Gym in SchoolFollow

In NM, we had to take 4 years of English or English-equivalent classes(Speech, Creative Writing, etc). They decided during my junior year that this meant that despite completing English 4 my junior year, I still had to take another year of English in my senior year. I said eff it and took Speech and Creative Writing because the reading list they gave me for English 4-2 sounded like it would bore me to tears. The four years of math thing was worded as a specific number of credits, so I didn't have to take math my senior year, which gave me a lot of time to goof off.

I have to be honest, I feel exactly opposite of your post there. Despite being overweight and fairly sedentary, I had no problem with the competitive sports portions of PE. It was calisthenics days, run the track days and other non-competitive days where I hated that class. Could have been the coach, since he wasn't all up in our faces about doing well at the sports, just wanted to make sure we participated. Even when I was the weakest link on a team, at least the game felt purposeful. Doing jumping jacks, situps or *shudder* mountain climbers(I think that's what they called that one thing I hated) felt like a waste of time. It also helps that the games were diverse enough that while some emphasized my weaknesses(endurance and agility), others emphasized strength or short burst speed, which I was good and alright at, respectively.

Oh yeah, French is the other class I took.

We took religion all 4 years, we just didn't have religion class every day. We had A semesters and B semesters. During the A semesters, we had religion 3 days a week and PE 2 days. During the B semesters we had PE 3 days and religion 2. Our religion classes were actually very interesting and weren't just about discussing Catholicism and Christianity.

One of our religion teachers was even a former brother of the religious order that ran the school who left the order because met a woman and wanted to marry her. I thought it was pretty cool that the order (the Brothers of the Sacred Heart) hired him to teach at the school after leaving the order. Another of the religion teachers was the head soccer coach and he was barely older than the students he was teaching, so he was pretty cool too.

Edit: And yes, 25 credits sounds about right. It's been 17 years since I graduated now, so I really can't remember. I do remember that we had 8 periods in a day and I had 2 of them off every year. Would have 3 off senior year but I took physics AP and biology 2 AP. I also went to the school for 8th grade and got an early start on some of my credits by taking Algebra I in 8th grade, which allowed me to take calculus AP as a senior.

So yeah, 6 classes per year x 4 years plus algebra I as an 8th grader = 25 credits.

Edited, May 22nd 2012 11:32am by Bigdaddyjug

Elementary school: Running around a lot, and being embarrassed in the gym because I could not stretch as far as the other kids. Failure.

Middle school: Not bad, actually. Our school got a grant from the local Army base (since we were the school those kids were bused to) and the soldiers, for some community service project thing, built us a series of stations. We had a full 1 mile loop around the school, and in our gym class you were supposed to jog between each station and then do the exercises listed on the station. 10 jumping jacks, 20 pushups, etc. Every school should have this sort of thing built in. We also actually learned the rules of sports like basketball, volleyball, and baseball; I don't know why our elementary teachers expected us to be magically imbued with that knowledge as children. I think I was at my healthiest in 8th grade.

High school #1: Back to the terrible practices of elementary school, only worse. I don't think I ever did anything in gym class at my first high school except watch the guys lift weights.

High school #2: There was no gym class, only "aerobic dance" which we were expected to take at least one time for one semester. It was taught by one of the ballet instructors, and she did her best to vary the exercises - we used steps, resistance bands, ribbons, and other props on a regular basis. After that, if you were a dancer, you got a full hour workout each day. Otherwise, nope.

I do think that gym class, aka "physical education" is an important part of school. But I also agree that the way it is taught needs to be changed a lot. If someone had given my bookworm childhood self a treadmill and said I could read all I wanted as long as I was walking during gym class, I would have been a lot better off.

For some kids, it's the only exercise they get, so yeah I think we should keep it. Besides, when else is a kid going to get the chance to sit under a parachute dome? I loved that damn thing.

Nexa

That's why you have to jump on top of them. Unless they've made spiky ones.

I too am from Illinois. Our P.E. Classes were usually split into 2 classes: An easier one (Archery, Walking, etc.) and one that was a bit "harder" (weight lifting, indoor/outdoor soccer, run/walking the track for set miles). I'm a big guy and in High School I was around 350lbs. I always took the "harder" one because I got to work out and actually get some exercise.

I don't know about you 2, but around here one does not have to take PE all 8 semesters of H.School. If you played a sport or was in the marching band (no joke) you get out of P.E.

One should definitely knock marching band, if not necessarily for those reasons (I gather that it gets kinda sweaty in those outfits).

Sand, I thought you lived in England? Am I mistaken, or are you an expat?

Nah, I must have imagined it.

We had gym all through high school in RI. I know some schools have different requirements. We had PE or Health 2x a week. Some schools had it every day. It was pretty well-done at my school. During indoor months, we usually had volleyball, floor hockey, and table tennis available, or you could use the exercise equipment in the weight room. Students who didn't want to do any of those could walk laps around the gym (basketball court). Outdoor months, we had softball and soccer, plus walking/running the track, or you could stay at the school and use the exercise equipment in the weight room. I think the presentation of several non-competitive options was beneficial.

We had PE for 3 quarters out of the year, and health for the one remaining.

Edited, May 29th 2012 1:22pm by Spoonless

Most memorable week of middle school gym class for me: Richard Simmons.




Ugh, I took marching band to get out of PE. After two years, I concluded that this was a terrible idea, because several hours of marching practice in a parking lot during your average Texas August is absolute hell. Thankfully, you practice in shirts and shorts.

PE it was.

Edited, May 30th 2012 6:58am by Sweetums