Tuesday was our first group teach session about target games. The group teach along with the Hall of Shame article led me to reflect on the considerations physical education teachers make when creating conditions for student learning. After reading the Hall of Shame article, it made me realize how damaging a particular physical activity may be to a child’s development. Games such as Red Rover are based around humiliation and isolation of the weaker students in class. They are not meant to celebrate good sportsmanship, team work, physical development or increase the level of physical activity in a child’s life. Physical Education teachers have a responsibility to instill passion in children in order to continue physical activity in the future. They need to create safe but also challenging conditions for student learning which is related to the high support high challenge environment tailoring to each specific child.
Participating in Group 1’s activity was a great example of a fun, safe, inviting and active environment to learn about physical education. I enjoyed how they set different levels of difficulty in order for teams to determine what level they are comfortable with. It was an excellent way to avoid isolating the students that may struggle with the concepts of an underthrow and hand/eye coordination. By splitting up the class into small groups we were free of the pressures to perform for the group which truly made me feel more comfortable actively participating. I started out throwing at the closer pylon but after a few trial throws, I felt ready to challenge myself from the second and third pylon points. Since starting this program, I have been struggling with the habit of overthinking our assignments. Thus, participating in Group 1’s lesson helped me grasp the idea that if you keep it simple and stick to one theme, then the teachings will be more effective. Looking forward to seeing what Group 2 has in store for us next week!
Great response, Steph! I agree with you about the Hall of Shame activities, and how it is important to critically think about the impact of these games on children and their development, as well as their overall outlook on PE. I hadn’t given much thought to how humiliating these games can be, but reflecting on my own experience led me to recall some unpleasant memories.
Like you said, I also think that Group 1s lesson was a great example of an approachable environment that created a positive experience. It was really great that the pressure was reduced by putting us in smaller groups, yet we were still able to stay engaged and challenged by variations to the activity (different distances, double the points if you hit the floor mat, etc.). I can relate to your comment about overthinking things in this program. It was so nice to play a game outside, and give us a break from our studies, which perfectly exemplifies the importance of physical activity in our lives! I am also looking forward to Group 2s lesson tomorrow!
I agree with your post Steph! It was definitely nice that we were split off into pairs, which allowed one-on-one time practicing our underhand throws with the bean bags. The group did a great job of making their game more challenging and easier as well. The Hall of Shame articles were interesting and I agree with you that Red Rover, among other games are not great due to the exclusivity that can be created. This week was our first in the schools and I was shocked to see that one of the classes I was visiting was playing dodgeball! I guess I just figured that because it was in the Hall of Shame article, that schools wouldn’t be playing it anymore. I’ll be sure to implement games that encourage students to have fun and be inclusive during my practicum and my career as a teacher.