Am I sweating? My thoughts are unclear as I walk into the gym. I cannot fathom whether it’s from walking all the way from Scarfe building, or whether the word ‘P.E.’ and the associations with it, make me shiver and feel angsty. I am not one to be proud of my failing memory, but if I recall, there seems to be an invisible target on me that invites flying objects my way. And to add the cherry on top, my face seems to be the sweet spot. Also, I admit I have observed and experienced inclusion and exclusion before, so the inkling feeling of P.E. being fun does not come to mind.
As I walk into the gym, a basketball flies towards me. The angst comes back. I lift my arm to shield my face from the impact. Scared, I wait. Yet, I feel nothing! I look up, and notice the ball lands three feet away from me. With a sigh of relief, it is safe to say I can restart my P.E. experience on a good note. We start the day with free play by choosing props that I have not seen for ages, such as the parachute, skipping ropes, and tennis balls; we also play a game of Mission Impossible and Chuck the Chicken – both highly entertaining.
By the end of the day, I feel a sense of relief and joy. The activities we played, reminds me of how fun P.E. was and still is! It just proves to show that I need to face my fears (of getting hit by the ball) so I will not miss the good things in life (like having fun in P.E.). However, I look forward to learning about strategies from the curriculum on how to avoid exclusion, and refresh my memory on past activities, and learn some new games.
Elissa, I can totally relate to your feelings about the first PE class! Even though I was a very active/athletic child, my memories of PE class are not always fond, and I have to admit that I was slightly dreading the class. I think part of the trepidation is caused by the fear of being excluded or failing at an activity, while also knowing that participation is mandatory. However, like you, I thoroughly enjoyed the first class! Although I try to be active in my day-to-day life, it’s easy to forget how much fun group activities are – even something silly like “chuck the chicken”. I also think our positive experience in this class highlights the need for an inclusive environment in PE classes, where everyone feels safe. Failure should not be considered embarrassing but rather an opportunity to grow and improve. This is probably harder to impress upon young children as there may be bullies or those who make fun of failure, but obviously as teachers we will need to be aware of this and try to encourage a welcoming, friendly environment as much as possible. I think the main goal as a PE teacher is to inspire every child to have an active lifestyle and to love physical activity. Hopefully we can learn to do this in the coming months!