Sportsmanship

Being a good sportsperson...
...Is a tough thing to teach but even tougher to learn when you've already grown up with unsportsmanlike behaviour being demonstrated to you from a young age. Over the past year I have been trying my absolute hardest to squash the bad sportsmanlike behaviour out of these kids - and we have come such a long way!

The best thing I could have done last year was organise lunchtime teacher vs. student games. The reason being that the kids got to see what good sportsmanship was; they got to witness the teachers working together and encouraging one another and they got to see how much fun we were having by working as a team. I really need to organise some more next term!

Last week the Grade 5/6s went to Hooptime and Penelope said to me that Sean made this great interception and Beaudon stood up from his seat and yelled out "Yeah, great work Sean, you're amazing!" And it was in that moment that she thought to herself - "that is what it's all about". I gave my sportsperson of the week award to Derm this week because his praises were sung from every staff member who returned after that day because he demonstrated excellent skill, but he used that skill to involve others - not become the star of the team.

I have so many students whose sportsmanship has come a mile! I'll always have a handful of kids who I can't change - they will always be ball hogs and they will always try to steal the spotlight, but the majority of the kids at this school can now be called good sportspeople - which is a massive improvement from the handful who were last year!

As much as I am longing to be in my own classroom in the near future, I am going to struggle big time giving up PE to another teacher. I believe that PE is such an important part of education - it teaches so many amazing skills and life tools that the kids will use forever and I've witnessed way too many terrible PE teachers practices to give it up lightly!