PE or in the school setting Physical Education has sometimes got a bad deal in the elementary setting. Many people including parents feel that students go to PE just to play games. Many feel that it is just a time out or another recess for the students. Maybe that is true in some schools, but the schools that I have been associated with are not among them.
Many schools teach a variety of very useful skills to their students. It is important for students to exercise and use those muscles. They need to learn coordination skills and exercise large and small muscles. They need to learn skills that will help them stay physically fit when they become adults. They need to learn about the different sports and activities that are available to them to participate in and enjoy.
The question then becomes why do we not do a culminating program at the end of the year and display those skills to the parents? If parents saw how much work the students really do in PE then they might not want them to sit out. Even if a child has a handicap or is limited in what he can do, he needs to get some kind of exercise. Excusing them because they are uncomfortable or they just don't want to do it is not in their best interest.
PE teachers could do a program at the end of the year using the gym floor as their stage. Parents could sit outside the black ring in chairs while the students display the skills that they have been practicing all year long.
Programs should probably go just like PE class. Start with stretching exercises to show how coordinated the students are then add some other coordination skills such as balance beams to demonstrate coordination. A simple fun line or circle dance could be added such as the Bunny Hop or Bingo. Maybe throw in an audience participation dance such as the Macarena or Hooky Poky. Sports skill such a dribbling a basketball could be put in a relay.
You could put a variety of skills such a jump rope, spin jammers, hula hoops, catching and throwing into the program to make it more interesting. Music could be incorporated with each display to give the students rhythm or a beat to exercise to. I would shorten the normal song as it may be too long for them to keep up the skill.
I have written many music type programs and programs related to Red Ribbon Week or patrioitic programs. Recently I was asked by a PE teacher to write a program using the skills that she had taught. This has become a very interesting project and is still on going, but I can see where it would be of value. The first PE programs that I have written are to be performed in the next few weeks and I am anxious to see how they are accepted by the parents.
So the question becomes: If schools do music programs all the time why not do PE programs?
Resource Box - Caroline Mackay 2006
Caroline Mackay is a retired teacher of thirty seven years and writer and producer of many school programs. She is the host of http://www.ezeducationplays.com/
And http://www.ezelectronicelements.com/