PE Blog

My blog gives you an insight into my thoughts, ideas, and passions. Here you will find a collection of blog posts on a variety of Physical Education topics. Posts are added regularly, so check back soon and often.

Why no Crocs in PE?

This is a rule that I started this year. After allowing Crocs the previous year and having a few students experience injuries due to wearing Crocs, I kindly ask for students not to wear them. Wearing Crocs to move in becomes a safety factor that I, as the teacher, really do not want to experience. My main goal in Physical Education classes is that the students can move safely. Movements such as running, skipping, galloping, hoping, jumping, kicking, throwing, catching are difficult to do while wearing Crocs. Crocs can easily slip off the foot when moving which could cause an injury. Crocs do not adequately support the foot or ankle and do not offer any reinforcement or support. I do understand that they are comfortable to wear but it is not a footwear that is acceptable to wear in Physical Education class because they also fail to provide a solid support to the foot through all movements the student may perform during class.

Dance...Dance...Dance

Dance is an activity that you can do for a lifetime. When I first started teaching Physical Education it was a unit I tried to avoid. I was honestly scared to teach it. After, attending a MOShape (Missouri Society of Health and Physical Education) conference one year I returned and decided to teach dance. My mind was changed after attending a few sessions about how to teach various dance. The presenters were teachers from New Jersey that made it fun, easy, entertaining, and a skill/movement that took basic movements and made them into dance. Plus the use of props such as paper and sticks was fun too. That experience has now changed my opinion and fear of teaching dance. I use dance about every day and in every class. Whether it is a warm up, cool down, or the main lesson. When I incorporate dance into my lessons a few things I look for are:

- - Appropriateness
  - Fun
  - Who is doing it

I utilize videos consisting of a group of male Physical Education teachers called the DanSIRS a lot when doing dances. These teachers use current songs, entertaining moves, and are males. Majority of the time when I tell the class we are working on dance today the responses I get are sighs, groans, moans, and no participation from most of the boys in my classes. Once the students see what the moves are and what the song is all the negative responses go away. Instilling this mindset that dance is for everyone, fun to do, and an activity that you can do for a lifetime opens up a movement and a subject that every student participates in.

It is PE not GYM!!!

This is a saying in the world of physical education, the gym is the room that I teach in, but I am a Physical Education teacher. PE is an essential component of a student's education and is a core subject in the students schooling. I have heard this numerous times as a PE teacher. Maybe it is me being picky but Gym is the room or the location and PE is the subject. I always laugh when students say, "we are going to gym today!" I understand they are excited but I have to laugh about their comment. I always reply with, "who is gym? I would really like to meet this Gym."