Entry #24

Entry #24

School Placement:  Forest Hills Elementary

Cooperating Teacher:  Crystal Boyd

Grades/Subjects:  K-5 PE

Date:  10-14-14

Summary of Today’s Activities

                Today was my first day observing at Forest Hills Elementary.  Crystal Boyd (host teacher) seems to have a tight grip on her classes.  Her classes consisted of kindergartners and fourth graders.  The unit for all grade levels has started with Halloween games.  Ms. Boyd had the kindergartners in the morning and they warmed up playing a game called Monster Mash.  This game is a variation of a musical chairs game; instead it is used with hula hoops.  Once the music has stopped, the students would have to find a hula hoop to stand in.  While the music is playing, Ms. Boyd would call out “Pumpkin”, “Ghosts”, “Spiders”, “Scarecrows”, “Werewolves”, “Monsters”, or “Bats”.  The students would have to walk the perimeter of the gym acting out or pretending they are the Halloween character.  The main activity was called “Witches Brew”.  A parachute was used for this activity and it was considered to be a witch’s pot.  The students then chose what was going to be in the pot, such as rats, snakes, eyeballs, etc.  The gym equipment represented these things or items and were put in the middle of the parachute.  The students would then stir the items in the pot (parachute) by waving the parachute.

                The fourth graders played a game of Spider Tag.  Two students were chosen to be the spiders and the rest were considered flies.   If a spider tagged a fly then the fly would have to sit and become a spider helper.  The objective is to get from one side of the gym to the other without getting tagged.  The last two students standing would then be spiders in the next round.

Reflection

                Forest Hills is a small school with a great atmosphere.  The faculty was very enthusiastic and warm.  Many of the teachers came down to the gym to introduce themselves.  Ms. Boyd’s activities were very fun and the students had great respect towards her and the gym equipment.  All of the games were Halloween themed.  The kindergarten class had a student with autism that was getting upset and crying when he lost in the game.  I will have to find a way to keep him engaged in the activities provided.  Overall, it was a great first day.  I learned how the classes would enter the classroom and sit on the yellow line and how Ms. Boyd would transition from a warm up activity to the main activity.  I am a little disappointed that the classes only meet once a week, but I’ve heard that’s how many elementary schools do Physical Education.  I am definitely excited about this placement and what it has to offer and what I have to offer to the students of Forest Hills Elementary.