Using Your Creativity

     Creativity is important in your everyday life, no matter what it is that you are doing if you cannot be creative, you cannot succeed. In the classroom it is important to teach children skills they will need outside of class or outside of the gym and having them be creative is good for their train of thought. 

     I was taught a very interested method of doing this just this past week. By putting children into teams it allows them to be creative as well as participate and share thoughts and ideas with others which is also a great skill for them to have, to be able to work as a team. This game is built off of teamwork and working together will make your group stand out from all the rest. So how it works is in your teams, you go around to the stations that have been previously set up (number of stations depends on number of teams), and at each one there is a random grouping of equipment. Within your group you must come up with a game that is both fun and something everyone can play, as well as agree on, and do so in the time allotted.

     One of the stations set up had hula hoops, hockey sticks, and small rubber balls. Our goal was to create a game for ages 6 and up. As a team it was important that we all put in our two cents and were happy with what it is we were choosing, it took three or four game ideas before we came up with something. One hula was placed in the center and four were in each corner creating a box around the original hula. As a spin off of "Piggy in the middle," four of us stood in the hoops that were in the corner with hockey sticks and were passing each other one of the balls. The fifth person was to stand within the hula placed in the center with a hockey stick while trying to intercept the ball flying past. For the duration of the game, nobody was allowed to step outside the hoop or they were to be the "Piggy." You could also end up in the middle by hitting the ball too hard or completely out of direction of another player. The rules put in place were to make sure people respected others and helped others participate more as opposed to trying to get people out. Instead the goal of the game was to work as a team and communicate without your ball being intercepted. If, as we found, you are finding it too hard for the "Piggy" to reach the ball, you may have to bring in your corner hoops a little bit closer or else allow the center person to pivot outside of the hoop but always having at least one foot remain inside. Like any group activity it may become frustrating for some when other people don't necessarily want to cooperate or else are to shy to communicate with the group on what it is they would like to do, or think would be fun. You may be able to cure this by continuously asking them their opinion and making them feel included.

     Another station used had potato sacks, paddles, a small ball and two hula hoops. Split your group into two (in our case we chose boys vs girls) and hop into the potato sacks. The paddles were to be the only things allowed to touch the ball and the hoops were put on either side of our allotted gaming sections acting as nets or goals. You are then to pass the ball to another player and eventually try and get it into the hoop on the opposing end to score a point. Team with the most points when the time is up wins. The rules implemented were that the ball was not to touch any body parts or you are to forfeit it to the other team. This was to keep people from cheating and playing in a soccer-like fashion or throwing to their partners causing an unfair advantage. It was also implemented that each player must touch the ball prior to scoring so that everyone has a fair chance at playing and one person is not just running down to the other end on their own to score all the time. These rules helped the teams to communicate a little better than the previous ones because both teams showed some competitiveness and in order to have everyone touch the ball and score, communication was primitive. The group worked really well on this one and everyone seemed to agree on a fun level as well as something that would be a great lesson both inside the gym and out for anyone older than the grade 2 level.

     If given the chance I highly recommended doing this station activity with a large group of young children, you may need to imply the rules for them prior to them playing as they may not think of them on their own but it is definitely a great activity to teach them a few things that are important when playing games and that its not JUST about fun, but also about how others experiences are when they walk away from it.

              

HAVE A GREAT WEEK!!

Will your teaching philosophy change a life?

When teaching games to young children, what is worth teaching? What is going to truly make a difference in their lives? How do you create an environment that is fun for all?

Prior to planning a game based on fun, it is important to dig deeper and force ones self to think about your philosophy for teaching. It is a system of principles that are always considered when creating games and concluding what it is the children need to be taught. My philosophy is based on the fact that each child is an individual with emotions, reactions, and thoughts. Each is unique and the interactions they have at a young age, and the way they are taught, shapes them into who they are and what they demonstrate to others.

To children, games are all about having fun. Though it is 

very important that they enjoy themselves, it is just as important that they use teamwork, follow rules, and are respectful to other children. Those who grow older and base their lives around competition may be hard working, but are also doing anything they can to win. This includes cheating, lying, and even knocking down others to get to the top. Is this what we want for our future? What about those who were the ones being knocked down, cheated, and lied to? Well they are the ones with no sense of self-worth, do not typically like to participate and perhaps are lacking in social skills. This is due to fear. FEAR of losing! FEAR of being the butt end of the joke! FEAR, of what life has to offer.

My philosophy is to show children that you can have fun when playing games as well as making it fun for others. The inclusion of other people, trying your own personal best, following rules, and being positive is what makes a day enjoyable whether it be playing games, out on the playground, or in the classroom. With everyone working together and including one another, no single child is left behind and it is an extremely useful life lesson to be learned.

There is no perfect world, where everyone plays together in harmony, where teachers all have the same philosophy, or where each student is raised in a similar household. However if you are able to teach this philosophy to at least one student and make a difference in their lives.......why wouldn't you?

WHAT IS YOUR PHILOSOPHY?