Last Day :(

Our last day was a lot of fun! My group was gym group and we played hard! We started out with parachute games, which you can rarely go wrong with parachute games, they were a hit! There were a good number of kids willing to play our parachute games and once that got old we played tag, and that's a crowd favorite amongst the younger kids. The kids were laughing and working hard, water breaks were necessary! Overall, I couldn't have asked for a better day to end on. The kids were enthusiastic and envolved with us and our games and ultimately getting kids to participat on their own free will was a goal and we achieved it on this day!

Lab 6

Gym Group

This week my group was the gym group. The skill we had to show case was kicking. My game was guard the Castle which is a game where one teams job is to kick all the cones down by kicking balls at them, while the other team defends it. I ran into a problem I didn't see coming. The balls that we had out for the kids to kick were to hard and the kickers were kicking them to fast and it could have hurt someone. So I found softer balls to replace and the game went on!

Lab 5

Make up Lab

I missed a lab due to sickness so I went to a Wednesday lab instead. There were fewer people there to help which meant more kids to less helpers. I enjoyed my time there. The group I followed got to go outside with the kids and that was nice. We played tag with them and I talked with a few of them about random kid stuff. It did not feel like real lab to me because I didn't have a set job to do, which was fine. I liked just being able to do my own thing and float around with the kids. It was a good experience.

Lab 3

Special Projects Group

For lab 4 my group was special projects. Our group was responsible for the bulletin board, a song, a cheer and the closing game. Out of those I did the closing game. The game I picked was an alternative version to the typical Rock, Paper, Scissors shoot. This version incorporates a larger crowd and there is running and tagging involved. One of the problems I ran into was the age of the kids playing my game. I wasn't prepared for the group of kids being pre-k or kindergarten. This is a harder concept for littler kids to understand, process and then react to. It provided a good learning experience and it was rewarding to have the kids listen and participate in my game.  One major tip I learned is to always have a last minute backup plan in case you have to abandon ship on your plan A.

Lab 4

Debate

The debate was a success. I thought all three groups had valid points. I thought the verdict of life time activities and basic skills sharing space in a physical education curriculum was a perfect verdict. Not that stick sports doesn't have a place in phys. ed., because I believe it definitely does, but the majority of people are going to benefit from learning long term activities they can do on their own, forever. Once you are older it is hard to get the number of people you need to go out and play lacrosse, hockey, etc.. If participating in these sports has been your workout or exercise growing up you might find it harder to stay in shape when you are older and have to find a different way of exercise. Overall it provided a good experience of what we might face at some point down the road.

 

Dodgeball, Yes or No?

The games we play with the students at Saint Mary's are more geared towards games incorporate everyone and including basic motor skills that they should be practicing. The games that are in the Hall Of Shame Games are good for the athletes but maybe not so much for kids who aren't as skilled in this area. I think that mostly all games can be tweeked and changed into games that are better suited for all students. A real P.E. teacher should have the imagination and creativity to alter the games that all the kids love into games that are good for students all around. Dodgeball is a great example of this. There are many different variations of dodgeball one being trench-ball which allows the kids who do get out to still be able to participate and even get back into the main action of the game. Trench-ball works on the basic skills dodgeball would such as throwing, catching, dodging, jumping, and running while also putting more opportunity for the kids to be more strategic because now they have  the trench to think about, also. Wrapping this all up, kids love dodgeball because it's just fun and altering it so it is acceptable to play will make kids more interested in P.E.. If we completely take away games that kids love then we will destroy physical education because we bored then to hate it. 

Valentines Day

This was the second time we went to Saint Mary's this semester. It was slightly easier this time around because I had a clearer picture in my head of what was expected of me. My group was in the cafeteria, however, it was such a nice day that the kids got to go outside. The kids mostly wanted to play tag and out of that group it was mostly boys. There was one girl sitting on a bench by herself and I went up to ask her if she wanted to play and she said no to the few suggestions I made.  She did not like the game concentration. Overall it was less overwhelming and I am hopeful that it will get better as the weeks progress

Lab 2

Virtus Reaction

This was a very informational session about child abuse. It was disturbing to hear the convicted men talk about what they had done and act like it was nothing. It's  eye opening that there really are people like that out there and, as educators, we need to be aware of the signs of abuse so we can step in and hopefully be able to save children from damaging abuse. Also, it was helpful to learn things not to do around kids to protect yourself from  harms way.

First Day at St. Mary's

The first day was extremely overwhelming. There was so much going on it was hard to know exactly what to do or where to interject myself. It was never my plan to teach young kids and this only made me agree with that decision even more. Kids are great, but kids in large quantities are chaotic and stressful. I am hopeful that it will get easier and I won't be so overwhelmed next time.
Lab 1

Affective Growth

Affective growth is learning that increasing the ability of children to act, interact, and react effectively with other people as well as with themselves (Developmental Physical Education For All Children. pg, 20). This basically means the surroundings for a child are very important to how they develop, on a social level and an emotional level. Physical activity can impact affective growth by creating a social environment, building confidence in children and giving them an understanding of themselves and their abilities.

"Learning Through the Physical"

Learning through the physical means to me exactly what it says. It is teaching life skills through physical activity. It's not just teaching the skills of the game or activity but actually interjecting life lessons such as teamwork, paying attention and following directions, respect for yourself and others, etc..

First Class

Our first class was packed with a good deal of information about what is expected of us this semester. I am not big on the whole blogging scene. I think it's irrelevant to becoming a Physical Education teacher. I am excited for a future in teaching PE/coaching and inspiring the youth like my PE teacher inspired me.

First Blog

My first reaction to blogging is I am not a big fan. It seems irrelevant to the class and to being a Physical Education teacher. Over the break I worked at Greek Peak with the goal of making the experience more fun for everyone. Helping to keep a positive and encouraging atmosphere for the new skiers/boarders because it can be frustrating learning. Also keeping a fun environment for the already skilled riders. Helping them out whenever possible.