PE: a different subject

After having reviewed the main concepts of physical education, we tried to find the main differences between a PE teacher and a teacher of other subjects. First, we thought about it in small groups and then we shared our information with the rest of the class through a debate. These were the main ideas that we came up with:

Classroom subjects

• More static
• Just in the classroom
• Few materials (books, blackboard, computers...)
• Theoretical
• Ruled classes
• Less interaction
• More cognitive work
• Require intellectual intelligence
• Less cooperation
• Smaller spaces
• Assessment of cognitive skills

           

Physical education

• Involve movement
• Different places
• Lots of different materials
• Practical
• There is more independence and freedom
• Interaction during the whole class
• Less cognitive work
• Kinestesic intelligence
• More cooperation
• Bigger spaces
• The teacher has to speak louder
• Different ways to control the students
• Children can be damaged
• Assessment of motor skills
• The teacher explains something and immediately children perform it, so the teacher can check if they have understood it

           

As we can see through this examples, PE and classroom subjects differ a lot. Although I am not a PE teacher as such I have some background since I am a basketball couch, so I have experienced all these differences. Foremost, the way of catching children's attention is very important because they are usually moving and dealing with some material such as balls. As a result, PE teachers have to take care of their voice and they sometimes have some strategies, for instance, using a whistle, asking children to put the materials on the floor during the explanation and so on. Due to the movement PE requires, the management of the space is essential as well. In order to become a good PE teacher, all this requirements have to be taken into account.

If being a teacher is anything but an easy task, even more difficult is to be a PE teacher since you cannot apply all the strategies you have learned in the other classroom subjects. And, as far as I know so far, the only way to become a good PE teacher is performing it. As in PE classes, the only way to learn movement is through the practice, there is no chance of being a good teacher if you have not any experience. Only when you have to face a class and you put games into practice, you realize how difficult this is. Not only because you should follow a syllabus and achieve some objectives, but also because you want to educate children and want all of them having fun during it.