This week I was very nervous to come to class and participate in gymnastics. I am not that flexible and cannot do cartwheels. When I think about gymnastics, I am thinking about swinging on ropes and jumping up high, spinning, and twirling. When I was in grade 1 and 2 we went on field trips to do gymnastics and I loved it, but somewhere in between I lost my abilities to participate in gymnastics. This happened because none of my teachers incorporated gymnastics into our physical educational experience. It is unfortunate this happened because now it is so hard for me to love and enjoy gymnastics. Nonetheless, I am so glad we had a class based on gymnastics because a lot of my fears disappeared.

I never thought log rolls, shoulder rolls, modified cartwheels, etc. was apart of the gymnastic experience. Throughout this lesson, I found myself smiling, laughing, and really having a great time! The worksheet we received outlines the differences between professional gymnastics and educational gymnastics. I think I have only viewed gymnastics in the professional way, whereas educational gymnastics meets the needs of all students. I also appreciated how some activities were “challenge by choice” because this did not pressure me into doing a movement that made me feel uncomfortable. Now I have a new perspective of how I will introduce gymnastics to the classroom to a variety range level of skill levels the students may possess.

This image displays my positive emotions: happiness, joy, and adventure seeking.

Today’s P.E. class offered us with an alternate approach (outdoor education) to teach/learn P.E. rather than the traditional style inside of a gym that is enclosed by four walls. I enjoyed going outside and getting fresh air because this helps with our cognitive development, which is very crucial for younger students. I believe students should be exposed to the outdoor environment, so they understand the appropriateness of it and behave in a good manner. A valuable lesson that I learnt today is regarding safety while being outdoors, especially with a large group of children. I liked how as a class we established boundaries and discussed what a lost child should do. These types of lessons are not taught explicitly in our textbooks, but we as teachers should be made aware and be prepared for anything.

The game that we played today, predator and prey, is not only fun but also a great tool for teaching students subjects like science and understanding Darwin’s Theory – survival of the fittest. Participating in this game engages students in making quick critical-thinking decisions of how to beat their opponent. Students have to strategize and adapt to their environment. Every student has a unique skill that he or she can use this to their advantage; likewise every animal has tricks to survive and avoid their predators.

Great job to the group who lead our class and made outdoor education exciting!

Hi, I would like to begin by stating what a wonderful job our teacher candidate peers did today. I had a lot of fun!

Today’s lesson really opened my eyes to what my P.E. teachers have been lacking on throughout my years as a student, not only in elementary, but high school as well and that is assessment strategies. I always went to P.E. thinking if I am the fastest runner or perform greatly in a game or sport I would receive a high mark. However, that was not the case because sometimes I would get a B+ and I would question my teachers why I did not get an A. They would never give me an appropriate answer and I stopped caring because I thought this is not an “academic” course so this won’t reflect poorly on me. Unfortunately, I was not aware of their evaluating scheme. Their assessments never informed me along the way as to how I was performing, so I assumed I was doing well. It has now come to my attention that my teachers used a summative evaluation style. As we discussed in class today, this style of assessing is not nearly as effective as giving students feedback throughout the weeks or even bi-weekly. As a teacher candidate I am very happy to have these great resources to refer to, so I can make sure all students perform to their greatest potential. The assessment and evaluation strategies is my biggest take-away from today’s lesson.