From Field Days to Ninja Turtle tag to simulated Iditarod dog races, Jennifer Felt (BS ‘72) found creative ways to make movement fun during her 33 years as a physical education teacher in the St. Charles, Illinois, school district.

Felt, who is now retired and living in Florida, spent 18 years of her career teaching at the middle school level and the final 15 years working in elementary schools.

In addition to her work with students, she also served on the Illinois State Board of Education’s Content Standards Committee and was chair of the Illinois Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance’s Blue Ribbon Recognition Program, which recognized excellent physical education and health programs.

“But I guess the best part of my job was just being with the kids—interacting with students and having them love movement and being physically active,” Felt said. “Hopefully, that will carry over into a lifetime of fitness for them.”

Katie Bullock (BA ‘06), who attended elementary school in Saint Charles, remembers Felt as someone who went above and beyond her call.

“She was one of my favorite teachers because she was fair and had high expectations,” Bullock said. “I remember she was creative in making up games that would include everyone’s interests and abilities.”

Felt said that was an important focus for her—to create an atmosphere that was inviting to all students.

The Field Days she organized for her students were an example of Felt promoting movement as fun for everyone.

She set up a special day for each grade level so that activities, such as playing with a parachute, volleyball with beach balls, a water balloon toss, a potato sack race and tug of war, could be developmentally appropriate.

“The emphasis was placed on having fun and being active, not on being competitive,” Felt said. “I tried to use as many cooperative activities as possible.”

Classroom teachers and parent volunteers helped make Field Days possible.

Denise Hobbs, a kindergarten and first grade teacher at Munhall Elementary School, said she appreciated Felt’s collaborative spirit.

“She was always interested and aware of the concepts we were working on in the classroom, often integrating those concepts into P.E. activities to give more reinforcement. For example, if we were working on patterns in math, she could have the children identify patterns in P.E. games and activities,” Hobbs said, adding that Felt also invited classroom teachers into the gym to observe their students in a different setting.

Felt worked with a fourth-grade teacher to incorporate a lesson about Alaska and the Iditarod races into P.E. by using scooters, hula hoops, and jump ropes to create sleds and harnesses.

“During the race, the students had to stop just like in the real race at check points throughout the school. ‘Dogs’ had to eat, rest. Teams would encounter bears and a moose—our principal—on the trail,” Felt said. “It was a fun activity for integrating curriculum.”

Hobbs said Felt was the most innovative physical education teacher she’s ever worked with.

“She developed so many ways and activities for her students to move, develop and learn skills so that little ones could be successful,” she said, remembering that Felt taught small children how to play volleyball using balloons.

“She was always able to break down skills in ways that were developmentally appropriate for young children, and would build the skills necessary for future participation in organized games and sports,” Hobbs said. “She developed a program and lessons for all students, which helped them to develop life-long wellness skills and attitudes. These children will all benefit from that forever.”