Attending the track meet always brought me joy as I got to compete against other schools in relay races and long jump. After finding out that the group was taking us out to the track, I have to admit that I was kind of nervous. I have not taken part in any track and field activities since elementary school. The group did a great job making sure that everyone was able to do the activities they created. We started off with a fun activity, Rooster and Rabbit. It seemed like such a simple game to understand and do, but it was difficult for me, and many other of my peers, to register which way to go. I see track and field as strictly running, but this group demonstrated activities that we can do that did not solely include running. This group also showed how to incorporate track and field into the school curriculum at a younger grade. I think this group did a great job last week, however, I think they could have done a better job with the stretching. I know it is a minor part of their whole lesson, but since we are doing track and field, I think it would have been more appropriate to take our time stretching.

In our small groups, we talked about the varied diversity that our classrooms have. It was interesting to hear from others about the students that have diverse needs in their classroom. We discussed how important the role of inclusion takes in the classroom and gymnasium and how to create a safe environment for all. As for me teaching grades 2/3, I think that it is important create lessons so it is possible for all to take part in. Overall, this group did a great job! They demonstrated that running can be fun and it is easy to incorporate in physical education.

Reflecting back on my elementary school experience, I can always remember thoroughly enjoying track and field season. I was always involved in various relay races, high jump, long jump, as well as softball throw. With that being said, I really enjoyed Devon, Michelle, Megan, and Jen’s team-teach. Learning about the different movements and techniques to running was very beneficial. I will utilize the skills I learned on Friday, to help me teach track and field skills during my long practicum. I also enjoyed the groups instant activity referred to as “Rabbits and Roosters”. The game is inclusive, yet at the same time, allows students to work on individual skills. I thought this was great!

The chapter for this week looked at diversity in a classroom setting. As a future educator this is something to be expected. However, dealing with diversity is another question. In terms of physical education, I think that there can be many ways to keep it inclusive for every student. This could range from participating in the activity, all the way to keeping score. Diversity on a gender scale is a little more confusing for me, and is something I need more resources to understand.

Overall, this week was a fun experience. It was also nice to enjoy a sunny day outdoors!

Diversity within any education system is critical to understand. Diversity is the important structure that encourages people to be different and to love those differences. Within the Physical Education structure diversity is critical due to several reasons: physical disabilities,  socio-economic, gender, and religion. The main theme of diversity within the PE classroom is inclusion. Inclusion is the central notion that will remove negative stereotypes to create a safe place for all students.

Diversity in relation to physical disabilities has a painful history. Throughout the past people with disabilities have been victimized and ostracized from society. This history is the prime example to why it is important to create an inclusive and safe learning environment. Socio-economic diversity is clear within the public school system. Depending on the location of the school there can be students from a drastic different economic standing. This can lead to problems in the PE classroom if the students can not afford the equipment. Equal opportunities for all students is critical. Gender plays a large role within diversity for PE classroom due to the fact of preconceived society expectations for the genders. Females are viewed as weak compared to males, which creates discrimination within the class. Religion creates added diversity within the classroom. Students may abstain from certain activities due to their religious belief and it is important that educators are flexible to these needs.

Inclusion. The most important solution to creating a safe and diverse classroom. All students should feel safe and welcome no matter their diversity. Diversity should be seen as a strength within the classroom culture.

When I heard that we were going to do track and field outside I was a bit worried because it has been very cold lately. However, once we went outside I had so much fun laughing during the warm-up activity. I also liked the rabbit and rooster game. The game trained us to pay attention because many people kept forgetting whether they were a rabbit or a rooster. They also taught us skills on how to run and the proper posture for running. I think my favorite activity would be the marching/sprinting relay. I noticed that a lot of teams were tired of marching and just resorted to walking afterwards. It would’ve been great if they added more explicit instructions. For example, blowing the whistle as a signal for people to alternate from marching and skipping every 2 minutes. I haven’t run in a while and it was fun to just do a short sprint. I also realized that we have lot of great runners in our class.