I chose this photo for my entry because it shows a kid who looks engaged cognitively in the head and arms, and also ready to run in the legs and feet!
Today was the first time our cohort did any physical activity together that was lengthy. It seems that the overall mood at the beginning was agitated, but then it calmed down a bit as we focused on what we were supposed to do.
I would guess that many of us had fairly intense experiences while doing this. Our cohort has proven itself to be supportive, but there is also an element of competitiveness.
We will need to discuss the issue of competition with our students. I think competitiveness can be positive or negative. My daughter is very competitive, and the issue of fairness is also important to her. We talk about and practice good sportsmanship when we do things like play badminton, but my goal with her learning to be a good sport is a long-range goal; I don't think she is quite developmentally ready to take on what I now think is a very complex attitude: being a "good sport." It seems that to adopt this attitude you need to have some empathy and awareness of how your own behavior may affect someone else's experience. I think anxiety ("will I be good enough?") can blunt a person's ability to care about what others are feeling, so it would make it even more important that as teachers we involve the students in creating a supportive classroom community.
No comments:
Post a Comment