
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, April 6, 1990                   TAG: 9004250059
SECTION: FOUNDERS DAY '90                    PAGE: VT8   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

GRAHAM HONORED WITH WINE AWARD

"If imitation is the greatest sign of respect and admiration, then it's obvious from my own teaching how I feel about Dr. Graham," wrote Virginia Tech graduate student Jon Poole in support of his favorite professor for a 1990 W.E. Wine Award for Teaching Excellence.

"I believe there is no greater compliment than saying I want to be like him. And when all is said and done, I want to teach like Dr. Graham."

Through students such as Poole who leave Virginia Tech to pursue careers as teachers, George Graham has been inspiring countless thousands of children in school systems throughout Virginia and around the nation since he joined the College of Education faculty in 1985. Selected as one of three recipients of this year's Wine Awards, Graham is the first professor of physical education ever to win the award.

Graham's enthusiasm and devotion to making physical education a positive experience for all children, and not just the athletically gifted, have inspired a number of elementary schools across the nation to adopt his "skills themes" approach to teaching physical education. Graham has served as a consultant to 37 school districts in 10 states, most recently with the Anchorage City Schools in Alaska.

"He's completely turned everything around," said Carolyn Glenn, a Tech graduate who teaches physical education in junior kindergarten in Chesterfield County. "P.E. used to be so competitive, and if you were good you got an A. If you weren't, you hated it and you got a C. George Graham showed me how to teach all children to develop their skills."

Graham's new approach to teaching physical education extends far beyond his Virginia Tech classroom. His book, "Children Moving," sold more than 13,000 copies last year. It enables any teacher to tap into his talents and learn how to adopt his approach.

And on a recent segment of "CBS This Morning," Graham demonstrated his teaching methods during a five-minute segment taped in the Chesterfield County Schools.

It was a familiar setting for Graham, who leaves the university for awhile each spring to teach elementary physical education in one of three Virginia school districts. He says it helps his "credibility" with the Virginia Tech students he's preparing to become teachers to know he works with children, too.

Graham, who earned his Ph.D. from the University of Oregon, says he's particularly honored by the award, because the nature of his work is so unusual and somewhat out of the university mainstream.

He believes the only way to learn to teach is to actually get out and do it, and all of Graham's classes go out into the schools. He can often be found in sneakers loading up a van with balls and other equipment.

"My work isn't done in a laboratory with test tubes. My labs are gymnasiums filled with moving children," said Graham.

Graham says his colleagues' recognition that what he does is "much more than just playing games" through the Wine Award will hopefully help break down the traditional stereotypes associated with physical education.

by CNB