In primary school, PE slowly became the class I disliked most. I loved it up until grade 3, since those years were mostly unstructured and non-competitive sport activities. The beginning of the first 320 class was a nostalgic throwback to the “stations” where we freely did whatever we pleased (within reason). As the activities increased in competitiveness and skill, I began realizing that I ranked low in athleticism compared to other students. We could pick our own teams, and I was an undesirable choice, so I quickly came to dread PE. To this day, I still prefer cooperative and non-competitive activities like hiking and yoga over organized sports. Looking at the DailyMail article from our readings, I would be very curious to understand the reasons behind why 39 per cent of children are leaving primary school disliking physical activity. I have fears of teaching PE related to my own abilities in sport, but it is assuring to know that through seeking out the proper resources and education, I can still become a good PE teacher.
I think the emphasis in the redeveloped provincial K-9 curriculum on teaching the relationship between physical, emotional and mental health is fantastic. I don’t remember learning this concept until high school, and by that time many children have already become entrenched in poor habits. I believe teaching this fundamental relationship in the early years constitutes proactive teaching, and so is an important change to the way we teach physical literacy in BC.
I related to what Lisa was saying about her personal experiences with Physical Education in Elementary School. I felt quite embarrassed in many of my P.E. class activities as an elementary school student and probably didn’t understand exactly why at the time. It led me to believe I was less capable than others and that made me less motivated to try. I developed a belief about myself that became part of my identity: “I am bad at PE.” Like Lisa, I found our first class last week to be a positive reminder about how fun and inclusive PE class can be. I am also apprehensive about my ability to be a good PE teacher without necessarily being good at sports, but I’m also hopeful and open to learn. As Lisa mentioned, the new curriculum is a point of hopefulness, as it seems to address many of the issues I have felt concerned about regarding the way PE is taught or was taught to me. I am excited to shift the emphasis away from sport-dominated activity to a more holistic approach, which addresses the full spectrum of the child ‘s needs and abilities. I hope that, as Lisa said, if we provide truly positive experiences of physical activity for children at a young age we can instill a life-long love for activity. The new curriculum seems to aim to do this and I am excited to see it put into practice in our class.