Today was a really odd day. Going in, I was anxious and excited. My group mates, Luke and Kyle, were back and we were going to teach in a group for the first time as "The PE 3." We had an extra week to get our games ready, and I was more than ready to just hop right back into the swing of things and give my best effort for things to run smoother than my first go around. Unfortunately, things did not go expected (as should have been expected) and life though us another curve ball right off the bat. For some reason most after school activities were canceled, and the number of students who attended the after school games program drastically declined from our first lab. Its tough to decide which is more difficult; trying to corral a large group of kids and retain their attention long enough to listen to brief directions and participate in the game, or try and convince a small group that the game will be interesting enough to play so that there is not ZERO people joining your activity. It was quite the challenge, but a challenge the PE 3 took head on.
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First we went down to the cafeteria. I went and watched the usual barn burner of a connect-four game which always seems to last long and draw a crowd, but it got a little too heated for my liking. After I attempted to calm the kids down before a teacher eventually took over, I then made my way over to the legos. Again it amazed me at how creative and meticulous some of the kids are in their constructions. One student sat across from another and tried to create his face, and surprisingly the proportions and color choices of the blocks made it look somewhat recognizable. The girls on their other hand had their own agenda, and each was building a part to their dream house they were all going to live in. One girl was creating a car, another the house, and the third a garage. Even in the 3rd and 4th grades these children's ideas and imaginations were running wild and it was a pleasure to witness.
I then challenged one of the boys to a game of checkers. As an extremely competitive person it was tough for me to let him win, but with all the rules he came up with along the way I have a feeling I would not have lasted until the end anyway. I then attempted to teach the boy how to be a gracious winner and the importance of this, but it did not seem to get through to him,
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Up next it was time for the gym, and my game of Hawaiian Handball. Since only three girls and three boys chose to participate at the start, I chose to skip my story of how each team was a tribe defending their island. It was important to keep them interested. When initially recruiting kids the name "Hawaiian Handball" would perk their interest simply due the fact that they knew enough to be aware it could be fun, but there was still room for intrigue. We went right into game play after a brief instruction period with my group mates and our TA Matt generously played to add to the numbers. The game went smoothly expect a few of the rules, like traveling, were not paid attention to by the students no matter what I tried. There were no safety concerns while playing which was a big plus. However, the game did not last very long, and the adaptation of playing with their feet similar to soccer had them boycotting to leave so we moved on.
Luke and Kyle's games seemed to go very well, and all in all it was a good day. The low number of students made it better and worse in their own ways, but working with students always seems to have its up and downs. We stayed positive and did not get discouraged a very good sign. All in all, the PE 3 had a solid debut, more than I can say about Miami's big three in their debut.
Even though it was rocky to start, it was another great experience at St Mary's School. Stay funky and take care everyone
Check out my Lab 3 for more!
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