There is no hard and fast rule for this and to be honest it really depends on 2 things
- What is your schools approach to this
- What are your own personal preferences
P.E should be active!
There are of course various strands to physical education in the Primary School. However the underlying themes behind them all can be listed as :-
- To encourage and get children active
- To enhance developmental coordination and growth
- Children learn new skills and experience new sports / activities
- Teamwork, tactics and individual responsibility
- To identify both HA and LA both in specific sports areas and also in terms of developmental progress
- To learn how to take part in various activities and to both win and lose in the correct manner
There may be more but you get the sort of ideas.
Getting active…
Irrespective of the activity – from Dance to Athletics you are wanting the children to get active – but is there really any advantage in YOU changing into some form of P.E Kit to actually do this?
Naturally we require the children to change from their school clothes into P.E kit to do any of the scheduled P.E curriculum. Depending on the time of year and the location of the activity then this may range from T shirts, shorts and (hopefully) socks all the way through to tracksuits, sweatshirts and in some cases waterproof jackets.
In other words the clothes we ask the children to wear are suited to the activities we are about to undertake.
So why do WE need to change…or do we?
Well the simple answer is that we don’t – as teachers we don’t need to get changed to actually teach our P.E or games lessons. However, and there is a cautionary word here – if we don’t change then it certainly limits just how much we can be personally involved in the lesson.
I remember being at Primary school and having football lessons for games – the male teacher who took these lessons would always be dressed in his coat, flat cap and wellington boots. His role was a supervisory one, a sort of stationary referee and to be honest I can NEVER remember him giving any tips or coaching at all. In other word he did not get involved in the activity in any way – and his clothing reflected this…it would not have allowed him to be involved; such was his choice!
Hopefully things have moved on from those days – whichever way you teach P.E there should be an element of interaction from you as a teacher. It may be that you are not too confident in teaching P.E however this should not relegate you to a purely supervisory role and standing at the sidelines giving instructions. No – however inexperienced or even reluctant you may be there are times that you should and must get involved in whatever is happening.
- It may be to demonstrate what you are asking the children to do
- To correct a common mistake that is being made
- To form part of a team that perhaps is a person short
- To work with a reluctant pupil
- To simply join in the “class fun”
If you are dressed appropriately then you are more able and inclined to join in – but there are other less obvious benefits of getting changed yourself for P.E and games.
- Firstly there is the message given to children that “we” are all getting changed for P.E and that includes the teacher…we are all ready.
- The profile of the lesson is raised and its importance is highlighted….you are showing that you, as the teacher, are taking this lesson seriously.
- You are dressed for the activity….safely.
However do bear this in mind…
If you are to change then you will be in this clothing for at least 1/2 of the day (unless you do a rushed change at playtime!)…personally I am not adverse to this and will quite happily spend all day in P.E clothing as its comfortable and relaxed and adapts to all classroom situations.
So what are my recommendations?
Physical education is an important component of the curriculum and the governments recommendation for curriculum time in Primary schools and also the funding and accountability for this subject reflects this.
As such your approach to both planning and the teaching of P.E should be at the same level as any of the other foundation subjects. In order to properly teach P.E there is a necessary degree of interaction between you and the pupils in your class and this cannot be achieved if you are wearing inappropriate clothing and unable to join in.
As a basic minimum you should change your footwear in order to provide yourself with a safe footing and base from which you can confidently interact in whatever you are doing. If your clothing is inappropriate then I would recommend that this is changed – however it is always possible to look ahead and plan your school wear for those days in which P.E / games activities are taking place.
So what would be a basic kit to buy?
- Trainers – 2 pairs …outdoor and indoor
- Tracksuit…can be worn complete or trousers only
- Sports socks with padded sole
- T shirts or polo shirts.
So there you have it ….P.E is a great whole class activity within which everyone can achieve at whatever their level. Planning and organisation are, as always the key to success – but never be afraid to lead by example, get involved with the activities and enjoy whatever you are doing….your enthusiasm is infectious!
