Let me preface this blog post by saying that my largest class size is twenty-four students. I have read people’s tweets and Facebook posts, and some of you have upwards of fifty students in a class by yourself, which is mind-boggling to me! Unfortunately, this seems to be somewhat common too. So for you, take this blog with a grain of salt, especially if you have a giant gym class. With classes that big, survival is your biggest concern, and some concessions have to make. You have pull out all the tips and tricks to keep the students engaged and motivated, and individual attention becomes very difficult. However, if you are a classroom teacher who does PE, or a lucky PE teacher with a reasonable class size, this blog post may be for you.
Alright. I’m just gonna come out and say it.
I will not start giving instructions for the lesson until there is absolute silence. I will stand there and wait until they are quiet.
I do not play music during PE class (with one exception).
I’m sure some of you just read those statements and cried out “blasphemy!” What do you mean you just stand there until they are quiet? Doesn’t that waste a ton of class time? Isn’t gym supposed to be active, and if you wait forever for them to be quiet, aren’t you defeating the purpose of gym class? If my students love music, why wouldn’t you play music to get them going and keep them energized? Music has been shown to increase performance and delay fatigue, so shouldn’t you play music? These are all good questions and critiques, so here is my rationale.
I will not start giving instructions for the lesson until there is absolute silence. I will stand there and wait until they are quiet.
When I am giving instructions to the students, I wait until it is silent before I begin. And I mean silent. I will wait as long as it takes before the students realize that I am not going to start until they stop talking. It does waste a lot of time…in the beginning of the year. But the students see that I will do these consistently every single PE class. I trade the time that would have been wasted in the future, which I believe would a ton of time, for the smaller amount of time wasted in the beginning of the year training them. It’s somewhat of a gamble, because no one knows the how much time would have been wasted in the future. However, I believe I am preparing them for the long haul, and using up time in the present is worth the sacrifice for the time in the future.
Eventually the students who really want to play will ask (or tell) the misbehaving students that they need to stop talking so we can start. The expectation is that I will wait, and the students know not to call the bluff once they have waited five, ten, or even twenty minutes before a class starts. I have waited as long as thirty minutes out of forty-five minute class, and I had to fight the tremendous urge to start with every fiber of my being. However, similar to a parent who needs to stand firm with a petulant child, consistency is paramount. If you crack, they know they can walk over you. In the moment when you are standing there, looking at the students, it painful. It is awkward. But it would be so much worse if they were talking and misbehaving every single class. So I train them to start the class the way I want until they get it right, however long it takes, however many times it takes.
If I see that the whole class is waiting because of only one or two students, this is a different story. I will not punish twenty-three kids for the actions of one student. I will walk up to that student (or pair of students) and I tell them that their actions are affecting everyone else, and it is not fair. Usually I will move them away from each other to help in this process. That usually is enough to get everyone on board to start the lesson. If the behavior continues, I will call the classroom teacher to come get them, which means that there will be a call home.
I do not play music during PE class (with one exception).
If you have read previous blog posts from me, you know that one of the hallmarks of my Montessori Physical Education curriculum is that it integrates with the classroom curriculum. I am trying to create a familiar feeling and setting to the classroom; even though the gym or outside is very different than a classroom. Music is rarely playing in the classroom when the students are working or getting a lesson. During the great work period, we want the students focused, and adding background music is often an unnecessary distraction, especially if its pop music with infectious lyrics. Don’t get me wrong; I love listening to music as much as the next person, but I know that when I really need to focus, I need silence.
Because music is rarely played in the classroom, I won’t play it in gym. I want the expectations of the gym and the classroom consistent. PE class is not an extra recess, and I don’t treat it as such. It is an opportunity to learn in a very physical manner. The extra noise can also make it difficult to hear, whether they can’t hear me while I am giving instructions, or they can’t hear each other give advice or strategies. For students that have sensory processing issues, music does not enhance anything, it only gives them another stimulus they need to process. The games are fun (and chaotic) enough music in the background.
However, I will play music during PE class if it has some connection to the game or sport we are playing. For example, I have played different Maori Haka chants during our rugby practices. I also showed the students some of the famous pregame Hakas that the New Zealand All Blacks do. During the Mesoamerican ballgame, I will play Pre Hispanic Mexican music because it was played during the games in real life. This enhances the experience, and is not a distraction, but enrichment. If music or art connect to the sport that we are playing in PE, then I will use them whenever I can. However, I will not just play music for the sake of playing music.