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Spotlight on . . . Sports
by Mike Nowell, Woodshop and Sports Teacher
The Sports program is presented to the children as an opportunity to “…get some exercise and have some fun.” Through the simple act of engaging in the program with their peers, students discover latent athletic abilities, are introduced to a spectrum of new physical skills and are provided a safe environment in which to develop those skills. As we look at the role of voting in the Sports program we can also see components of the program that focus on the emotional and social aspects of cooperative and competitive play.
If children are going to “...get some exercise and have some fun” in the Sports program they need to be invested and engaged. Providing choice and true ownership of an activity fosters that requisite sense of investment. As such, children in the younger grades take turns with the teacher deciding what the weekly game or activity will be while the Oldest Group has the opportunity to shape their program almost every week. As a species we tend towards those areas where we are already feel competent and comfortable. The role of the teacher in the younger grades is to shape the program to expose children to new skill sets by introducing new games and activities at regular intervals and repeating those that support growth in specific areas. For the Oldest Group, the teacher will insert games and activities that place a premium on specific skills if the group’s choices are not regularly addressing those areas of physical development.
So how do the children choose what they are going to play? Once it is determined
whether the weather has dictated an indoor or outdoor activity, in the first
round of voting from a master list of learned games and activities
the children can raise their hands for as many games or activities that sound
amenable to them that day. From that first round of voting, the top two choices
are identified and a final vote is held between the two to determine that day’s
source of exercise and fun. For the younger children, this final vote is done
with eyes closed and heads down to encourage independent decision-making.
But what about the children who didn’t vote for the chosen
game or activity, how are they going to approach their play? In the earliest
classes the children are given the opportunity to reflect on a time when they
didn’t get what they wanted, when they felt disappointed.We talk about
those initial feelings of disappointment and the work it sometimes takes to
keep from getting “stuck” in that disappointment. From these reflections
come the realization that cheering for getting what you wanted
makes that work harder for the children who didn’t. The children generate
ideas for how to be sensitive to their peers’ feelings in those moments
after a vote, strategies for not getting stuck in disappointment and how to
look for aspects they can enjoy in every game.
If a group tends towards only a few games and a minority pick is never supported, we discuss the situation and look for a means to support those whose game choices are underrepresented. While the majority rules, it is the responsibility of the majority to be aware of and work to meet the needs of the minority. It is not uncommon for majority members to take up the cause of a classmate and campaign for an underdog game or activity during a lunch or recess preceding a Sports class.
The teachers are currently looking at the practicality of introducing an Electoral College to the process...
Past "Spotlight On..." articles
