ORONO – A 20-year partnership between the University of Maine and Old Town Elementary School has given hundreds of aspiring physical education teachers the skills and insight needed to motivate, instruct and evaluate the progress of young students in a busy school environment.

Through the leadership of three key players, the venture is a model of strategically planned teaching and learning that is highly anticipated by everyone involved.

The partnership was formed in 1986 by Glenn Reif, UM associate professor of kinesiology and physical education; Michael Thurston, now in his 32nd year of teaching physical education at Old Town; and Chris Avila, who is completing a 35-year career in education, including 30 as a principal. They continue to support the school-based program now serving a third generation of students.

Over the years, the UM students have taught, and learned from, children in kindergarten to grade three, of varying skill and behavioral levels, in classes taking place in old and new facilities.

The program centers on Reif’s UM course, Physical Education In The Elementary School, one of the classes required of physical education majors prior to student teaching. Twice a week during the spring and fall semesters, UM students head for Old Town’s new elementary school to work with small groups of students.

They come prepared with standards-based lesson plans aligned with the Maine Learning Results, and a variety of activities and assessments. But it’s the reality of working with young children under the experienced direction of Thurston and Reif that makes the difference, students point out in their evaluation of the course.

“While classroom observation and peer teaching are important, there’s no substitute for being responsible for managing and teaching seven to eight kindergarten kids in a real school setting,” said Thurston.

The elementary pupils just can’t wait to get to gym class on the days their “college teachers” are scheduled, according to Thurston.

Likewise, the UM students eagerly anticipate “game day” with the Old Town youngsters. It’s that two-way enthusiasm, Thurston said, that causes a number of UM students who begin the semester intent on teaching at the secondary level to change their minds and become elementary school physical education teachers.

It was enthusiasm for the research behind Reif’s doctoral degree, earned at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, that spurred the Old Town partnership. Basically, teachers learn how to teach effectively by trial and error in real schools, Reif said. The partnership provides the environment, common goals and support structure for trying and analyzing different strategies and giving and receiving feedback.

“Our students learn so much,” said Reif, who estimates that more than 500 physical education majors have participated over the past two decades. For example, the future teachers get to see the developmental sequence as a child progresses from dropping and catching a ball with both hands while standing still, to dribbling with either hand while moving in different directions.

But what happens to a carefully planned lesson when a first-grader needs a drink in the middle of class, falls down and begins to cry or just balks? Only a real school setting can provide the opportunity to see the broad range of skill and behavioral levels in young children, allow the teacher to make adjustments quickly to control the group dynamics while keeping everyone individually engaged.

“That’s when students really see how important planning is,” Reif said.

Avila, Thurston and Reif agree that the partnership has been a win-win situation for UM and Old Town students.

“The contact with university students and extra activities in a group setting have been extremely beneficial to our students,” said Avila. “It also provides a lab experience, new challenges and professional development opportunities for the UMaine students.”

Avila is especially pleased that a number of the UM students seek to do their student teaching with Thurston.

“Then we get to see them continue to grow professionally,” the principal said. Both Avila and Thurston are UM alumni.

Watching children’s growth and change of roles from kindergartners to college students, to parents and grandparents and other positions of responsibility is a major reward of spending their careers in the same community, Avila and Thurston said.

The three educators credit one another with the program’s success and an environment where everyone feels welcome. They agree that the essential connection is the continued desire to improve the educational experiences of both elementary school pupils and their future teachers.

“It’s definitely been a highlight of my teaching career,” said Reif.