Growing up I never really enjoyed PE, I had more negative experiences then I did positive. The only positive part of my experiences from PE was when it was time to leave. I wasn’t a very athletic child, this made it very difficult for me to be a valuable part of the class. Many of my PE teachers would make captains, and since I wasn’t very good at any sport, I was usually picked near the end. This brought my self-esteem down and those experiences still affect me to this day. Instead of having fun while i play sports, I am more self-conscious, I still have a fear that if I don’t play my hardest I will be last pick again.
I think that the most important thing we need to teach in PE is to stay active. Regardless of the child’s skill level we have a responsibility teach that individual to take care of their body. My concern is that I might be too soft on them and let them do whatever they please. I don’t want to force a child to do something and if they fail I don’t want them to feel like they are not good enough.
Sharing stories, and reflecting on our own experiences is valuable because it will help us develop a personal identity. This identity is important if we want to become an effective teacher. They can also aid us when we are trying to relate to our students. For example, because I know the feeling of being picked last, I will never allow my students to pick their own teams. This way I can focus on always uplifting my students. Finally, I am very excited to be in this class, and I hope that I receive plenty of constructive feedback so that I can be a great PE teacher.
On a side note, this was my first course in my post secondary career where I was expected to be active. It was quite a shock for me to experience that. It made me think that courses similar to these should be offered more and required for college student to take every year. According to “HealthLine.com,” 44 percent of college students in the United States suffer with depression, and 19 percent of young people either contemplate or commit suicide. Fortunately, researchers have proved that exercising and being active can decrease depression. One reason for why this happen is because, when an individual is regularly active, their brain releases neurotransmitters, endorphins and endocannabinoids. These are called the “feel-good” chemicals. One of their less scientific purposes is to make the person happy. In conclusion, I believe that requiring students to enroll in courses similar to this will help reduce the percentage of depression in universities all across the world significantly.
Bobby,
Thanks for sharing your experience of P.E. Class, it has helped me reflect on my own experiences. I was opposite and loved P.E. because I was athletic and saw it as a time for me to shine. It is valuable to hear your experience in contrast to mine as it serves as a reminder to me that there are children that are going to have mixed feelings about P.E. and to be conscious of the types of activities I choose to run and how I choose to run them. Reflecting back to when I coached field hockey, I would always call out, “pick a partner!” or “divide into teams of…” when I needed to make groups/teams. I never considered that what I thought was a good time-saving way to make groups without me sorting them individually, could actually be causing someone anxiety as they worried about not being picked by their peers. One idea that has resulted from this reflection is that I should find inclusive ways of dividing kids for games. For example, I could say, “find someone you’ve never been with” or “find someone who loves pizza!” This way the kids will focus on commonalities and not who is the most athletic vs. who is not.
I also agree with focusing more on staying active instead of looking just at skill level, and that physical education should be continued into post-secondary. Especially considering that it is not only beneficial for physical wellness but also mental health.
Thank you Bobby for openly sharing about your experiences. I was a very timid kid so I also had bad experiences in P.E class. As you mentioned, I think it’s important to create a safe environment where children of different skill levels can exercise and learn skills such as teamwork.
I also agree that a lot of college students aren’t physically active and it really is a pity because exercise is great for de-stressing. As we become teachers, hopefully we can teach our kids to love physical activity so they can continue exercising even when life is busy and demanding.