Focus on core classes is another culprit in cutting our phys. ed classes. That is directly what my daughter's principle told me. Parents would complain if their kids weren't taking more core subjects.
Focus on core classes is another culprit in cutting our phys. ed classes. That is directly what my daughter's principle told me. Parents would complain if their kids weren't taking more core subjects.
teachnomore wrote:
PE fell apart when the "everyone gets a trophy" and "liability" reared its ugly head. I had gymnastics, running, baseball, soccer and every type of sport during gym. Now since schools don't want to be sued they literally do nothing. They go to the track and walk for 40 minutes - with their headphones on. If they're sitting after 100 yards and you say something about getting up they get sassy - if you try to fail them forthe day, you get called in the office and the parent screams at you and the principal says next time just let it go.
I'm a sensible liberal democat - but I think they should do what they would do to us in the early 70's - if you fail out or drop out of school - the army recruiter would be waiting for you at the door and off you go to Vietnam.
How would sending the drop outs to Vietnam help in 2020? I'm sure Vietnam won't just let in a bunch of worthless American delinquents with no skills beyond whining and crying to get their way.
First, kudos to runkeller for doing the heavy lifting.
While everyone admits we have a childhood obesity epidemic in this country, no one is willing to do the heavy lifting that's required to even address it, let alone ameliorate it. Physical education should be one of the most necessary and important core courses taught. We entrust schools with the important role of educating our youth but is not the physical realm as important as the intellectual realm? Of course it is! I think all would agree PE curriculum needs a massive overhaul: eliminate all competitive sports - where the majority of time is spent waiting around for the ball, at bat, etc. (waiting ain't movement) - and incorporate fitness oriented exercises that will result in measurable improvement (hopefully) from each individual kids' baseline. This way has the benefit also of the elimination of comparisons between one kid and another kid; the shy, introverted, uncoordinated kid now doesn't have to worry about competing with the class jock and a potential lifetime of self-esteem issues could be eliminated. I even would love to see a classroom component where what you learn - anatomy, physiology etc. - gets applied in the gym (lab). Give kids the gift of learning what amazing things our bodies can do.
Sadly I know no this is just a fantasy where dreams don't come true.
Physical Education back in the day..look at the physiques that were the norm.
They want to bring the La Sierra physical education program back..
I agree ... pull-ups, sit-ups,etc... are trainable. I have my 8th grade daughter up to 5 pull-ups and running daily ... she hates it but does it anyway because she knows it’s good for her - and no, I don’t make her. As for myself, I will do 3 x 7 pull-ups daily with 30 second rest interval and I’m 57. Totally doable - it’s all about a lifestyle that has not been a top priority for a lot of kids because of a lack of a proper role model. Today’s youth is all about instant gratification and entertainment ala tiktok, etc... devote 30 minutes per day and I guarantee pull-ups can be achieved even for a 4:14 miler. ?
Your mama let you run with scissors wrote:
This is a fact wrote:
Because teaching Health has obviously been a fail, given the amount of non-maskers (which is beyond stunning).
Yeah right because everyone had to where masks before the pandemic.
Its wear, not where.
And yes it is stunning. Apparently healthy graduates don't understand how to remain healthy in a pandemic.
There are plenty of 'non-pandemic' mask wearing opportunities. There are masks worn all the time in dr offices and hospitals. That should be a clue right there.
coach wrote:
douglas burke wrote:
Big mistake to cut PE from the Schools, many people will become obese as kids instead of adults. I think they should have some Minimal Health Standards in order to Graduate High School. Maybe
Run a Mile in 7 Minutes For Boys 8 Minutes for Girls
10 Good Form Pullups for Boys 5 For Girls
100 Situps in 2 Minutes for Boys 75 for Girls
40 Pushups Good Form/full range of Motion , 25 for Girls
These are VERY REALISTIC for ANY Able Bodied 16-18 Year Old, who Exercises 60-90 Minutes A Day, 5 Days A Week, But most kids are in such pathetic shape now, probably 80% can't meet this Standard (THEY ARE UNHEALTHY)
All Jobs should have Physical Standards as well (of course Exceptions made for people with REAL Disabilities Like Paralysis, Wheelchair Bound, born without an arm etc).
100 sit ups in 2 minutes is a foolish standard and the test isn't healthy for your spine. I think more than 80% of HS students would NOT meet these standards. But then again I taught in NYC where as Covid has revealed, the average person is unhealthy.
Physical fitness testing is a flawed policy. We do fitness testing at my school but it just allows students to gage their own self improvement (Beep test).
Physical education is and should be the chance for all students the opportunity to have success with physical movement and learn a variety of skills that they can use for a lifetime. Whether they swim, bike, or run lifetime activities should be the focus. Team sports are great for collaboration and working together.
For the past 15 years i have taught a class called Fit for Life. Student learned a variety fitness activities and actually join a local fitness facility with teacher supervision. Most high schools in the USA have weight rooms which could easily achieve positive attitudes towards fitness.
If you google the 2017 Tour De France Green Jersey and PE teacher you realise sometimes how much of a difference we make. Stay positive! Every teacher has the chance to change a young persons life.
Teaching Health has been an epic fail, given that a third of the population’s BMI is in the obese range.
Study after study has shown that students do better academically when they have PE and/or recess every day.
Zero studies have shown that students do worse academically.
Fat hurts wrote:
Study after study has shown that students do better academically when they have PE and/or recess every day.
Zero studies have shown that students do worse academically.
Paul Zientarski of Naperville, Illinois has a great Tedtalk on this. Apparently they would program PE before the class a student had trouble with. It seemed to work.
Are there more or fewer obese people than when PE became a thing in the schools? Governor of Illinois right from that era!
Follow the money. PE teachers in suburban Chicago retiring at 55 with $100,000 annual pensions.
The agent of change bringing the return of the classical physique.
It is all rearranging the deck chairs on the Health and Fitness Titanic until the current federal dietary recommendations are thrown out and research is made independent of Big Food, Ag and Pharma influence. Even the best physical training cannot fix the inevitable results of a bad diet.
Elementary kids don’t need a once a week gym class. What they need is more recess everyday. Let them choose what they play. And don’t tell me they learn fundamentals in gym class. They learn how to play another odd version of dodgeball.
High school gym class consists of rolling out the basketballs. Another waste of time and resources. Instead give high schoolers credit for playing actual sports.
The money wasted on gym teachers could be used in other places.
Oh and we don’t need them to teach “health.” A certified science teacher should be doing that anyway.
SCC wrote:
Teaching Health has been an epic fail, given that a third of the population’s BMI is in the obese range.
BMI is garbage. It has nothing to do with assessing body composition as it is simple based on height and weight.
FYI-Most strength trained athletes (with their greater than average muscle mass) would be listed as obese according to BMI. Most of my XC team mates are listed as underweight according to BMI. WTF?
Hindsight is 2020 wrote:
Elementary kids don’t need a once a week gym class. What they need is more recess everyday. Let them choose what they play. And don’t tell me they learn fundamentals in gym class. They learn how to play another odd version of dodgeball.
High school gym class consists of rolling out the basketballs. Another waste of time and resources. Instead give high schoolers credit for playing actual sports.
The money wasted on gym teachers could be used in other places.
Dodgeball is not allowed in many states, sorry you were hit in the head too often and cheated out of proper PE.
Yes kids learn fundamental movement skills in elementary school. As they get older some kids also learn how to strength train properly, swim, climb, dance and skate.
oldfk wrote:
School “PE” has been a joke for decades.....good riddens.
Looks like someone missed a few English classes ?.
PE / gym teachers are low IQ, at least in the UK. There are all academically inept and have no place in a school. They are usually not particularly fit either. The males are almost always aggressive / passive aggressive.