I think it is beyond obvious to people why being active is important, and how it helps students in school, but here is a list anyways.
- It helps you stay healthy
- It helps your brain functions in school
- Endorphins = happiness
Exercise is good. Let's just get that establishment out of the way. It is as simple as that.
But I think the better question rather then asking "Why" it is important in school, is figuring out "How" to incorporate physical education into schools.
At my high school you need one gym credit. So you just take grade 9 then you are done. I think it should be at least 2 credits, if not every year having mandatory gym. I hear little voices screaming "But not everyone is good at sports" at me, well not everyone is good at math, but you have to have 3 math credits to graduate high school.
In primary school we had something called DPA (daily physical activity) which basically meant that for 15-20 minutes, whether or not it was a gym class, we had to spend time moving around. That wasn't overly successful because half of the time we all wanted to play silent seat ball (We sit on desks and throw a ball around and if we drop it or talk you have to sit in your chair). So it wasn't even that active. And 15-20 minutes is nothing!
I think that kids need to be active for 45-60 minutes a day. I feel like it is easier for primary teachers to incorporate this, or at least primary schools.
But I think high school is harder to incorporate this into. We need ways to get students moving so their brains and endorphins are pumping! I always think that teachers should get the class out of their seats as much as possible, and not just staring at the board. But other than that, what is there?
We could implement something like DPA, but with teenagers it is difficult. Half of the school isn't dressed to do physical activity, and the other half isn't willing to.
I think the best way for high schools to incorporate physical activity is to have gym every single year... even every semester. Maybe at the very beginning of the day, everyone has 30 minutes of gym. That would be really hard to regulate without a large physical education staff... but really all teachers could help out. But again, I think all of the teenagers would just stand around.
Perhaps in grade 9, implementing a rule in which all students must participate in one sport, as an extra curricular? Again, that runs into problems.
Perhaps something like in one class everyday, there has to be a 20 minute activity in which students are moving. Whether they are just walking the track or playing some kind of review game in which it is an obstacle course. So period one classes on monday, 2 on tuesday, etc, would have to do 20 minutes of physical activity within class.
I know you can't force every single student to love physical activity, but I think it is important to give them the option and teach them why it is good.
Maybe that is the answer there, teaching students to pursue physical activities like walking, going to the gym or joining a sport on their own time. But that has to become a permanent doctrine in school. Talking about it at assemblies, making all period 2 teachers talk about it at the beginning of class. Emphasizing it in gym and health classes.
Perhaps the gym credit should be split into two half credits, or you have to have two 1 credits in gym, one gym class is actually being active, and the second just focuses on the education aspects. In grade 9 gym, we do talk about health and sex, which is about 2/5ths of the course. I think it should be split into two 1 credits.
I don't know. I can't think of any quick fixes. This issue needs lots of time, and even money to implement it.
- It helps you stay healthy
- It helps your brain functions in school
- Endorphins = happiness
Exercise is good. Let's just get that establishment out of the way. It is as simple as that.
But I think the better question rather then asking "Why" it is important in school, is figuring out "How" to incorporate physical education into schools.
At my high school you need one gym credit. So you just take grade 9 then you are done. I think it should be at least 2 credits, if not every year having mandatory gym. I hear little voices screaming "But not everyone is good at sports" at me, well not everyone is good at math, but you have to have 3 math credits to graduate high school.
In primary school we had something called DPA (daily physical activity) which basically meant that for 15-20 minutes, whether or not it was a gym class, we had to spend time moving around. That wasn't overly successful because half of the time we all wanted to play silent seat ball (We sit on desks and throw a ball around and if we drop it or talk you have to sit in your chair). So it wasn't even that active. And 15-20 minutes is nothing!
I think that kids need to be active for 45-60 minutes a day. I feel like it is easier for primary teachers to incorporate this, or at least primary schools.
But I think high school is harder to incorporate this into. We need ways to get students moving so their brains and endorphins are pumping! I always think that teachers should get the class out of their seats as much as possible, and not just staring at the board. But other than that, what is there?
We could implement something like DPA, but with teenagers it is difficult. Half of the school isn't dressed to do physical activity, and the other half isn't willing to.
I think the best way for high schools to incorporate physical activity is to have gym every single year... even every semester. Maybe at the very beginning of the day, everyone has 30 minutes of gym. That would be really hard to regulate without a large physical education staff... but really all teachers could help out. But again, I think all of the teenagers would just stand around.
Perhaps in grade 9, implementing a rule in which all students must participate in one sport, as an extra curricular? Again, that runs into problems.
Perhaps something like in one class everyday, there has to be a 20 minute activity in which students are moving. Whether they are just walking the track or playing some kind of review game in which it is an obstacle course. So period one classes on monday, 2 on tuesday, etc, would have to do 20 minutes of physical activity within class.
I know you can't force every single student to love physical activity, but I think it is important to give them the option and teach them why it is good.
Maybe that is the answer there, teaching students to pursue physical activities like walking, going to the gym or joining a sport on their own time. But that has to become a permanent doctrine in school. Talking about it at assemblies, making all period 2 teachers talk about it at the beginning of class. Emphasizing it in gym and health classes.
Perhaps the gym credit should be split into two half credits, or you have to have two 1 credits in gym, one gym class is actually being active, and the second just focuses on the education aspects. In grade 9 gym, we do talk about health and sex, which is about 2/5ths of the course. I think it should be split into two 1 credits.
I don't know. I can't think of any quick fixes. This issue needs lots of time, and even money to implement it.
I am really reaching out to readers here. What ideas to you have to help incorporate physical activity into schools?
