Kim Buttars Fleming ESS 3500
Interview with Elementary teachers about PE
I interviewed a couple of regular classroom teacher as well as the specialist PE teachers at J. A. Taylor elementary. The students are 5th graders, and as I’ve said… my daughter is in that class and use to just hate PE
For the past 4 years, the word I got from her was that PE was running laps. She hated it, and complained about it every Thursday. I had talked with other parents who heard the same thing. Yep, my suspicions about PE sucking were confirmed. Then, a couple of months ago, I noticed they were accepting applications for a new P.E. teacher.
When I went to do my observations, it was this new teacher. I asked if she had a degree, and she didn’t. I asked if she had any special training, and she said that she has a district specialist that helps her decide what to teach and how to teach it.
She said she was surprised that she got the job, but that she loves it. I believe she does. She looks like she is having a good time out there. She joins in with the students as they do the activities and I can see that it keeps them more engaged.
She has kids that play soccer and she coached that. Her sister in law teaches there and told her about the job. She had heard about the last P.E. teacher and said that it made it easy for her because the kids really wanted to play games and do some fun physical activities. All of the students in the school take turns coming to her once a week for 45 minutes. She works from 1:10 each day.
I asked her if she has to meet the standards, and she said that she does, but she just has to make her activities meet one of them. She said the goal was to get the kids moving. She said that the statistics show that children watch over 5 hours of TV each day, and they need to get moving. For the most part, the kids were active, but I didn’t ever see any specific skill instruction going on.
From observing her, I can see that the district specialist has probably given her advice on providing a warm-up or introductory activity, and then moving onto the main activity.. I asked her what kind of help she gets, and she said that she looks for lessons online and the district gives her ideas.
I asked her about running laps, and she said they need to do that to prepare for the presidential physical fitness award. She said that most of the kids don’t mind it, some love it, and some hate it. The school has started a running club before and after school, and it has made kids enjoy running more.
I asked her if they play dodge ball. She said no, but the kids play it on their own at recess. Wahoo, at least that has changed. I asked about climbing the rope and the pegboard…. My personal most hated activities from elementary school… and she said that climbing the rope is also necessary for the presidential physical fitness challenge. I felt like I should have asked if they all sat around in a circle while watching the climber (or non-climber) give the rope a shot, but I didn’t. I did say, I really hated getting stared at by the whole class in the hopes that she might rethink that if that was how she did it.
I asked the classroom teacher, Mrs. Eliason, if she thought that getting a degree in education should be necessary for the P.E. teacher. She didn’t think so. She was just so glad to get some time for grading and planning and organizing. She felt that the kids needed a break from regular class work and was glad she wasn’t responsible for one more thing for them to learn.
I asked her about meeting the core standards, and she said that with no child left behind, she had to admit that most of the “extra” classes like art and P.E. and technology were subjects that they don’t expect her to teach. ( I have to take just a second to rant… I just heard Bill Gates talking about how far behind our students are technologically, and that soon he won’t be able to hire any Americans… and we continue to teach the same ridiculous way we have for the last 50 years…. Makes me crazy!!!) The students go out for art, P.E., and technology. The classroom teachers really focus on language arts and math because that is what the tests will focus on.
As a new teacher, it really bummed me out. I can’t imagine separating these subjects from the things we are learning in class. I am sure that students learn so much more effectively in a classroom where subjects are integrated. I asked her if she found time to have students do “move around” activities in conjunction with their other learning, and she said they do a little because when they go out for P.E., that teacher gives the same lesson to every student in the school … grades 1-6. (Does that make any sense?)
She, and the other 5th grade teachers get together and teach some folk dances, and they put together a zombie program that I’m using for my peer teaching number 3. It seems like the classroom teacher should be able to at least coordinate with the specialist to integrate subjects, but that isn’t the case.
It seems like such a waste of time… especially in areas like PE, art and technology. I think that those subjects other than language arts and math are the key to giving students a way to apply their reading, writing, and math skills, but I guess that’s just me…..
I wish I had asked the P.E. teacher if she, in fact, teaches the same lesson for each grade. I observed for 2 class sessions in a row one day, and they both did the exact same thing, but I’m not sure she does that for each grade.
All in all, I guess I would say the students are physically active, but I doubt the activities they are participating in will go with them in their adult lives. I’m curious about how typical your instruction for future educators is. You’ve done a wonderful job. Hope your ideas can really get out in the classroom.