I thoroughly enjoyed week 2 of PE. Group 1 lead us in an interesting and engaging lesson in target sports, and I was so impressed by their enthusiasm and content, especially for being the first group out. Way to go guys! The side by side comparison of regular dodgeball and their modified version was instructive as to how certain games need not be exclusive as long as they are thought through and adjusted with care. By having the opportunity to participate in both games, it was easy to see the differences between the two and connect it to the points in the readings.
This lesson lead me to reflect on my own experiences, and the prevalence of human targeted sports, duck duck goose, and having to perform alone in front of my classmates (and failing miserably). I always enjoyed gym, but I was never an athletic kid, and didn’t feel like I was able fully master any of our activities. Reading specifically about the ways in which many PE activities are by nature exclusive and targeting, I was surprised to realize that it wasn’t just my lack of ability that was problematic, but the nature of the lessons themselves. Our class discussion about PE and physical literacy as a holistic approach, including overall health and nutrition as a lifestyle, really resonated with me for the same reason. I was initially nervous to take a PE course after so many years, not to mention teaching one, and it was so refreshing to see how the curriculum and objectives have changed to look at the whole child regardless of their initial athletic inclination. I’m excited to see what the rest of the course brings!
Great post Becca! I agree that Group 1 did a great job with the side by side comparison of regular dodgeball. I remember playing dodgeball as a kid and I don’t believe it should be taught at school at all anymore. It’s a very shaming game since the least athletic players often tend to be out first and may become very subconscious about their athletic abilities. Also, the nature of dodgeball itself seems to encourage physical aggression. As one member of my reading group mentioned, the more competitive, stronger players tend to throw the ball at the physically weaker children as hard as they can in order to win the game.
I was never an athletic child either and going to the gym always felt made me feel pretty nervous especially in the older grades where social comparison becomes more and more apparent. I have mixed feelings about Williams articles on shaming games. I agree that certain activities such as playing traditional dodgeball and choosing teammates one by one can leave children feeling very vulnerable and I think it’s great gym teachers are becoming more aware of the psychological aspects of Physical Education. However, certain games such as Simon Says were personally not very shaming for me. From my experience, hardly any child ever got out and it seemed like a great brain break from my academic classes. Perhaps the games you choose to play or not play can depend on different factors such as the age group or group dynamics of the class you’re teaching.