The gym classes I had in elementary and junior high school were horrid, especially in junior high. In elementary school we had the usual sadistic picking of sides for games like dodge ball and kickball, and in junior high we were segregated into "squads" based upon how well (or poorly) we did on the President's Physical Fitness Test. If you wound up in the lowest squad (as I always did), it was nearly impossible to get better than a "C" in gym. Phys Ed singlehandedly kept me out of the National Junior Honor Society.
In high school, however, things were more sensible. Instead of the emphasis being on sitting in neat little rows for inspection, you'd check in with the teacher when you'd changed, and after that the teacher would tell you what the activity was for the day. Sometimes you'd even get a choice(!). If there were teams, the teachers would usually pick them, thus eliminating the "last picked" syndrome. I went from being a fat teen to a normal-weight teen and improved my speed on the 50 yard dash to the low end of normal.
Granted, my high school was a private school, and there were only 32 kids in my graduating class, but still, it was great to be in a situation in which I could actually participate and not be left on the sidelines or picked on.
These days I've seen where Phys Ed programs emphasize things kids can do on their own, like nautilus machines or swimming. IMHO that's a better way to go all around because the kids are only competing with themselves.
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2011-02-18 08:44 pm (UTC)In high school, however, things were more sensible. Instead of the emphasis being on sitting in neat little rows for inspection, you'd check in with the teacher when you'd changed, and after that the teacher would tell you what the activity was for the day. Sometimes you'd even get a choice(!). If there were teams, the teachers would usually pick them, thus eliminating the "last picked" syndrome. I went from being a fat teen to a normal-weight teen and improved my speed on the 50 yard dash to the low end of normal.
Granted, my high school was a private school, and there were only 32 kids in my graduating class, but still, it was great to be in a situation in which I could actually participate and not be left on the sidelines or picked on.
These days I've seen where Phys Ed programs emphasize things kids can do on their own, like nautilus machines or swimming. IMHO that's a better way to go all around because the kids are only competing with themselves.