Small Sided Games
Choosing to use small teams on small fields with small goals allows every student: the chance practice his or her skills, the opportunity to make tactical decisions, to use the playing space efficiently, to play offense and defense, and to have more opportunities to score goals. Students get more touches or repetitions with the equipment, which increases their skill competence and overall confidence in PhysEd. A small-sided environment is developmentally appropriate for middle school physical education students.
Opportunities for Success
In Physical Education classes at Brookwood, every student is given the opportunity for success. Students are rewarded when everyone succeeds. Students learn to focus on individual growth and achievement, (which is not determined by winning or losing - in fact, we hardly ever keep score) but rather whether everyone played fairly, improved their own skills and had fun.
Additional things to see
- Modifications with equipment to better-fit individual sizes of students
- Emphasis on lifetime sport/leisure activities - A clear objective for the activity or game - High participation time for all students - High physical activity - Inclusion of all students - Emotionally safe environment - Physically safe environment - Well-designed lesson plans that facilitate student learning - Appropriate use of discipline and classroom management - Instruction in a wide variety of activities - Opportunities to improve emerging social and cooperative skills through physical activity - Formative and summative assessment of student progress - Emphasis is on intrinsic, rather than extrinsic, incentives - Small-sided games - Meaningful feedback being given - Emphasis on critical-thinking and problem-solving tactics and strategies - Use of technology |
Things you will NOT see in Physical Education
- Anything with the potential to embarrass a student in front of the rest of the class
- Anything that focuses on eliminating students from participation
- Long lines or relay races - Exercise as a punishment
- Captains choosing teams
- “Sport camp” type activities
- Dodgeball
- Only physically fit students are viewed as successful
- Harmful or hurtful language
- Bullying
- Highly skilled students dominating a game
- Highly competitive activities
- The use of only one ball for most ball-orientated activities
- Using fitness tests to assign a grade
- Fitness tests being compared to “norms”
- Anything that focuses on eliminating students from participation
- Long lines or relay races - Exercise as a punishment
- Captains choosing teams
- “Sport camp” type activities
- Dodgeball
- Only physically fit students are viewed as successful
- Harmful or hurtful language
- Bullying
- Highly skilled students dominating a game
- Highly competitive activities
- The use of only one ball for most ball-orientated activities
- Using fitness tests to assign a grade
- Fitness tests being compared to “norms”