As the bell rings Derek Doederlein’s grade seven students trickle into class. Empowering posters, equipment and fitness stations at every desk. This classroom sends students a clear message: in here moving matters in learning!

Every student has their story and an inspired educator can read it on their face; their strengths, struggles and dreams. Derek’s philosophy: if they can come to school and experience even one little victory that day, it can make a difference.

Students walk to their desks but before they sit down, they move!

Derek cues the music and students mimick the proper movement patterns on the Functional Fitness Charts with their ‘fitness buddy,’ self and peer-correcting. When the music stops they rotate stations. Even those who “dislike PE” are being active.

Derek presented Fitness Buddies to his colleagues at a lunch n’ learn in an effort to take physical literacy beyond the four walls of the gymnasium and reach more students. Once his students mastered the movement patterns, they got to be the teachers in Mrs. Hill's grade one class.

“The goal is not just to affect one classroom of students but to go school-wide,” Derek said. “You can weave physical education into other subjects in an effective way to challenge students and give them the physical activity they need on a daily basis.”