Dodgeball Dilemma: What Side Are You On?

As a physical education (PE) teacher, my experience with dodgeball has been both extensive and eye-opening. The latest episode of the podcast offers a candid exploration into the world of dodgeball and its implications for school sports and education. I share my firsthand observations of the game, recalling instances of head injuries, cheating, poor sportsmanship, and the targeting of weaker students. These negative aspects of dodgeball in PE classes have led me to question the game’s role and search for more inclusive alternatives.

The game’s risks and the potential for exclusion are not merely theoretical; they have real-world consequences. The legal and community standards that educators should adhere to challenges the perception that dodgeball is an irreplaceable part of the curriculum. We must uphold professionalism in teaching sports and encourage fellow educators to engage in this conversation.

Alternative activities to dodgeball, such as Castle Ball and Wreck-It Ralph, are options that still engage students in the fundamental skills of throwing, catching, and dodging without the harmful effects associated with traditional dodgeball. My approach is to promote games that foster teamwork and inclusion rather than focusing on elimination and competition.

I’d like you to reflect on their own experiences and consider the broader impact of dodgeball on children’s physical and emotional well-being. My call to action is not just about eliminating a single game from PE classes but about redefining physical education to ensure it is safe, inclusive, and educational.

We also should touch on the balance between fun and safety in sports education. My transition from teaching PE to US history has provided me with a unique perspective on the educational journey. I see sports as a crucial component of that journey, one that should be approached with the same care and thoughtfulness as any other subject.

My personal experiences and the stories shared by my wife, who feared dodgeballs as a child, provide a compelling argument for reevaluating the game’s place in schools. The episode is a thought-provoking look at how we can reshape physical education to better serve our students and prepare them for a lifetime of healthy, active living.

As educators and parents listen to this episode, they will be encouraged to think critically about the sports they teach and promote within schools. The podcast offers a space for debate and growth, urging listeners to consider how they can contribute to a safer, more positive PE environment for all students.

This conversation about dodgeball in education is just the starting point for a much larger discussion about the values we impart through school sports. By engaging in this dialogue, we can work towards a future where every aspect of education, including physical education, is aligned with the principles of safety, inclusiveness, and integrity.

Porch Pirates!!!

Are you ready to embark on a thrilling adventure that will transform the way your children or students engage in outdoor play? The latest episode of our podcast presents an exhilarating game that promotes active play, learning, and fitness in a fun-filled package: Porch Pirates. Adapted from Coach Gerardi’s original game, Porch Pirates is an outdoor sensation that will refresh your playtime repertoire and breathe new life into your children’s activities.

The simplicity of setting up Porch Pirates belies the depth of engagement it offers. All you need are hoops and bean bags to create an arena of adventure. By establishing different roles within the teams, children learn the value of cooperation and strategy as they navigate their way through the game. The beauty of Porch Pirates lies in its flexibility; it can be tailored to suit any number of players and any age group, ensuring inclusivity and continuous excitement.

The game’s mechanics are brilliantly designed to incentivize movement and exercise. When a player is tagged, they are encouraged to perform playful penalties in the form of exercises. This aspect not only instills a positive association with physical activity but also reinforces the concept of playful learning. The game continues to evolve with every round, as children swap roles, revise strategies, and face new challenges, keeping the gameplay dynamic and engaging.

Our episode delves into the nitty-gritty of Porch Pirates, providing a comprehensive understanding of how to facilitate the game effectively. We discuss the importance of space management, role delegation, and the implementation of strategic thinking. Through this game, we aim to foster a sense of camaraderie among the players while simultaneously promoting fitness and active play.

In addition to the practical insights shared in the podcast, we offer a free PDF guide in the show notes to help listeners visualize and plan their own version of Porch Pirates. This resource is invaluable for anyone looking to replicate the experience in their own setting, whether it be a backyard, a park, or a school field.

As the PENation community, we are committed to supporting each other in our quest to enhance the world of play and learning. We invite listeners to reach out with questions or share their experiences with Porch Pirates, fostering a collaborative environment where ideas and inspiration can flow freely.

To sum up, Porch Pirates is more than just a game; it’s a vessel for adventure, a catalyst for learning, and a means to promote health and fitness among children. It’s an opportunity to steer away from the mundane and set sail towards a horizon of enriched playtime experiences. Tune in to our episode and let Porch Pirates be the compass that guides you to uncharted territories of fun and learning.

Remember, in the vast ocean of play, it’s not just about the destination—it’s about the voyage, and Porch Pirates is here to ensure that journey is as rewarding as it is memorable. So, let’s hoist the sails and embark on this adventure together!

Man Overboard: An active and listening game for K-1

In the latest episode of our podcast, we cast off on an exhilarating journey, exploring the elementary Physical Education (PE) game “Man Overboard.” This engaging activity is more than just a way to get kids moving; it’s an imaginative experience that encourages listening skills, teamwork, and a sense of adventure among kindergarteners and first graders.

The essence of “Man Overboard” lies in its simplicity and the lively interaction it fosters. As children dash across the basketball court, which doubles as their imaginary ship, they must be quick to respond to a series of commands issued by their ‘captain.’ The commands – back of the boat, middle of the boat, front of the boat, and man overboard – are not just arbitrary instructions; they’re the foundation of an active listening exercise that’s both enjoyable and educational.

In this game, every child is an integral crew member, and their mission is to navigate the high seas of play. But what makes “Man Overboard” particularly special is its adaptability. While it can be played as an elimination game, the focus is always on inclusion. Eliminated students aren’t left to idle; they’re given alternative activities that keep them engaged, such as playing with hula hoops or participating in a game of four square. This ensures that every student, regardless of their physical ability or attention span, remains a part of the action.

As we delve into the podcast, we share valuable insights on class sizes, space requirements, and tactics to keep the game fresh and challenging. The importance of listening and following directions is highlighted, and teachers are provided with creative strategies to maintain a fun, supportive environment. Whether it’s rewarding attentive listeners with school-wide currency like Bear Paws or just offering praise, recognition plays a key role in motivating students.

Our discussion also touches on the adaptability of the game for different age groups. While kindergarteners and first graders may revel in the simple joy of the activity, second graders, with their quicker reflexes, might require a more challenging version to stay engaged. This illustrates the importance of tailoring PE activities to suit the developmental stage of the children, ensuring that the game remains a hearty challenge for all involved.

This episode isn’t just a narration of a game; it’s an invitation to rethink the way we approach physical education. By integrating imaginative play into active exercises, we’re not only promoting physical health but also nurturing cognitive skills like attentive listening and quick decision-making. It’s about shaping an environment where the joy of movement is paired with mental agility, and where each day presents a new opportunity for adventure and growth.

As the podcast concludes, we leave our listeners with a rallying cry to continue inspiring young minds through innovative PE activities. “Man Overboard” is more than just a game – it’s a testament to the power of play in education. It underscores the fact that when children are having fun, they’re also learning, growing, and developing skills that will serve them well both in and out of the classroom.

So hoist your sails, PE teachers, and chart a course for adventure in your next class. With games like “Man Overboard,” you’re not just teaching kids how to be active; you’re captaining young minds on an unforgettable voyage of discovery.

Cover Design

Hi Friends,

As I begin my blog posts on my book, “The Teacher, the Chef and the Hockey Player“, I’ve been wondering a few things as a first time author. I asked some people in the physed world along with my family about the cover of my book. The example above was actually the first design. This is a mock-up of what it was going to look like in print. I really liked it, but I wasn’t sure it represented my characters as I saw them. Most people I talked to agreed, so I went with a more abstract, symbol-based cover where the reader could visualize the characters for themselves. The more time goes by I’m wondering if I made the right choice (I believe I did), and if I should make a separate cover for readers who like to see what the characters might look like (I’m not sure). What are your thoughts? I’d love some feedback on this topic. Thanks so much!

Dave

Adapting PE Lessons for Inclement Weather

Hello and welcome to the Super Size Physed ED podcast. My name is Dave and I’m here to talk about rainy days. Yes, those dreaded rainy days that we all can’t stand. I’m with you, I hear you, I feel you and I’m going to talk about it next. So here we go. All right, everybody, Welcome in today. I do apologize. I’ve been kind of sporadic in putting out episodes recently. So if you’re tuning in and you’re a loyal, devoted fan, I really do appreciate it. I say the word appreciate a lot, but I appreciate you listening in and today’s a pretty specific episode. So if you’re indoors and you have your own gym, I’d like you to tune in and listen and maybe come up with some ideas, because it is things about doing inside, things we’re going to do inside, but this is more about rainy days and what to do when you have them. So, to start off with, rainy days stink. They really do. They’re awful, and I know we need rain and I live in Florida and there’s times when we have way too much rain and there’s times when we have no rain at all for months and months, and months and it just stinks. It stinks because one of my second jobs is playing meteorologist. I have to figure out. Well, can we be outside and I don’t know, can we give it a go, or maybe it’s too wet, the grass is too wet, or the courts are too wet, or the track is too wet, the pavilion is getting rain sideways, it’s just a big old mess. But sometimes we can be outside, Sometimes we can’t. Sometimes half the day we’re outside and sometimes half the day we’re not. Sometimes, like this past Friday, we were outside in the beginning for first grade and then kindergarten started raining pretty hard and by the time of the end of kindergarten, luckily, we were able to get the boys and girls to their classrooms, because we’re in outside school and there’s no walkways. There’s no covered walkways between the pavilion and at least most of the classrooms. So those are all things we deal with. And actually after that we were inside for third grade, inside for fifth grade, but actually the coach, two of the coaches, that’s me, and two pairs. The two pairs took two class outside under the pavilion and played that game, rollout, which I just put an episode out about. But we couldn’t have four classes out there, so I took two by myself inside a classroom and then we had a little break. I’m just telling you my schedule here real quick. Then we had fourth grade, outside but doing limited things under the pavilion because everything was wet, and then we final our final class is second grade and they were outside. So we were outside for two, inside for two and then outside for two, and it’s just kind of crazy. And again, there’s times when I don’t have a lot of time between classes. I have anywhere between zero sometimes and five minutes between classes, and so I have to make a quick decision and sometimes that decision is wrong. I’m not gonna lie. Sometimes we bring classes back out like, hey, we’re okay, and then all of a sudden there’s a lightning in the area and we have to go back inside it. Just it gets kind of crazy and sometimes teachers aren’t happy. It actually did happen the other day as well, where I called about 10 minutes before I did put on an email saying we’re gonna be inside. And then I called the first grade grade level chair and said, hey, can you please contact your team? We’re gonna try to give it a go, but we do have accommodations just in case. Everything’s set up, just in case. And a couple teachers came out and I could tell especially one wasn’t real happy with me. She wasn’t like I don’t know, but she just wasn’t happy and I could tell it was kind of directed towards me or indirectly towards me, that she didn’t know she was on her way to the cafeteria kind of thing. And I said I’m sorry, I did texture or I called your grade level chair and she’s like, and I think when she picked up her kids she understood that she did get a text, like they have a group text, and she was told to go outside and it was just a big mess. But most teachers understand and again she was, it was fine. It’s just one of those things that sometimes it rubs people the wrong way. You’re going this way, you’re going that way. Sometimes we use her classroom, Sometimes we use the media center. Sometimes she’s a cafeteria and sometimes we’re just we have nowhere to go. There’s been times when we just there’s testing. You know there’s lunch going on the cafeteria, there’s testing the media center. This actually happened the other day and there’s four of us. I’m sorry there’s four classes but there’s three coaches, so again we have to push in like two classes in a classroom and all sorts of stuff and it’s just, it’s just not ideal. There’s also times when there’s just random stuff going on, Like we had a bobcat sighting real close so we had to be inside the whole day. They never even found the bobcat Cause. We were like a whole wooded area near our school Like they couldn’t do anything about it. There’s times when there’s testing and my former school there was the pavilion was so close to the building that when there were testing days we had to either go inside, like in the media center and actually not usually we went with the music teacher, pushed in with her if it was rainy day, or we had to go way out in the field, look way out there, where we couldn’t be, they couldn’t hear us, and it just we’re always pushed out, or it seems like we’re pushed out of our spots or our PE area sometimes. So, anyways, what do you do? I guess that’s a question, and I’d say the first thing is to be flexible. Understand that you might not be right. When it comes to the weather, Again, meteorologists are almost never right and they solve a job for some reason. So be flexible about the weather, about what you need to do, what you can do, what’s possible, what is not a good idea, especially if lightning is getting close or anything. There’s storm coming, things like that, and you know, I know this drives you crazy. It drives me crazy Just thinking about what to do and no other teacher has to worry about this, right? You know, I was a classroom teacher for over 10 years and I don’t have to deal with weather. I didn’t have to deal with weather. I don’t have to deal with losing my space. It just sometimes these things happen. So let’s move on to what you can do, what I do inside on rainy days, because I’ve heard a lot of things, I’ve seen a lot of things, I’ve done a lot of things and hopefully this can help you if you are in that position. So when I first started teaching PE about 12, actually more than that, 13, 14 years ago, there was mostly at least semi-educational DVDs I would put in. On a rainy day We’d all go in the media center All. Actually in this case it was about five classes at a time and it wasn’t ideal. It’s never ideal being in the media center. Kids are checking up books. The media center person usually isn’t super happy with me or us, but it’s just the way it is. They know there’s no choice. They know I don’t wanna be there, but there’s nothing we could do. So obviously, have a good rapport with. I always have a good rapport. Obviously I was thinking about the tech person as well. Have a good rapport with the tech person and if there’s a media specialist or anybody, that’s space you’re taking over. Of course. Treat them well, Treat their space as not wholly, but it’s their space, so treat it kindly, I should say, and make sure you do a good job there and keep everything cleaned up. At the end, put everything back when you’re done. That’s just a foregone kind of thing. Conclusion so in the beginning I would show these DVDs, like Bill Nye, some things that are based on human body or bike safety videos, water safety videos, things like that, which I still do. We’ll get into that in a little bit, but eventually I kind of ran out. There’s so many things I’m like well, what do I do? I was a younger not that younger teacher, but a younger PE teacher, let’s just say or more inexperienced, and I try to tie things into the standards. So I just remember eventually becoming more like hey, on Fridays, because it’s fun Friday, let’s do Disney movies on Friday. So I remember times when we were watching Frozen in there for PE and I don’t know. I just I don’t like that. I don’t like doing something that’s just they could do at any time. They could do with any person. So whom I know? I’m just a glorified recess after school person that shows DVD movies Like. I’m not. I’m not going to do that and I used to do that. So that’s you, that’s OK. I’m just trying to teach you from my experience, or pass this knowledge on from my experience, that it’s OK, but I didn’t feel right about it. So then it became YouTube. It’s called Design Squad and it was really cool. I still as you could find it again. I think it’s on Amazon Prime now, but it’s like a subscription. You got to pay for it, Some things like that, some seasons, things like that. They would take these kids mostly, I think, high school kids and they would be tasked with building something and I tried to keep it at the sporty kind of thing, Like they had to build a thing to shoot out soccer balls to professional soccer player and there would be team versus team and they judge it and things like that, and I’d tie in questions and things like that to it. There’s other ones. I’m not going to all the episodes, but they would build like a hockey goalie thing where target practice kind of thing. It was really cool and I would show that to the kids, that. Or eventually I showed a show called the Kicks. It’s on Amazon Prime actually as well, but then we weren’t allowed to stream. That became a forbidden thing in our district and I understand we’re streaming Amazon Prime or Netflix or something. We can’t do that anymore. So these things keep evolving, like DVDs, then streaming, then whatever. So what do you do? And I know it kind of sound almost exasperated, but it is a process and it’s hard to go through these phases and be like man I had this and now I lost this. And so the goal is to evolve with not just the streaming things, but evolve with time, evolve with technology and figure out what to do during rainy days. All being said, here’s what I did, and this happened especially during COVID. You know a lot of people were teaching remotely, obviously, and you know I’d make these Google slides and the kids would, you know, go through them and answer questions and like that. So I was thinking, well, why don’t I just make Google slides for teaching rainy days? And I did that. I made a bunch of Google slides with questions and videos linked in there, and even dance videos, things like that, that I could send to the teachers. And that’s what I do I send to the teachers, I share them with all the teachers. They could pull it up on their computers on their permitting boards and then my parents can go in there and teach from there and I give my parents some leeway and latitude. I mean, they can do different things. But you know, I try to teach certain topics certain times and they can go and not miss a beat and it’s great and I try to look at this as an opportunity. You know, in a 40-minute lesson and I’m somebody who has less than that I’ve heard people have like 20-minute lessons Like I don’t know how you do that In a 40-minute time frame. I don’t always go into great detail on certain topics and certain standards, so I save those for rainy days, and I know I always get rainy days, especially in the beginning of the year, because I’m in Florida. Again, I’m just telling you that’s the weather Beginning and end of the year. There’s always rainy days. Now it’s kind of weird. We have actually had some recently. Like I said, usually don’t have those in January, but we have had some. So I use that instead of like just being upset, I use that as an opportunity to teach and cover the standards that I normally don’t have time for and I can go more in depth and it’s great. So, for example, I know I said water safety and bike safety. Those are two of them. I’ll do those, I’ll cover them, I’ll talk about them, I’ll show videos on them. I actually have a video that they gave me, the Corps of Engineers. They gave me a DVD that I show for water safety and I used to have people come in for water safety and bike safety. I think they kind of stopped that for COVID and whatnot and grants, but I cover that. Then, during rainy days, I cover nutrition, diet and exercise, goal setting. I’ll show things like what I call game changers, like Tiger Woods and Sean White and other people, not just athletes, but I try to keep it more towards athletes because I’m not a big fan of the game changer. I try to keep it more towards athletes because that’s what we’re teaching PE and show them how they overcame obstacles, how they set goals, how they reach their limits. I mean, like beyond belief. It’s been amazing watching these things and the kids are like, oh my gosh, this is awesome Because when I showed them Tiger Woods, they’ve heard of him Most of them, especially the older kids. Again, I teach kindergarten through fifth they probably recognize him and everything he went through and you could not like Tiger Woods. I’m just using him as an example. My wife still won’t get over his infidelity, but that’s another story, Just his greatness. Another one is Alex Honnold, who, if you ever seen the movie Free Solo Again, that’s on Disney Plus. I can’t stream it, but I’ve taken clips that are online and showing the kids that, hey, anything’s possible. I mean, he climbed El Cap 3000 feet in the air, straight up, pretty much with no ropes and harnesses. That’s pretty crazy and please don’t ever have the kids attempt that at home. Don’t attempt at home kids. But it’s something that I show them. So it’s like, wow, that’s awesome. You know, it’s something that I can have different goals and have different dreams and really try to achieve them. So, anyways, I teach those kind of things. I teach cup stacking and, as a matter of fact, I had a sub the other day and I showed him those slides that I made and I had him pick and he’s like, well, I want to try cup stacking. Like all right. So here’s the slides that go with it. The kids know how to do it. And he only had one class and he brought a bunch of cups into the classroom and he said I want really well, so in a bind, in a pinch. These are great things to have backup plans, links to again, different videos, different ways. In this case it’s how to cup stack. Now I know how to cup stack. I’ve taught all the kids how to cup stack, but the sub, I guess, did not know how to do it. So it’s great to have these on slides or somewhere else where they can find them. I also use and I know I’ve said YouTube, Brain Pop Junior, a lot for different lessons on. Again, we’ll go back to nutrition. If you have access to Brain Pop Junior, that’s a great resource. It will teach them about nutrition, food groups, things like that. And then they have a quiz. There’s an easy quiz, a hard quiz. They can do different things with it and it doesn’t take very long. It takes five, six minutes of video and then questions and you can talk about it Again, aligning to the standards, aligning to what you need to cover, but you can’t always cover in a regular classroom setting when you don’t have a lot of time. I also use Go Noodle, but again not a lot. It’s more for a quick link at the end I’ll put it in there in the Google Slides for a sub or for more in pairs to just play, for the kids to get a quick break of exercise, things like that. I have slides on scarves. There’s how to do the scarves in different movements, so it’s all sorts of things they could do in the classroom or in the media center or whatever, wherever you have to go to do rainy days. I’d say another thing is bring different equipment with you, like these very cushy, those kush balls or some soft, real soft ones to do a group juggle or to do silent ball I know that’s really old school, but a lot of kids really still like that, I don’t know why and just different small movements you could do in a classroom or wherever you need to go. But I would say this don’t throw in the towel, Do what you can and try to tie it to the standards and cover what you need to cover to get use those rainy days as, trust me, I don’t like them, but use them to enhance your teaching and enhance the kids’ learning. I’d say that would be the biggest thing. So now it is time for your cowbell tip of the day. All right, everybody. So your cowbell tip of the day is to email me it’s in the episode notes If you’d like me to send you the Google Slides now. They’re not perfect and some of the links might not work if you don’t have BrainPop Junior for your classroom and things like that if you don’t have access to it. But it would help, especially if you’re not sure what to do or where to start, or you’re a newer teacher and you’d like these slides, or an older teacher like me. Email me if you’d like me to send you the slides, because I will send them to you. I don’t want to put necessarily in the show notes just that random link to share to anybody in the whole world. I’d rather just be if you email me and I will send them to you, no cost, no charge, no signing up for anything. I’ll send them to you if you want them. If not, that’s OK. I just want to make sure you know that they’re there for you and I’m here to help you. So hopefully you use them Again, if not, just don’t give up on rainy days and just keep going. Teacher standards keep it PE oriented and you got this. So that is your cowbell tip of the day. Thank you everyone for tuning in. I really do appreciate it, as always. Go to Supersizedphysed. com for more information or if you’d like to purchase my book the Teacher, the Chef and the Hockey Player, there is a link in the show notes and there’s a website to go to. So take care, PE Nation, you guys and girls are awesome. I hope you have a wonderful day, week, weekend, whenever you listen to this, and let’s keep pushing our profession forward.

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