Final Blog



This semester I have thoroughly enjoyed the Games and Activities PE class. It always an excitement packed class with great classmates and lots of laughs. We learned two different teaching models that I have found to be very interesting and I am positive that I will benefit from these models in my future teaching career. The first model we learned and practiced was the TPSR model (Taking Personal and Social Responsibility). This teaching perspective helps children and young adults learn to play and communicate in a new and effective way, using the components of respect, participation and effort, self direction, helping others, and taking these skills outside of the PE class. These five aspects of the game are important for children to learn because, in my opinion, they are some of the fundamental building blocks that children need. I think this model is helpful because it can be used in any classroom. I found it intriguing and I really enjoyed learning this different teaching perspective.

The second model we learned, Teaching Games for Understanding (TGFU), was more focused on teaching specific games and how to solve tactical problems within. I really liked the idea of breaking down games into the three categories of invasion games, net/wall games, target games. In this model there is more focus on skill execution, defensive and offensive positioning, making appropriate decisions, and tactical awareness. Addressing different problems in each game is an excellent way to allow children to focus on one aspect of the game at a time, before combining everything at once. It is also a way to demonstrate tactical problems that children may meet within a game, and give them practice to gain the skills needed to solve those problems.

This two models could easily be integrated, and I personally would like to try to do so. A simple way to do this would be to focus on one our all levels of the TPSR model, while addressing a tactical problem for a game. For example, it is always important to show respect, so after a class of practicing ball control in soccer, have students shake hands with the opposing team. Even though these are two different models, they could definitely be merged together. I really benefitted from both of these models, and I had a great time learning them. A would recommend to any aspiring teacher, phys. Ed. or not, to take the time to review these teaching perspectives and learn their benefits to only better the classroom.