Week 9

This week has been chaotic with ISAT testing. From a physical education standpoint physical education has defiantly been used as a time to let loose and let all the energy out. Since students have been tested from the morning hours till ten-thirty, plus general classes, students have really been hard to control in a structured environment.

Since the weather has been feeling much like spring, I thought it would be great for the students to run a little wild out side for a bit before regular P.E class started. At my placement, I have only had three classes for physical education throughout the entire week. Those three classes are one the early grades (first through third). I had the students play a modified soccer game. This game was a great opportunity for students to work together as a team and accomplish the same goal together. I really appreciate physical education, because it is one of the subject areas that require students to work as a team and appreciate the skills that others can bring to the table. Though it is not the only subject that encourages teamwork, but I really saw a difference with students interacting and coaching each other on the field. I saw leaders, cheerleaders, go-getters, and even the students that don’t care for P.E that much as the refs of the game, it was really great to see another side of the students when they had to work with another to make the soccer game into a team cooperation. Since the playground is so large I had five students on goalie and seven students in the field per team. I was really glad that I had these students outside during the ISAT testing, because it really seemed like they needed to burn energy and have an opportunity to have dome fresh air and some free time.

Originally, I planned to have students in the gym for fitness activities. I though a short fitness unit would be appropriate at this time because it was short and easy to start and finish into another unit. I was glad that I did not start the fitness unit, because I do not think that the students would have responded well to another structure class. I feel if I would have had a structure fitness class students would rebel from the rules and have a lack of attention and participation. Since fitness is such an important unit, I feel that it would be introduced best when I have all of the student’s attention and willingness to participate in a structured activity.

For next week, I plan to do the same type of scheduling for the students. As I stated earlier, I thought structure, structure, structure, is the way to go, but after working with the students after testing, I realized they needed a break.  When I thought about myself as a test taker, I put myself in their situation. I know that I get frustrated and edgy when it comes to a long day of testing. What I learned from this week is that I too need to put my self in the shoes of these students and think about how I would react to lessons given after a long day of testing. As I stated early on in this experience, I know that that students will learn form be but I have to also be willing to learn from my students.