PDFE #9

In elementary school, I attended Armuchee Elementary School in Armuchee, Georgia. I had Physical Education about three times a week for about an hour to and hour and a half at a time. The class consisted about twenty to thirty children and they were taught by a Physical Education teacher. We had a gymnasium and trails and courts outside. We played many different sports such as basketball, kickball, dodgeball, softball, flag football and we also did jump roping, tag, parachute games, and many other games to learn skills. We also did a lot of fitness testing, which I did not really like because we had to wait on other students to test and then when I tested everyone was watching me so I felt like I was put on the spot. I did enjoy PE though because we were active and it allowed me to be active during the day instead of sitting in a class all day.
I do not believe that the elementary, middle and high schools in Georgia and receiving adequate physical education. Kindergarten through fifth grade require 60 clock hours per year which is 40min twice a week. Middle school does not require health or physical education and high schools require 1 semester of health class and 1 semester fitness based physical education. In middle school and high school they physical education teachers are coaches that have to teach in order to coach. The children in the schools are not adequately obtaining the motor development skills that they need to learn in their physical education classes. The children spend the majority of their time sitting in a classroom, therefore losing their focus because they are not getting their blood flowing and not keeping their energy up. This lifestyle is what is leading to our nation’s obesity and pregnancy problem because the schools are not teaching the children to live a healthy and active lifestyle. Educated Physical Education teachers need to be the ones to adequately teach a class of no more than 20 students at a time and to teach them motor development skills.
PE and PA are very important for children at the elementary age, because they help teach healthy habits and improve fitness. It will give children a positive outlook towards exercise and the want for a healthy lifestyle. It promotes teamwork and betters social skills. I believe the skill theme is best because it teaches children skills that they can use through life and if they know the skills then they will know the basic skills for sports. Whereas the traditional approach just teaches the children a game without the skills for the basis of the sport and not everyone participates in a game. The children will also play a game to win and not to learn the skills, but when you teach a skills approach then everyone will participate and learn the basic skills.