In Physical Education class, students in elementary though middle school played warm-up and cool down games connected to social and emotional learning. Social and emotional learning is the process through which children and adults understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions. In PE class, students sometimes become competitive with their peers so it is important that they understand how to maintain a positive attitude, whether they win or lose it’s just a game. I asked them the next time they play a game with friends whether it is in PE or at recess, to ask themselves the following questions. Was I fun to play with? Was I fun to play against? Did I share the ball? Did I encourage my teammates when they made a mistake or did I make fun of them? Did I quit because our team was losing? Was I respectful and played fair? Win or lose, in the end it’s just a game. We always end a group game by saying good game to the other team but sportsmanship is more than just high fiving the opponents. During the warm-up and cool down games, students were encouraged to partner up with someone they wouldn’t normally pick as a partner.
Students in kindergarten through fifth grade started a floor hockey unit this month. The floor hockey skills of dribbling, passing, and shooting were introduced. To practice dribbling, we engage in activities called Walk Your Dog, Dribble Knockout, Dribble Relay, Keepaway, Knock the Pin, Steal the Bacon, and Sideline Hockey. We practice these hockey skills in order to help students develop hand-eye coordination, agility, balance, and group cooperation. At the end of each class, students participated in sideline hockey. Sideline hockey is a game where only two students from each team come out to the court while the rest of their teammates are on the sideline and can help make passes. Small sided games allows for students to be more actively participating in team games.
