Movement Journal: Week 1

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.

One thought on “Movement Journal: Week 1”

  1. 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.

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