There is often talk of making physical education mandatory for a longer time in order to promote the population's physical fitness. The problem with this idea is that not everyone enjoys phys. ed. Many people do enjoy it, but others' feelings range from vaguely negative to living hell. Making phys. ed. manadtory for longer is more likely to increase dislike and resentment of fitness in general among people who don't enjoy it, so I think the emphasis should be on making it enjoyable for everyone. Absolutely everyone. Even the klutzes, even the geeks, even that one student who is the favourite target of all other students.
It might sound like I'm marginalizing students who do enjoy phys. ed.; I'm simply not paying that much attention to them here because they already enjoy physical activity, so already have the motivation to continue to be physically active throughout their lives. I am focusing more on students who grow to dislike and resent physical activity because of phys. ed. class. If changes can be made so that every single student finds phys. ed. fun, then every single student will be motivated to be physically active as an adult.
Here are some ideas:
- Dispense with the idea that phys. ed. is fun because it involves being physically active. This clearly is not true for everyone. Instead, introduce ways to make it fun despite the fact that it involves being physically active.
- Right now, the people who become phys. ed. teachers are most likely to be people who enjoyed phys. ed. as a student. Therefore, they cannot sympathize with the students who did not enjoy it. Work on getting some teachers who did not enjoy phys. ed. as a student so they can provide some insight.
- Make the phys. ed. curriculum less strictly regimented so that teachers can adapt their classes to the needs of their particular students.
- Have the options of several activities at any given time. If two classes have phys. ed. during fifth period, perhaps three or four activities could be set up at once. For example, there could be basketball, badminton, soccer and yoga on the go all at once, and students could pick their favourite.
- Consider not giving students marks for phys. ed. It could be pass/fail, or there could simply be a period where they are to report to the gym for physical activity. There are few things more disheartening for an otherwise-straight-A student than getting a C in phys. ed. because you haven't yet mastered use of your ever-changing body, or your classmates won't pass you the ball because you aren't cool, or you're afraid of the ball because a similar ball broke your hand when you were eight, or no one has ever bothered to explain the offside rules to you.
- If it is not possible to have an ungraded phys. ed. class, give students the option of undergoing a fitness assessment (heart rate, recovery, body fat, all that other stuff) and let that substitute for part or all of their mark. Someone who can run a five-minute mile shouldn't have to have a bad mark on their report card just because they are shy and tormented.
- Make sure the locker-room experience is as unhellish as possible. Have private changing cubicles, make sure students have lockers where they can lock up their possessions, make sure the room is clean, if students have to shower make sure the showers are as clean and private as possible.
- Take whatever measures are necessary to eliminate any and all bullying, intimidation, threats, mockery, and abuse - physical, mental and emotional. A holistic approach is needed here, beyond the gym and the locker room, but since the gym and the locker room tend to be very conducive to bullying, something must be done.
- Have non-competitive games that involve being active, as opposed to competitive sports. Sit-down dodgeball with elephant balls is fun. Running around the building on a scavenger hunt is fun. Basketball is not necessarily fun.
- Let students sit out if they want. If they sit out too often, ask them quietly and privately why they are sitting out, and address that issue.
- Develop a gym class environment that encourages people to be supportive of their classmates rather than competitive. If the star of the volleyball team gives the awkward student some helpful tips, entirely in good faith, Awkward Student will feel better about this whole sports things. But if Star Volleyball Player just spikes a ball at Awkward Student's head, breaking her glasses, Awkward Student will just feel worse.
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