I am so excited to again be teaching K-4 Movement and PE at OWS. My name is Matthew Smith, and this is my PE blog:
By now students in Grades 1-4 are starting to realize how expectations for them have risen with their grade level. And I must say right up front that this year's Kindergarten classes are already making an outstanding impression with their focus, range, and willingness, so I am establishing high expectations for them as well.
The K-1 Grades will spend the next few weeks exploring things they already in some ways know, but things we want to define more clearly and to learn to observe the body more clearly. We'll spend time rolling and crawling (in more ways than you might imagine) and falling and sliding; walking, running, leaping, jumping, hopping, skipping, galloping; and understanding how all those things are different and how the body does different things to coordinate and integrate and differentiate all the above. I might choreograph a cumulative little ditty that takes us through the motor development from fetal position, through rolling over, reaching, scooting, crawling eventually running and leaping, and spinning... I have high expectations for these Kindergarten classes!
The 1-4th Grades started the year with team-building exercises, emphasizing awareness (of space, others, equipments/obstacles), communication (verbal, visual, touch), and trust. Grades 2-4 will use Ultimate Frisbee drills and games to advance their team building. The 2nd Grade will do some additional non-frisbee team building first, and will play games that drill the skills, not competitive games. The 3-4th Grades will be assigned teams and will keep the same teams throughout our Ultimate Frisbee unit, developing a rhythm and familiarity, but good sportsmanship is a must. Some students in 4th Grade will get the opportunity to be Team Managers, mostly giving them the opportunities to influence team mechanics and chemistry, and correct the imbalances of my team assignments. Managers manage for one week, then a new Manager. If this "pilot" works, we will repeat it throughout our team sport units (but probably new teams in every new sport), giving all students opportunities to Manage.
Until Next Time,
Go Bobcats!
