What do you think about picking teams in gym class?

[cheermom1]

To me the most important thing children need to learn in school is coping skills. Teach a child to be confident and to own their own strengths and you are giving that child the ability to be successful in life.

Not everyone is good at everything, but the people who know what they are good at are the ones who go on to truly find career success and happiness.

Getting picked first in PE has absolutely nothing to do with predicting future life success. As my facebook account has taught me, the athletes do not always go on to be successful.

Trying to shelter a child from rejection is pointless because rejection never stops - mean kids become mean adults. Allowing your child to be in difficult situations is a great opportunity for teaching them things that really matter.

That's my take on the whole thing anyway. Just last week my DS was assaulted by Tinkerbell (well a little girl who was dressed as Tinkerbell) on a playground at WDW (she shoved him off a pedestal to the ground). I didn't care. He got right up and went on playing. I was proud of him. Life is all about getting back up.

Exactly

My face book taught me the same thing. a star football player at my school is now a sex offender.

 

[luvsJack]

Yeah, isn't this like every day behavior for girls? I mean, girls don't need a reason to be mean to other girls...

Ain't that the truth! I never realized how horrible girls can be to each other until dd got to 6th grade! They can be evil!

 

[rgf207]

It was clearly a joke and it has been told by many, many people.

Learn to laugh. It makes life much more enjoyable.

I understand that it may have not been serious but coming from an entire family of teachers, It's not far off from what many think and it's something that my wife hears all the time. It's offensive and demeaning to teachers and their families.

 

[DisneyBamaFan]

I understand that it may have not been serious but coming from an entire family of teachers, It's not far off from what many think and it's something that my wife hears all the time. It's offensive and demeaning to teachers and their families.

No - it is just a joke - told to make people laugh. Jokes are rarely told to offend, though there is no shortage of people out there looking for an excuse to feel offended. If one means no offense, why allow yourself to feel offended?

One of the most respected professions in America is that of teacher. But, just like every other profession, they take their lumps. It could be worse, you could come from a family of lawyers.

You just have to learn to laugh at yourself and take yourself less seriously. Then, when others laugh at you, you can laugh, too.

 

[asta]

I really can't stand the word 'snowflake' As soon as anyone posts anything about an issue with a child or their child, the 'snowflake' term gets thrown around like crazy.

I don't see anyone on here demading special treatment for their child. Heck, I don't even have a horse in this race-I have 3 kids who all happen to be good athletes(not from me that;s for sure!) and they have a lot of friends. I think the main thing people are talking about here is some compassion. Isn't learning to be compassionate just as important as learning that life isn't fair and you can't always win? It is in my house.

Thank you for posting this. I have read the entire thread and noticed that a lot of these tough, sucks to be you type posters are so quick to jump on the 'snowflake' term. Most of this discussion is about a lazy, terrible way of educating children. I haven't seen anyone talking about marching into PE class and demanding decency. Very few of the posts have been about parental interference but I think this term is being thrown in to demean other posters. I shouldn't be surprised that someone who believes in education by humiliation would think of using that tactic to belittle other posters.

You said it so well that I think it bears repeating

I think the main thing people are talking about here is some compassion. Isn't learning to be compassionate just as important as learning that life isn't fair and you can't always win? It is in my house.

 

[lillygator]

seriously how often are these pe classes picking teams?

 

[Mandychelle79]

I was the fat girl, always picked last. Unless we were playing one specific game. We played a game called gator ball, which was basically a school approved version of a frequently played game where who ever had the ball basically had a target on them and frequently got smeared I was either a captain or the first one picked as we had co-ed gym and the guys really hated getting thrown to the floor by a girl Because I was picked last and knew how it felt I would pick a one or two "better" players and then pick some of the other ones that were normally picked last.

 

[nuttylawprofessor]

It was clearly a joke and it has been told by many, many people.

Learn to laugh. It makes life much more enjoyable.

Are you encouraging others to laugh at inappropriate humor?!?!

One of the most respected professions in America is that of teacher. But, just like every other profession, they take their lumps. It could be worse, you could come from a family of lawyers.

This is what I'm seeing from the posts. Picking teams is humiliating because of the whispers, the groans, etc. But as others have pointed out, those won't disappear just because the teacher puts you on a team. It's not really the being picked last that is hurtful, it's the comments that others make. Teacher-picked teams or a random sort will not solve the problem.

 

[cheermom1]

Are you encouraging others to laugh at inappropriate humor?!?!






This is what I'm seeing from the posts. Picking teams is humiliating because of the whispers, the groans, etc. But as others have pointed out, those won't disappear just because the teacher puts you on a team. It's not really the being picked last that is hurtful, it's the comments that others make. Teacher-picked teams or a random sort will not solve the problem.

The bolded part is so the truth. there is NOTHING anyone can do about this b/c even IF they were said in front of a teacher and get corrected they WILL find a way to make sure the teachers do not hear them and it will still be said! Trust me I know for a fact it will continue no matter how it is handled by the teachers. That is life of kids, always has been and always will be. We as parents just need to teach our kids to cope with this any way we how our kids can. We need to help them develop their skills at everything they do weather they are good at it or not.

 

[Acklander]

I think the main thing people are talking about here is some compassion. Isn't learning to be compassionate just as important as learning that life isn't fair and you can't always win? It is in my house.

Learning compassion is VERY important. And one of the ways to learn compassion is by not being good at something, or having your feelings hurt. Then you start to understand WHY it's important to consider others feelings.

Like I mentioned in an earlier post, I do have one child who, while a great student, isn't very athletic and probably never will be. This year in P.E. class they had Dance. He was horrified that he'd have to get up and dance in front of everyone and wanted to "be sick" that day from school. I used that opportunity to talk to him about facing his challenges, to not look for perfection and instead to look for doing the best he can, and also to learn to let it go once it was over.

 

[luvsJack]

The bolded part is so the truth. there is NOTHING anyone can do about this b/c even IF they were said in front of a teacher and get corrected they WILL find a way to make sure the teachers do not hear them and it will still be said! Trust me I know for a fact it will continue no matter how it is handled by the teachers. That is life of kids, always has been and always will be. We as parents just need to teach our kids to cope with this any way we how our kids can. We need to help them develop their skills at everything they do weather they are good at it or not.

Again, I don't think anyone thinks it will make the mean things kids say go away; but it will give them one less piece of ammunition. If the teams are picked and the PE teacher actually participates and teaches the kids, there is not much room or opportunity to say anything.

As for developing their skills, I can understand that if the child is wanting to play a team sport or take up gymnastics or something; but develop their skills for PE?

Besides, saying "well, they will say something anyway" is a cop out and giving the teacher one more reason not to actually do his/her job. Its really not that hard to say "you, you, and you are on that team; you, you and you are on this one".

 

[kaytieeldr]

Kids learn more about how to interact with others on the playground than anywhere else.

The playground isn't gym class. There are no teachers involved. I knew better than to try to get involved in team sports at the playground.

But when there are teachers who aren't teaching, but instead are effectively letting the inmates run the asylum - what's the point of the teacher even being there?

 

[LMC]

does this mean a child who is functioning as a 7 year old but is in class with 15 year olds?
is it the norm for kids to be in the same class with the skill level being that far apart?

He does have a lower IQ than the average person but he is in all regular classes with accomodations (access to laptop, longer time to take tests,etc) and he is an actually thinking, feeling human being. He was prescribed adaptive PE but the school system "does not do that". So we have to waste a year in PE (1 yr required from 9 to 12 grade) where he minimally participates. He likes basketball and wants to play so he is of course picked last because his physical ability is much lower than the others. He does not move as fast, can not dribble as good, and can barely throw the ball hard enough to make a basket. If the PE coach would assign teams then he could make sure my son was not last every day. Yes, his mental capacity is high enough that he knows this happens daily. I know I could fight for adaptive PE but this is our last year. I would much rather he be in another "educational" class helping him build his reading, and science skills. So yes, to answer your question, a child that is that much farther behind is in a regular pe class because the school does not want to have a pe class for kids like him. And to address his safety, I told the school that he would participate in what he felt safe in doing (since they won't adapt for him) and if he did not feel safe he would not participate. He can't play baseball, too slow. Gets nailed in soccer, dodge ball, reflexes too slow. So he knows by now what is safe for him.

 

[metalis4ever]

I mean I know I was in HS over 10 years ago but they gave kids who weren't as athletic as others or who did not want to participate in Gym Class the option of walking around the track the entire period, working out in the weight room or studying on the bleachers after walking 4 laps around the track.....This seemed like a perfect alternative because it gave kids who weren't athletic or didn't like gym class something else to do.... I was almost always the captain and I can say from first hand experience I never picked anyone last because I didn't like them I just saved my right fielder for the last pick

 

[FireDancer]

Having peers point something out will only work IF: the child has a strong enough personality to handle the criticism from peers

And that is something that parents should teach their kids. My mom made sure from a very young age that how we see ourselves has nothing to do with how anyone else sees us. Everyone is made fun of for something in life but if we are happy with who we are it doesn't matter. It never mattered to me, not even in 3rd grade.

If you are so concerned about what everyone else things about you, whether you are 6, 10, 20, 30, or 80, the problem is in the mirror.

Parents cannot prepare their kids before every PE class, that is just dumb.

No, not for every class. Parents can, however, play with their kids at a young age. Some of my earliest memories were playing catch, soccer, or just running around with both of my parents. They put a very high value on physical activity and played with me.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Are you encouraging others to laugh at inappropriate humor?!?!






This is what I'm seeing from the posts. Picking teams is humiliating because of the whispers, the groans, etc. But as others have pointed out, those won't disappear just because the teacher puts you on a team. It's not really the being picked last that is hurtful, it's the comments that others make. Teacher-picked teams or a random sort will not solve the problem.

The whole problem is--there is no solution.

A physical activity will ALWAYS reveal a physical weakness in someone. If the reasons for eliminating team choosing or competitive sports is to spare someone's feelings, that will never happen unless you eliminate PE all together.

In the end if it is stated that the PE teacher has the responsibility to ensure that noone ever gets made fun of--then it can happen without changing the sporting dynamic of a PE class.

Can you think of one physical activity that everyone will be good at?

Sheltering kids won't solve the problem and that is the suggestions being tossed around by the few who were scarred by their PE experience. Their scarring could have been minimized or avoided by a PE teacher who took the time to teach the sportsmanship aspect of PE.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Oh, heck. Don't eliminate PE. I know my limitations. I didn't need them highlighted every single "team" PE period - by being the last one picked every time. Pick me first, then put me on the bench, or in outer right field. Let me help PLAN the team. I'm good at planning, at organizing.

 

[cktrotter]

I knew there would be a thread here about this! Our DD (14) came home today explaining this to me as public shaming. She was saying how she felt terrible for being picked 3rd to last & then she saw the face of the person picked last. She correctly labeled it public shaming, no other activity is handled in this manner.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

OOOOOO A zombie thread.

10 zombies were asked who they'd pick for brain eating contests.
6 out of 10 zombies said we'll pick those picked last for PE.
3 out of 10 zombies said they'd pick those picked last for the science team.
1 zombie asked if any of us were last picks. We shouted no and got out of their sight quickly.

 

[kaytieeldr]

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