Jenny Cho – Week 2  The Physical and Health Educator

I learned a lot about shaming in games today. It is amazing how things are changing to improve the holistic view of students in P.E.. Even though this is a physical education class, it made me reflect on my opinion and teaching. When I heard dodge ball was a type of shaming game, I was baffled. How could such a fun game be a negative? It definitely can be. I now can see how we are singling out individuals and using their body as targets. Our first group did a great job in alternating dodge ball into a safe and yet, a competitive game!

Also, after we played dodge ball, I realized how this game can also be negative towards the thrower. When I got hit on the head, I laughed it off and thought it was funny as I know it is not intentional. However, I didn’t realize how it can negatively impact on the person who threw it at me. The moment he/she came over to apologize, I knew he/she felt guilty for hitting me. (Please do not feel bad!) This is when I truly understood the different kind of shame we can apply when we play targeting games on each other.  There are certain aspects that might seem harmless but we really have to ask ourselves whether or not it is beneficial for the students in a holistic view. 

What an experience today, I cannot wait for next week!

One thought on “Jenny Cho – Week 2  The Physical and Health Educator”

  1. I totally agree with you Jenny!
    When thinking and reading about shaming games, I didn’t imagine at al that dodgeball would be considered one, as it was a game that I played all the time growing up.
    The more I thought about it, the more it made sense though.

    When we played dodgeball with our first group teaching group, I was surprised we played it, but it really demonstrated the shaming aspect of the game. After modifying it, I actually found it to be more fun, as it was more inclusive. I also observed there was more willingness from all participants to throw the ball as we were no longer aiming at people, but object targets instead.

    I was also surprised to find in the readings at how many other childhood games I played are considered shaming games. But the good thing to see is that there are solutions and alternatives to these games and through these, hopefully we can implement a new holistic approach to physical education!

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