Week 1 September 9th (Fiona Szeto)

An “aha” moment I had during our first class was learning that Dodgeball and various other activities like Capture the Flag are classified in the “Hall of Shame” category. It came of a shock to me initially, but after it was explained in class that it is seen as a form of bullying, I can see how that is the case. As an active participant in PE classes back in elementary and secondary school, I never saw dodgeball from this perspective. In my view before, I just saw it as another fun activity where we had the chance to run around and throw things. However, looking back at it now, the remaining players on either side of the gym are always the individuals who were athletically gifted and the ones who were less gifted are eliminated immediately. Being able to see this issue in wider scope, it does make me wonder why dodgeball and other types of elimination games are allowed to be an activity that exists in school. It does not promote sportsmanship or teamwork in any way, and it literally puts a target on everybody’s back. As future educators, I think one of our challenges will be to derive lesson plans that encompass all the positive aspects of physical education, and that means creating an inclusive and comfortable environment among the students; the level of respect expected inside a classroom should be the same inside a gymnasium. The gym should be seen as an extension of a classroom and should not be a daunting and fearful space for students.

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