One of the things I noticed that in many of the academically poorly preforming high schools how out of shape many of the high school students looked. When I covered a physical education class as a second teacher I would observe that half of the students wouldn't bother to exercise or participate in the activities that the physical education teacher planned. In fact, a substantial number of these students didn't even bother to change into their gym clothes but sat on the bleachers and talked to each other. Worse, is that many of the Bloomberg small high schools have inadequate or no gym space and the State requirements are routinely violated and ignored by the DOE, with no consequences from the State.
I blame this on the school administration who allow students not to participate or even dress for physical education and then pressures the teacher to pass them anyway. Is it any wonder many of these students look the way they do?
By contrast, in academically performing schools, every student is required to participate in gym. For the students at these schools not only do they dress for gym and are required to participate in the activities but goals are set for each student to meet. By the time the school year is over, many of the students are physically fit which translates into a better body image, alertness in the classroom, and better grades.
If schools are really serious in improving academically then they must require all students to meet the physical education standards that they have ignored for years by the DOE. Otherwise, look for continued academic failure as these out of shape students fall asleep in class and stay unfocused while doing poorly on tests.If it really is "students first" then start with improving their physical fitness.
12 comments:
What? Take away remedial reading/math and test prep for...fun and exercise? Oh, the horror!!
Wait till these gym teachers and students see the Common Core curriculum for physical education.
Really chaz? You blame administrators for children being obese? I guess parenting has nothing to do with this. It is the schools fault that parent let children eat donuts for breakfast and mcdonalds for dinner.
Obese children? Schools fault.
Domestic violence? Schools fault
War in middle ease? Schools fault
Your hatred for administartion blinds you to the real truth. To have an article like that without factoring parenting is a disgrace. My school has a 260 lb 5th grader. Guess its the schools fault and not the parents who reward him with 1500 calorie meals for doing his homework
Anon 8:48
Of course its the parents fault. However, that doesn't get you administrators off the hook when you let them skip gym and with no consequences.
Please be careful about calling kids obese or illegal , you may offend someone from MORE. It seems they are MORE concerned about vocabulary (and spelling) than they are with reality. It's difficult to listen to heart wrenching cries of poverty when I'm surrounded by 300 pound 15 year olds (getting bagels served in class), while they're all yammering on their IPhones.
I loved gym class when I was in school. Maybe it was because it was the only time we could dress down (I went to Catholic school), but the message isn't much different. Boys typically love it, girls typically hate it. People, even teachers often tend to look down on Physical Education, but a lot of these people do great work. We complain of classes bigger than 30 when they routinely have to manage upwards of 50-60 kids a class.
Like all classes kids should be held accountable. Yes, parents need to stop feeding their kids junk, but on the same point, the school could also stop selling junk out of vending machines.
It is helpful though. The better fit a kid is, the more confidence they will have, the better they can do.
State law is that children in grades k-3 have physical education daily. I was told by the principal of my son's prospective elementary school that "no school" does that. Other elementary and middle schools have no outdoor play space, as it has been given over to parked cars.
In high schools, especially in small schools there is no meaningful gym space. Sometimes it is a large room with pillars or other obstacles. Or several gym classes rum simultaneously, leading to an overcrowded gym.
Of course the schools that beg kids to wear their school uniforms are going to have problems getting kids into gym uniforms.
Yes, administrators do play a role in kids not getting enough exercise.
--MisterC
I have been to numerous small schools with no or inadequate gym space and the St6ate know3s this but looks the other way.
Pretty convenient, eh Chaz? Where's the Post or News on stuff like this?
The department of education is ready to announce a policy that will allow cellphones into the classroom. This policy is going to be a disaster. Michael Mulgrew where are you. You tell Farina that this is a bad policy. But will you do anything. Probably not. You do not teach so you do not care. I say get back into the classroom and start teaching.
Sorry, off topic. Is there a link for the new teacher contract?
The picture in this thread is what half of the teachers look like during Monday pd's.
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