This week was dual and individual activities in P.E. taught by Devon, Michelle, Megan and Jen. When everyone was out at the track, and the group told us we were going to be sprinting, the whole class groaned simultaneously. Everyone seemed to have a negative view on running and sprinting before entering the class, and by the end of the class I know I had changed my views. I felt that through this lesson, I felt more able and comfortable with teaching sprinting and running. Their instant activity was engaging and not only was a warm up physically but also brain activation, connecting the brain and the body. I have played this before with other animals, and can be changed to animals or topics which the class could be studying to make it more cross-curricular. Another great thing about this lesson was that it was very inclusive. All students were included at all times. When we were doing the activity on the track, we were either working on marching in proper form in a walking speed, or we were sprinting towards the next group working on your form at a quicker pace. This was also set up in a way that the whole class was working together rather than on teams. There were no winners or losers. Although there were no winners and losers, we were able to work on our own to improve on our own sprinting abilities.
Great lesson group!
I was one of the people that Alana mentioned who groaned about sprinting. I did not like running and disliked having to go outdoors for PE class. But same with Alana, my view of the subject changed after Devon, Michelle, Megan and Jen lead the PE class. Now I feel a lot more comfortable teaching running and sprinting. I agree that the instant activity was a great way of engaging students both physically and mentally. I also like how they created activities for cross-curricular possibilities. We were able to think about spatial awareness while moving and practice counting and communication when we stopped. Although it took me a while to understand the animal game, after I understood the instructions, I liked how they scaffolded from walking, marching, skipping, running and then sprinting! Similar to Alana, I liked the inclusiveness of all the activities they lead. Another connection with Alana’s reflection is that I also really appreciate how there was no winners or losers while practicing our running skills. Overall, I experienced my first enjoyable PE lesson involving outdoor running!