Throughout my grade school years, four years of university in my Early Childhood Studies program, and endless amounts of placement in schools, I have never really come to a clear realization and awareness that physical education and activity in schools is not as high of importance as other curriculum subjects. I always knew that subjects like math, science, and language were taught on a daily basis and that gym was typically only held around two to three times a week, but it never really clicked in that this was problematic until taking the “Methods of Teaching Health & Physical Education and The Arts” course at Niagara University.
Through class discussions and course material, I came to the realization that physical education isn’t deemed important, when in actuality, it should be held at the same standard as other subjects. As a future educator, not only do I want to make physical activity more of a priority in my classrooms, but I also want to spread awareness of this issue. There is a positive correlation between being active and academic performance, among a number of other things, which is more of a reason to promote it. One way I would introduce it more in my classrooms is first by extending the 20 minute minimum requirement of daily physical activity to approximately 40 minutes.
This does not have to be all at once, but even having two separate 20 minute periods throughout the day to give the students a brain break and to get them moving out of their chairs. Being active and healthy living in general is so important and needs to be made aware of more than it is. Another way I would instill healthy living in my classroom is by reading related books, watching videos, planning lessons around the four food groups, sending letters home to parents and making sure to notify the other teachers as well as the principles to include it more into practice. My perspective on physical education has definitely changed for the better, and I cannot wait to be the change for the next generation.
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