Each Age level Is a New Challenge

Each age level is a new challenge when it came to the children we worked with at St Mary's. The PRE K students were challenging at times but challenging in a different way compared to the older kids. The older children were difficult to keep under control and interested in the games they were playing, where as the PRE K children were more difficult when it came to explaining games. We had to make them simple but fun and easy for them to play. The more difficult or the longer it took to explain things the less interested and harder it was for the children to preform or understand what they were doing in the game. Simple games and simple instructions went a long way with the children because all they wanted to do was have fun and play games.




The Preschool children loved games such as the obstacle courses like the one above. They were age appropriate for all ages including Pre K because, they were simple rules and constantly kept them moving and involved. Another part of the obstacle was the decorations and props, this made the children use their imaginations and become more involved in the course that we were providing for them.

Teaching Is a Learning Experience

At St. Mary's I learned that as a teacher you are not the only one who is doing the teaching. What i mean by this is that you can learn so much from those you are teaching, and that they will help you learn better ways to be a successful educator. Someone who I feel has learned from those he has taught is Dr. John R. Passarini. He has learned something from each of the children he has worked with, and at the same time he has taught each and everyone of them something at the same time. This has inspired me to take in every experience you have with the children you work with.




While working at St Mary's I learned what games to play and which ones not to play. The games we played were almost always appropriate for the students at St. Mary’s, however, sometimes they were not age appropriate which taught me that I needed to prepare new games. I needed to find age appropriate games because, the younger students skills were not up to the level that was needed to play certain games which made things challenging.For example, when first starting out at St. Mary’s it was very hard to come up with games that the preschooler’s were able to play. As time went on and after seeing which games worked and which ones did not, it became a lot easier to think of games that they would enjoy and like to play, but at the same time would work.

Another important thing I learned was, when playing tag games or games where the children come in contact with each other, you have to set rules as to what is the right way to tag another child or touch them. I have learned that little things like these, play a large role in your success with the children.

Learning From Those You're Teaching

Over many lab classes I have learned that not only do you teach the children, but they teach you as well. The children will show you or tell you what games they like or dislike, by their reactions of excitement or disappointment. They will also let you know that they enjoy games that are simple and right to the point, rather than confusing games with many instructions. While talking to some of the children during their snack time I learned that on days such as today when they did not receive recess, they want to enjoy after school and play games that are fun and creative. Making simple motor skills such as dribbling and kicking can be challenging to put into games, however when you are creative and use them in different challenging ways the children find them more enjoyable. For Example...





Creative games such as the obstacle courses, are really fun for the children of almost all ages because it give them a chance to use their imagination along with running around and having fun. Obstacle courses keep the kids interested when they involve different tasks and challenges because the children constantly have to try something new which keeps them interested. Keeping the children's attention and interest in activities is half the battle with being successful.

Thowing and Catching

During Lab class this week we learned how to determine the level a child is throwing at. We also learned how hard it can be to keep kids interested in the games you are trying to teach them. Games have to be simple and right to the point to keep kids on track and wanting to play. When things are not going the way you would like them to you have to just redeem their attention and move on to a new game.

Mini Conference

The Mini conference on Friday the 10th, was a very educational experience. While being their I was in charge of giving people directions, however when I had free time I attended a few of the presentations. At these presentations I found many new and interesting ideas of ways to teach children or games to play with them. Each presentation was different and gave me many new ideas. I found the conference to be very interesting and made me want to go to the one at the Turning Stone, so I can learn more and get many more ideas.

At the Mini conference I was able to talk with my high school and elementary physical education teachers who attended the conference. Talking to them gave me a better idea of things to look for and learn at these conferences. Talking to other teachers besides my own was very interesting as well, because they gave me different perspectives and ideas of physical education, other than that of the teachers who I had growing up. Over all I found the Mini-Conference a very educational experience.

Learning the Basic Locomotor Skills

When working with the students at St. Mary's I felt using cues and continued to talk and remind the children what skills they were trying to do. The more I played the games with them or used cue’s to keep them on task the children seemed to be more interactive and enjoyed the games more. Showing how to play, or showing what to do during a game was very effective, because each student knew what they were doing, this helped make the games less confusing for the children.

Brittany's Blog

LAB 2

An effective strategy was choosing games that the kids found interesting and challenging yet at the same time allowed them to run around and enjoy themselves. The younger the kids were the more challenging it was to keep their attention, so using cues and animals as examples, was a great way to regain their attention. Also games that were challenging and involved lots of movement were fun for the older kids because they wanted to continue moving and used their motor skills at a higher more challenging level.

I learned if things are not going well with a certain game to just move on and try something new, to keep the kids constantly moving and involved.