Your hands brace against the cold gym floor. Your feet are spaced apart and flat on the ground. Just as a whistle blows, you pull your stomach up towards the sky and scuttle sideways after the soccer ball, trying not to step on the other players’ hands as you brawl for the ball. A vicious battle to win commences, with children scrambling to stay upright as they rush to score a goal. Welcome to crabwalk soccer in P.E. class at New Caney Elementary. We all know whose hand is holding that whistle, poised and ready to launch everyone into play: Dr. Mary Lou Ford.
Those who had the privilege of being taught by Dr. Ford always saw her smiling and happy, but that when she gave directions, you got serious and got down to business. Dr. Ford is a bit of a local institution around town; she always found that the desire to promote health and wellness in her community is what drove her. She was the teacher who fashioned a fun environment that felt safe, and everyone remembered her because she created joy each day.
When Dr. Ford first began working for the district over 39 years ago, there wasn’t even a P.E. curriculum in existence. She created and implemented one herself. So impassioned about physical fitness and healthy living for those around her, she frequently went above and beyond the original job description, which is probably one of the reasons she received Teacher of the Year three times throughout her tenure, and now NCE celebrates her with a Dr. Ford Field Day each year. Obtaining her Master's and then going on to complete a PhD gave her options if needed, but she ultimately chose the students and staff. Before she retired, she was able to touch the lives of multiple people throughout the district as she wore 4 proverbial hats: PE Coordinator for the district, Wellness Coordinator for all the district staff, Fitness Gram Coordinator for the district, and, consistently, a PE teacher every day!
To Dr. Ford, it was more than just PE; she was there quietly observing and striving to understand who each child was inside. If a student was pushing back or having trouble completing tasks, a punishment wasn’t just doled out, she tried to connect with each of her students and figure out what was going on inside as well. She recalls one student who was having trouble getting up off the floor during activities, which is uncommon for a child so young. Her observations ultimately led to his parents discovering he had a physical disability. Because of her proactive stance in the matter, this child was able to receive the help needed.
Some of you probably remember being on the jump rope team in elementary, or perhaps playing Little League basketball? Dr. Ford created and implemented that jump rope team. She also, with the help of Peggy Beyer, created the basketball league for the community children which reduced the overall cost to play. Everyone remembers the colored t-shirts with the black numbers on the back. What team were you on?
"I have always believed in learning by doing and created active learning lessons in my PE classes."