The first class of EDUC 320 was a great experience, and has me excited for teaching physical education to my future students. However, reading the PE Hall of Shame articles gave me some particular insight into what to keep in mind when thinking of lessons – games such as dodgeball and capture the flag that I had played as a child, and then proceeded to facilitate for children I worked with as an adult, do not encourage involved, active participation or teamwork, which can leave students feeling frustrated and disengaged from physical activity.
Thinking of my own experiences, I was always more comfortable doing solo activities (ie. hiking), where I could set the pace and goals for myself. However, I used to (and largely still do) avoid team sports (ie. soccer), mostly because of a fear of failing at the activity in front of my peers. I have below average depth perception so some activities such as catching or kicking tended to be challenging for me. However, I often found that I would not be given any accommodation for this and would instead feel judged. I think this mindset is reflective of many learners who may dislike their physical education classes – PE that doesn’t take into account the unique needs of each learner does not set them up for success to be confident and participatory. The purpose of PE should be to give kids opportunities to explore different physical literacies and learn how to keep themselves healthy, not to discourage physical activity.
Glad to hear that someone was excited as me for this class. I was very intrigued by the P.E. hall of shame as well because these were all games I loved to play as a child. However, now looking at it from a teacher’s standpoint I can see how these games are not the best at fostering cooperation because active participation seem to be very dependent on skill level for these games. I also think these games are in the hall of shame because they are considered the ‘too lazy to think of another activity’ games.
Speaking of hiking, I too enjoying going on hikes as well! It’s very interesting to see you mention it as a solo activity because whenever I go on hikes I usually go as a group. I agree that it is extremely important to set your own pace in hiking. I also find it important to have a shared experience with friends while hiking because I feel that it gets me more engaged and I also learn a lot about the person. =)
I didn’t know what to expect on the first day of class, but I agree that it turned out to be a great class! I felt that having ‘free play’ at the very beginning really set the tone for the course. With the PE Hall of Shame, I was one of the kids who never enjoyed playing dodge ball but would probably have had no problem facilitating that game with my own class prior to reading those articles! However, now that I’ve read the article and have had a chance to plan my own PE lesson, there will definitely be a lot more thought put into the planning process if I ever get the opportunity to teach a PE lesson.
I also agree wholeheartedly that while team sports provide a certain type of learning environment, there should be opportunities to explore other physical activities (hiking, biking, swimming, etc.) so that everyone feels included and has a chance to discover more about themselves and what they can connect with and feel comfortable doing in the long run.