I think some sort of PE should be compulsory. However, I think that where possible, there should be different classes students can take in place of a general class.

For example, at my high school there was a gymnastics class, swimming, team sports, yoga, aerobics and weight lifting. Despite this, we were still all required to take the general class. Taking additional ones took up our electives, and everyone knows gym classes are "blow-off" classes to college admissions people.

I don't think it should. I really hate the things that we do in PE, but it's not that I'm not physically fit. I'm an Irish dancer, and I wonder if the triple-letter boys at my school could do what I do. I don't think I could do what they do either, but it's just, I still work my heart-rate up, and I still burn calories, I still stretch, I still build muscle, just in a different way.

Why should I have to do the athletic stuff that isn't compulsory for life, when I have other things that keep my fit?

I guess in my school, and yes, I go to a public school, students don't mock others if they aren't good at sports in PE. Though, come on, a student isn't going to have a good time or learn anything, for that matter, in PE, if the teacher fails to control a class and earn their respect.

What? Do you think states shouldn't require students to take math if they get mocked because they can't do math well? What about science? Should states not force students to take a class if they could be potentially mocked for not being good at mixing chemicals or conducting experiments? And the same goes for history and English, and foreign language classes.

PE is just one of many classes students are required to take as part of an overall curriculum. I said it before in this thread 2 years ago, schools are trying to develop the entire student, not just for college, but for their lives as adults.

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its the teachers.

And students

As I have said before, its not PE thats going to discourage children, its the teachers. If you have good teachers, trust me, you will enjoy PE.

I guess I'm lucky to go to a school where the PE teachers are fantastic, even if you suck at sports.

As the saying goes, "Theres a sport for everybody."

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Will it help? Of course it will.

No it won't. Children who do not preform well in PE are often mocked. Thats not going to want to make them join a sport.

Physical activity isn't going to start from scratch...somebody, something needs to get children up off of their butts and on to the fields/courts/gyms/training centers of the world.

Cartoons, TV, computers aren't going to solve the problem in this country of childhood obesity.

Is PE going to solve the problem? No. Will it help? Of course it will.

PE doesn't help with obesity. If I child needs to loose weight they are going to need more than the minimal activity they will get in PE.

I was reading my comments from 2 years ago on this thread and I guess my opinions haven't changed.

In PE you learn about physical activity, team work, and making new friends.

PE teaches you new sports that you wouldn't be introduced to otherwise. I was in favor of PE 2 years ago, and I still am today.

A recent USA Today article (USA Today article) states,

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A third of children — about 25 million kids — are overweight or obese, which puts them at risk for developing type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and other health problems.

Another USA Today article says:

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Obesity could shorten the average lifespan of an entire generation — today's children — by two to five years, according to a controversial new life-expectancy analysis.

Childhood obesity is so bad that people are calling it an epidemic! Childhood Obesity article

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Because of this, the incidence of diabetes in children is skyrocketing: 30 percent of Caucasian children and 45 percent of Hispanic and black children born in 2000 are expected to develop diabetes in their lifetimes.

If more people took part in PE, this country would most definitely have less obese and unhealthy people. Sitting around at a desk or in front of the computer or TV doesn't help you live a healthy life. Physical activity, the stuff your PE/gym teachers are trying to teach, is what will let you live a healthier and more enjoyable life.

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I wasn't athletic either, but all the muscle heads who went to high school with me, I have not heard from any of them since graduation. Being a jock only gets you so far.

Maybe you'll never see them again, but I know that the humiliation I underwent in gym (and it's been several years) will stay with me for a lot longer. For the longest time I refused to play any type of sport at all, thinking that it would be just like gym class. The last teacher I had liked to encourage me to do my best by saying something along the lines of, "Meg, you suck!" Really helpful.

Given the choices for food that we have in schools today, mine included, and the amount of homework and classes that students complete, we really need physical education.

I wasn't athletic either, but all the muscle heads who went to high school with me, I have not heard from any of them since graduation. Being a jock only gets you so far.

To be honest, I only took one year of PE because there were specialty sports we could do but none of them would take me. So, I didn't pursue PE anymore. I still practice my tennis and golf swing but I can't fully pursue the former sport for medical reasons.

Once it cools down, I hitting the links.

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My worst experiences in gym were the wishy-washy non-team oriented activities. Those were just plain boring.

But scuba diving in the school pool is pretty cool.

Damnit. I rhymed.

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Originally posted by Meagan87:

I think the key is to remove the competition aspect of the classes and focus on any way they can get students up and moving and having a good time. I think introducing them to fun physical activities would spark an interest to get them moving out of class, and would do exponentially more good than boring and incredibly challenging activities. (Not that there is anything wrong with challenging oneself, just that physical challenges shouldn't necessarily be required by the schools.)

Competition is one of the BEST parts of PE. I was never on any sports teams, nor was I an athelete, but man it was fun to play dodgeball or volleyball in gym. Especially when you crushed the other guys, ha.

My worst experiences in gym were the wishy-washy non-team oriented activities. Those were just plain boring.

I hated PE, but it should continue to be mandatory.

It's good to keep kids moving around and burning some energy, especially since childhood and teenage pastimes are growing more and more towards stagnant activities such as TV, computer and video games which does not require physical activity.

I think the key is to remove the competition aspect of the classes and focus on any way they can get students up and moving and having a good time. I think introducing them to fun physical activities would spark an interest to get them moving out of class, and would do exponentially more good than boring and incredibly challenging activities. (Not that there is anything wrong with challenging oneself, just that physical challenges shouldn't necessarily be required by the schools.)

I like PE. We're doing kickball now

I think some form of physical eductaion should b required, but you have to admit that the constant six-inches, hitlers, push-ups, quick feet, lounges, ect. can be Hell on a person, especially a teen. I myself have to push mself to do a situp and I never have been able to do one because of my back. I try, and it's hard, and it hurts, and I can't do it because of my bad back problems. Honestly, I think these different 'traditional' excersizes should be optional and that school should subject a student to different types of sports (changing at least once every 2 months of course. Doing the same sport might intrigue some but bore others. Such as my gym class, we all work out on the track excerizes, whether we are in track or not.). The should incorporate sports that the students will enjoy, not just that they will approve of. I think a student should have a mandatory P.E. eveyday, but it doesn't have to be Hell on them. The coaches could make it fun (Think about trying street hockey, skate boarding, biking, basketball, ect. in school) or at the least have to do what the students do (Ha! I'd like to see my two fat coaches do six-inches and Hitlers.)

Okay heres another from me I dont think kids should be forced to take it. I dress out 1 or 2 days of the week depending on the week becuase I'll have PE 2 days one week and 3 the next.

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Ignored post by yogore posted July 04, 2005 02:11 PM Show Post
WorthWaitingFor
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Registered: June 14, 2004
Posts: 2692

Posted July 04, 2005 01:49 PM Reply With QuoteEdit or Delete MessageReport This Post
Those are some weird high-school schedules....we had A and B days in middle school but went to a more normal schedule in high-school.

We have 2 semesters each year, four classes in the first semester (fall), and four different classes in spring semester (spring). But it doesn't switch up classes every other day, just in the next semester. And we only have to have one class/credit of PE our freshman year. If we pass, no more.


Belief makes things real/Makes things feel, feel alright/Belief makes things true/Things like you, you and I
Ignored post by WorthWaitingFor posted July 04, 2005 01:49 PM Show Post
benje309
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Registered: January 03, 2005
Posts: 2427

Posted July 04, 2005 12:06 PM Reply With QuoteEdit or Delete MessageReport This Post

In my school we only have too have two semesters of PE and we take those our Freshman and Sophmore year and I dont like PE

My elementary school gym wasn't even that fun after about 2nd grade or so. Then we got a new teacher. Mr. Hitchcock.

He treated us like we were already in middle or high school. We ran. A lot. I walked just to p*ss him off.

I liked PE on certain days. I hated middle and high school gym though, almost always. Elementary school was a different story because, and I hope this was true for you guys too, we played simple games and were not that competitive.