Lab 5 - Thankful For Phys Ed!

In this lab we were to assess the students on their dribbling and kicking skills. As a lab group, we came up with games that incorporated a thanksgiving theme which the students got a kick out of! (Literally). There were a lot more students in this after school group than what we are normally used to (about 40) and on top of that we only had half of the gym to work with due to the fact there was a basketball practice going on in the gym as well. This was a challenge that Professor Yang had warned us about from day 1, and while it may be a challenge to work with limited space, it was not a set back. Situations like these are ones we will be dealing with when we become teachers ourselves, and it is important we get the experience now so that we are prepared to deal with these obstacles that may reoccur when we have a class of our own. The students are going to have energy and want to play no matter what the circumstance is, and it is up to us as physical educators to be prepared with a game and be able to make the necessary changes that will allow the students to get an optimal experience within the boundaries given. In my activity, I personally did not have a large number of students to work with because many of the students were playing other games and having snack time at this point. I also had to change my entire game due to the lack of space that I was given (just 1/4 of the gym). I had the students get a partner and one at a time they would dribble to the cone that was across from them. They would then dribble it back to their partner as fast as they could. While the game was not intended to be a relay race, they took it upon themselves to push themselves and really get a workout going. During the activity I made changes such as having them kick the ball back to their partner instead of dribble, etc. This activity was definitely modified from my original plan but I was still able to assess the students on the necessary skills while keeping them engaged as well. This was a great learning experience for me and I'm glad I had the chance to see how important it is to be prepared for any circumstance. This is proof of how even though you may have a game planned a certain way, it can become a completely different activity based on the space provided and the students participating in and it is important to have a backup plan for any activity! Cant wait for the Christmas lab!

Making Changes-In Activities, In Children!

In the photo above, I was doing the cotton eye Joe with one of the students. Being that she was very young and had a disability it was hard for her to follow all of the steps of this dance. After a few seconds I realized how I needed to modify the dance so that she would be able to participate and keep up with the group. With a few steps and spins later, she was having a blast. I learned that not everything has to go as planned and making the necessary changes that will benefit the students can really make an impact on the overall outcome of the their experience.

Lab 4 at St. Mary's - Halloween !

This week at St. Mary's we kept the energy from Halloween and brought it with us throughout our lessons. My classmates and I all dressed up and the students really got a kick out of it. The entire time they tried to guess what each of our costumes were and it was a way for them to see us as inviting, fun individuals rather than their instructors. Sometimes dressing silly and showing the children that we can have fun and be productive at the same time is the best way to go. There were a lot of great activities played today and its always nice to get ideas and advice from fellow classmates. My game was a success which made me very pleased especially because I came up with the game on my own with some help from my lab TA Justen. The name of my game is "Ghost Hunters" and the object of the game is for the good ghosts (or Caspers) to make it through the "cemetery", capture as many people (bean bags) as they could, and bring them back to their side. The obstacle was within the cemetery, where there were several Ghost Hunters trying to tag the Caspers. If the Caspers got tagged before getting to the other side, they had to return to the starting point. There was a lot of running involved in this game and it tired the children out which is something that I want to see so that I know they are getting their exercise while enjoying themselves. The game ended once all of the "people" were saved from the other side.

Click here for lab 4