This was an awesome week! I loved the flash mob, and that surprised me more than anything else so far in this program!
I have a very mixed bag of memories of PE from school. I was a very anxious child, so not many of my school memories are of relaxed, enjoyable, or exciting times. However, as I learned games and skills I came to enjoy PE. I liked running, basketball, and soccer. I did have some very bad memories from high school PE dance classes. Dance was the one thing that I was NOT looking forward to teaching.
The Dancepl3y instructor did an amazing job of making it safe for me to dance in public. Her rules – Be positive, Be fun, Be yourself – and especially the way she explained them, created in me an openness to join in wholeheartedly. I can now picture myself teaching dance and enjoying it. Just as importantly, I can picture myself teaching dance in a way that is fun for all the students in my class.
I am grateful to have experienced, both physically and mentally, a really good dance experience.
Hi Cheryl! Thanks for sharing.
I too, had a mixed bag of memories in PE class during elementary and following into high school, so I definitely relate to how you are feeling. To me, teaching PE seemed like such a daunting task when we started the program! However, I am also very glad that we got to experience the flash mob with Melanie. She was such a fantastic model as to how we can make PE class a fun and enjoyable experience for all skill levels. Her attitude to being yourself, positive, and fun, as you so well put it, created “an openness to join in wholeheartedly,” and I’m sure if it weren’t for her contagious enthusiasm, our response may have been completely different. I think that the experience is something most of us will remember and take into consideration as we go on to teaching various grades and subjects!
Lastly, I am so glad you had a great dance experience, and I think you would make an awesome dance teacher!