restructured our PETE training program to include a three year undergrad Bachelor of Science followed by a two year Masters in Teaching and Learning specializing in Physical Education. Following an introduction to TPSR in the undergrad course, Masters students explore in depth the concept of multi-dimensional physical education and how this transfers to lesson planning and delivery. This holistic approach was introduced to better align physical education with the National Curriculum Framework outcomes which celebrates social learning. This is tackled by grounding TPSR in student-teachers’ pedagogies. Through this learning, student-teachers are shifting the traditional focus from the physicality of PE to a more inclusive one which embeds the social aspects more effectively. This is leaving an impact on their pedagogy. Across planning, student-teachers are engaging in rigorous reflection on designing activities which embed TPSR levels and which are multi-dimensional. They are including more empowering activities, offering pupils ‘voice and choice’ opportunities. Student-teachers are changing their ways of communicating and providing feedback to suit the relational aspects of the model. The chosen pedagogies and teaching methods are becoming more aligned to pupil-centered teaching styles. TPSR pedagogy outreach and ‘transfer’ is increasing through student-teachers’ exposure during teaching practicums in schools as well as a generated interest in action-research projects at undergrad and masters level.
Dr. Ivan Riolo, Institute for Physical Education and Sport Studies, University of Malta