Gym classes are also opportunities to develop common core standards. In additional to developing gross motor skills, students practice listening and speaking skills, engage in collaborative conversations,recount experiences describing key ideas,and practice 21st century skills such as problem solving, accountability,and leadership.
How do they do this? At Hebrew Day School, the physical education teacher begins each class asking children to share something about a sport or event they heard about over the weekend. Students are asked to recount the main highlights of their sports experience over the weekend. During class, students rotate responsibility leading the exercise routine. They may add one additional exercise of their choice at the end of the routine. During class, students are often asked to make their own teams. When there are is an odd number and teams do not match, children are asked to suggest how to proceed.
Language arts skills are also developed during physical education. Students will establish their own athletic goal, write about the challenge and their progress, and post the writing in the gym. At the end of the unit, the posts will be made into book form which will become the gym "library" for reading during a break or free choice time. Later on in the year, the children may post a question about a sport and give students an opportunity to write down their answers.
And math? Yes, that too! Students will measure the fields, and do some comparing and contrasting. They will discuss the differences and appropriateness of the field for the particular sport!
Now that's solid physical education - but, it takes an excellent teacher and a willing educator to "move" in this direction. Yes, HDS has an excellent athletic teacher - Kim Braun.
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