Did you dislike PE? Do your kids dislike PE?

[chris1987]

I'm studying to be a PE teacher and I'm curious to know what people's views are on how PE has changed over the years. Do your kids enjoy or dread it? Why? How could it be better?

I hated it with a passion. The teachers were cruel to those of us that were no good. It didn't have a label in the 70s but I now know I am dyspraxic. That combined with being 5'1'' meant I was really shit. Put me in a swimming pool I was great (and still am).

DS hates it too. Teachers are no less mean to less able pupils - he is dyspraxic too. I am a teacher and the PE teachers at my school get away with murder how they speak to and about children.

I hated it and so did my DDs. No interest whatsoever in trotting round a track or hitting/throwing a ball about the place. I know schools have to do PE because of childhood obesity blah blah blah but for the kids who just aren't interested it's something to be endured and breath a sigh of relief at the end of year 11.

Do you think OP will be back?

I hated it and my pe teacher thought the solution to this would be putting me in stupid positions like centre for netball. The fat, self conscious, sport hating girl... definitely centre...

Probably would have had more luck focussing on defensive positions or individual sport pursuits. I didn't mind running alone, didn't enjoy it but better than team sports.

Do you think OP will be back?
No. They are not getting the required answers, just a deluge of misery. Nobody, however shiny eyed about their new profession, can put this lot right!

I loved it - one of mine doesn't like it. She prefers it now it being settled and she is in the lower set - as she's amongst likeminded kids as opposed to sporting fanatics.

In primary school they outsourced PE to a kids holiday club. Probably got them on the cheap compared with a qualified teacher and in fact they were pretty clueless - thought all kids loved playing competitive football.

I think a lot of kids like non-competitive sport in preference to endless games of footie/netball etc.

ok ...where do I start...some of this probably not relevant now. Back in the day ...60s ...all girls high school. First ...I know whether I am cold or not. Teacher in tracksuit ...sometimes with coat on top as well. Girls in short and aertex top ...in all weathers. Apparently we'll soon warm up when we run around. OK ...So let me wear my track suit ...I'll know when I've warmed up and then I'll take it off. No ...leaving me to freeze won't make me run around more. Exercise is good for me and supposed to be fun ...DON'T MAKE IT TORTURE!!

I assume you are too professional to laugh at last in on the cross country ext ext ...but very important ...don't allow the kids to laugh either. Don't turn a blind eye to it. Kids can be cruel and they have a great antenna for realizing when they'll get away with mocking others. Imagine the outcry if teachers turned a blind eye to academic kids laughing at those who are not academic. Well it is just the same if the sporty think their PE teacher doesn't mind them laughing at the least sporty.
These days you are in luck. There are lots of ways to make it all fun. Great indoor facilities...dance ext. something for everyone. Be as inclusive as possible. Good luck op.

Absolutely hated it!!!! I was so self conscious.. I was really slim so boys seeing me in shorts, running around was my worst nightmare!!! My P.E teacher was that use to my excuses by year 8, that as soon as the pupils walked into the sports hall, would say "everyone changing rooms now" and then just put her hand out to me, for my sick note 😂 didn't do it for four years!

But I was on the school and regional Hockey team, absolutely loved it! Not a boy in sight, to laugh at any of us!

I hated it. Having to wear tiny knickers no matter how bad the weather. Being allowed to wear a tiny skirt over said knickers if you had your period (which was noted in the register so no doing it weeks in a row)

Being crap at it and either laughed at or shouted at by the other kids for not catching/running fast enough etc.

I have boys.

They've all hated PE too. None of them are footballers, or rugby players, which is mainly what they do. So they have no interest in it. They say it's too cold at this time of year, standing around in shorts. No jogging bottoms allowed.

What is it with schools making kids wear tiny clothes for PE all year round?

We did do martial arts together for a while which we enjoyed (money problems stopped that rather than something like boredom)

And I'm currently watching one of mine do fencing, which he took up a few years ago. He's not the best fencer ever but he really enjoys it, which is the main thing.

I hated it, spent years thinking I was rubbish at sport until I was 25, and discovered C25K. I’d put on a huge amount of weight after 2 pregnancies and even then, I found I enjoyed running more than I had as a teenager in PE lessons. I actually like running a lot and Iike pp I wish they’d used something like C25K at school.

We had a lovely PE teacher from Australia who was really encouraging and used to stand there shouting «You can do it!» even when we blatantly could not Then she left, and we were left with horrible bully PE teachers.

What is it with bullying PE teachers?
One of the snotty unpleasant girls from my year is now a PE teacher and I bet she fits right in.

God I detested PE (and so do my kids now). I used to skive off with my friend on double PE Weds afternoon (it was acceptable in the 80s) and we’d go to her house and watch Monty Python videos instead. Much more life enhancing.

I think they should do away with all that expensive games equipment, big sports fields etc and just run aerobics/Zumba classes for those pupils interested.

Thing is there ARE some constructive solutions even if this is a deluge of misery. Please come back OP - you will find much that is useful here.

I asked a PE teacher at my daughter's secondary school why the kids who disliked team sports couldn't be doing aerobics or Zumba or simply just walking laps of the field while the keen ones played.

'Well, if we allowed that they'd all want to do it' he replied, with that withering scorn they seem to teach at PE teacher training camp.

I rest my case.

Daughter loathed PE, and the evil teachers as much as I did. She now runs regularly, and enters 10k events and at a very advanced age I've discovered the delights of the gym.

I hated it. My DDs hate it. It seems like the same patronising, unsympathetic, downright bullying attitude of many PE teachers hadn't changed in the 40 years since I was at school. The type who seem to enjoy the humiliation of kids who aren't naturally sporty. It makes me very very angry. And I agree with a PP who said it's a breeding ground for bullying which many PE teachers seem to ignore or condone.

Loved it.

My daughter isn’t wildly keen but she struggles as she has a heart condition, a seriously deformed spine and appalling lung capacity. Her teachers haven’t always been entirely sympathetic which frankly is shit!

Please listen to kids if they have medical conditions.

I hate pddoing basketball, tennis, badminton and running.
I quite liked archery and swimming.
I could take or leave everything else.

The sports I love now arre MTBing, mountaineering, hiking, and caving.
My lads liked PE.. They are adults now but play ice hockey, cricket, mountain bike and go hiking.

I wanted to like pe but I wasn't amazing at anything and only mildly good at some things. By year 10 I was only doing core pe and no one really gave us any time in the lessons we just "did" stuff we didn't really learn anything.

I did no extracurricular exercise after year 7.

I started running at 18 which fizzled our at uni and returned to it in my 30s.

My older (10 and 12 girls) children swim and cycle outside of school. They have both always participated willingly in pe but not enthusiastically. My 10 year old currently hates it as her school have hired coaches. The sport is much better but the discipline is not and kids are not nice when someone gets it wrong.

My 12 year old recently started secondary. She hates dance but is enjoying pe and I'm v happy as she has decided to do sport activities after school. She has been encouraged to improve and may be moving up a set. I'm very happy with the teaching at her school. Even if you're not keen, great teaching makes all the difference.

I disliked it simply because I don't really enjoy organised group activities. I like swimming in the sea and rivers but don't like swimming pools much, I am happy to walk a whole day, but would never join an organised walk.

Don't think there's anything a PE teacher could do about that, really.

Both dc are completely different characters and enjoy doing things as a group, so they were fine, except that dd was often not able to participate due to disability.

Absolutely hated PE!
Why?
1, The teachers were absolutely evil and completely favored the sporty ones. Actually mean to less sporty ones. Allowing The pushy bullies to pick teams? Yelling at the kids who came last or couldn’t catch/hit a ball?
2, Cold wet miserable. I can remember hockey and cross country mid winter freezing cold ancle deep in mud wearing a t shirt and mini skirt?!? WTH
3, I hated team sports, hit on ancles by bully type girls in hockey,
4, I had actually been very ill as in had a year off school in hospital fighting for my life ill. When I went back to school I was very weak and in no way could I compete but the PE team still forced me. Honestly if they had offered yoga, Pilates, dance or arobics I may have been able to gain back my fitness quicker but no I was sent off to stand on the netball court ( in the cold). Put me off sport for life.
Just put a decent gym in the school and offer classes that people can select to do rather than force misery on the kids.
I still feel resentment towards my PE teachers.

Thing is although rubbish at sport, put me in a hill run, swimming pool or climbing wall and I kick ass. PE offers nothing for people who are more build for strength and endurance (and if your still developing girl strength isn't a patch on woman strength.)

Wonder where the OP is? Hope this thread isn’t just DM fodder.

I don't think being competitive is an attractive personality trait. I have never understood the need to be better than someone else at something as pointless as running about, hitting balls etc.

Wonder where the OP is? Hope this thread isn’t just DM fodder.

Not DM - OP wants to show responses to uni lecturers as they're looking at ways to improve PE. At least that's what they put in the PM they sent to me asking me to edit out my swear words

Where are you OP, that is assuming you are a real person and not a lazy journalist?

You asked the question and here are some answers - what do you think? And what do you have in mind?