gym, ten year old style
I am teaching phys. ed. today (I have prep now. I'm not actually doing this during class. For real). This is obviously because when I originally walked into the division office all those years ago to add myself to the sub list, the staff took one look at me and thought, "wow, there's an athlete. Stick her in phys. ed." Right?
Today we are practicing football. I was literally hit in the ass by (what I hope was) an errant football. This sort of thing does not happen in high school English Lit classes. Ever. The worst I ever get hit with is a little light eye-rolling and some teenage attitude. Once I sort of got hit on by a strange little 13 year old, but that's another story altogether, and that was health class. Anyway. Ass. Football.
My favourite students today:
1) The pair of ten year old girls who literally could not throw. They didn't even have the slightest notion. I'm talking between the legs, over the head stuff. They weren't giggling or being silly or anything. They just could not throw the football. A friend tried to show them how to actually throw the ball properly. It didn't help. I encouraged them to shorten the distance between each other. Also didn't help. But I smiled and was nice about it, and didn't criticize, and they stopped looking at me worriedly each time they flubbed the throw.
2) the girl who threw the ball and then did cartwheels while she waited for her partner to fetch it from whichever corner it bounced off to. Each time.
3) the girl who saw the awkward girl with no partner who was visibly anxious about joining a group of two, and enthusiastically invited her to join her and her friend BEFORE I had to step in and put her somewhere. I love seeing awesomeness in kids.
I'll admit, my favorite Friday students are all girls today. But I remember hating gym and not being very good at ANY of the sports, so I totally relate.
These days I tell people I don't play sports, or catch balls, or play tennis, etc. etc. because I have no depth perception. While this is not "untrue," I must admit that I wasn't very good at them before that handy excuse either.
I actually quite enjoy subbing in the gym. It's a change from the classroom and nobody expects them to be quiet.
Remember when we were kids and we were so nice and quiet for our subs?
Me too. Totally.
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