Today was our first day of EDCP 320. My expectations were completely different from the outcome. I was initially fearful of returning to “P.E.” class, however that soon ceased. When the free play began and all  the basketballs and volleyballs were brought out everyone started having fun and I felt comfortable. The “mission impossible” game was a blast, I have not had the opportunity to be playful in that manner quite possible since primary school. Re-visiting elementary school physical education activities brought back a  lot of memories, I had forgotten about all the fun games we used to play. What I found very interesting in Mr. McGinley’s lecture was the incorporation of health education into the P.E. course. Health education is a subject matter that I could never place into an appropriate topic area, I was almost relieved to hear that it is now part of the PE curriculum. When my generation was at the fragile age where we had questions relating to our physical development and health, we weren’t sure where to turn to for the answers. I was also pleasantly surprized to discover that “hall of shame” activities have been highlighted as inappropriate and unnecessary, finally; The embarrassed and ashamed little girl in my psyche is smiling in appeasement. The experience of the first class activities and lecture have been a form of assurance that this course is no repeat of any high school PE class. I am excited to explore the physical education pedagogies and further develop my own physical education literacy.

It was fascinating to read that many of the games I grew up playing in P.E. now belong to the ‘Physical Education Hall of Shame’, (dodgeball, capture the flag, kickball, etc). In my own experience, there were moments in which I recall actively avoiding participation due to the potentiality of embarrassing myself in front of my classmates, (for instance batting in California Kickball). In order to promote an active lifestyle, physical education should be both fun and students should feel welcome to engage in all activities and to not be excluded. Which, I can say without any doubt my own math teacher achieved.

In our first class, we discussed the important role educators can play in promoting an active lifestyle. From my own personal experience, it was my high school math teacher whom inspired me to pursue the sport of hockey. At the time, I did not have the means to afford the costs attributed to the sport of ice hockey. During after school hours, my math teacher led an after school floor hockey program for students of any skill level. He was by no means obligated to host this program. It was clear to those of us whom participated in the program that he had a strong passion for the sport of hockey and a stronger passion for teaching. He shared with us his own knowledge of the sport and was himself actively engaged in both coaching and playing. He was not a bystander. Whereas,  in my regular slotted P.E.  Class I felt less engaged and willing to participate as the instructor showed favouritism toward students whom were more athletically prominent.

Jeevan’s Week 1 Movement Journal Submission:

So far we have had one PE class, and I already feel like I am learning a lot. I did not know what to expect coming into this course but was excited because PE was one of my favorite subjects throughout elementary and high school. I could relate to some of the material in the ‘Hall of Shame’ readings we were assigned for this week, but some parts really surprised me. I did not consider games like ‘Duck Duck Goose’ and certain types of Tag to necessarily be bad games to play with students, but after reading the articles, I can see why they are not the best first choice. I am lucky that I had mostly positive experiences in PE, but I have witnessed others feeling humiliated because they were chosen last for a particular game or were made fun of by everyone else because they lacked a certain skill required for a given game. I believe that PE should be a place where physical literacy is expressed, learned and taught, and where inclusiveness and fun are also major factors.

Physical Education is fun; at the very least, it was fun until I entered high school. The supportive, fun and compassionate community of elementary PE had morphed into an uncomfortable and rigid environment. I came to dread PE as our daily routine of running laps and playing sports was not something I found enjoyable. My teachers failed to address that many students lacked the compassion necessary to encourage less skilled students to learn and excel. Once in PE I was unable to catch a lacrosse ball and was ignored by my teammates for the remainder of the day. Thankfully outside of high school PE teachers and coaches had helped me develop an understanding the importance of being active. I was happy that the text reinforced the idea that PE should encourage students to be compassionate, thoughtful and supportive in and out of the classroom. If students are successful in doing this we can create a safe environment where learning to love physical activity is central.