Teaching PE as a primary school teacher

I was wondering, if you are a primary school teacher do you have to teach PE?

I don't mind teaching all the other subjects and teaching all the different subjects is one of the reasons i wanted to become a teacher but i hated PE and i was terrible at it (i can't even catch a ball). :frown:

Thanks in advance.

Reply 1

sam.hunton

Unless they employ specialists, yes.

Reply 2

Rachel-88

One school I volunteered in had a teacher that would come in to teach music and PE, not sure how common it is though!
It would be OK I reckon, the kids would enjoy it! And it's not like you need to be good at sports, just enthusiastic so the kids will have a go :smile:

Reply 3

ashrose

Thanks

I've just remember one of my teachers didn't teach us PE and another one taught us instead but i suppose I'll just have to then :smile:

Reply 4

Rachel-88

You'd get used to it :smile:

, guess it would just become part of the routine! We never had separate PE teachers when I was at school so I'd just assumed I'd have to teach it until I did some school experience and realised not all teachers do.
Have you applied for a PGCE for 2011/12?

Reply 5

ashrose

After hearing this i don't feel that bothered by it anymore :smile:

and no i haven't I'm only in year 12.

Reply 6

Cynthi007

I thaught at a German grammar school and here it is quite usual, too. But I don´t see a problem with it. I let the kids do the work. :smile:

I had a colleague and she was a fatty. she also taught PE. that was quite funny to see. I met her in the staff room wearing her track suit, which was pink. I could hardly avoid laughing out loud. but she is nice and caring to say something positive. :smile:

Reply 7

Kaiser_7

It is a shame that at the age children are develpoing all their key motor skills that they have teachers that can't even do them. I guess it's not the emphasis in Primary Schools what with them being focussed so heavily on Numeracy and Literacy. It doesn't half make it difficult though when they get to Year 7 and they can't catch and throw a ball...

Reply 8

caroline_p3

Original post by Kaiser_7

I'm certainly with you there!

Reply 9

nicola778

We only had like one half hour PE lesson a week when I was in primary school and most of that was just games that the teacher didn't take part in.

Reply 10

nterry242

I really wouldn't worry about it. When the children are younger it's all about teaching and improving those key motor skills - just basic skills that everybody should have, regardless of your athletic ability.

Also, the thing about being a primary school teacher is that you really need to check your pride and dignity at the door! You can't be afraid of coming off as looking a bit silly, you need to get stuck in! As I discovered in my first hymn-singing session...

Reply 11

Hanzing

Some schools they may have different people doing it, Mine is taught the day Im not usually in work by a HLTA so I dont have to do it. But I wouldnt worry about it too much, I did before my PGCE but there not expecting you to be an expert, its just teaching the basic skills within PE be it in outdoor sports, gym, dance.
But as nterry said with teaching you definately need to be able to not worry about looking silly with children! Sometimes its good to show them your not an expert at everything too :smile:

Reply 12

TheSownRose

Original post by Kaiser_7

I can't think of a single example where not being able to throw and catch a ball would have made year seven more difficult than not being able to read, write or do simple maths.

Reply 13

oxymoronic

I've been teaching PE to Year One in my PGCE school... none of the children have died in dramatic injuries yet and we're doing gymnastics so its going okay so far :biggrin:

Like with anything at primary, you have to send you inhibitions out of the window. The kids love it if you get it wrong or if they have to show you how to do it, even if you're pretending, so if your skills aren't the best at PE then it won't really matter as it will show them that you don't have to be an amazing sportsman/woman to get involved in PE. In primary, getting them active and enjoying it is the key thing so if they see you promoting a healthy attitude even your criers who decide after Christmas they no longer like PE will still do the lesson without a fuss!

The only time you really have to do anything is when you're giving an example of what you want them to do. I was doing simple routines of 3 different floor movements with my class last week and there was no way I was going to do a roly poly for them even if they wanted to do it in their own work, so I just modelled a basic roll along the mat which was fine as it showed them they can either do complex movements or something easier to still achieve the same aim.

If you're on placement and do get the chance to teach PE, take it up because you might not be able to at another school due to it explicitly taught by a specialist teacher. It could be that you then get a job in a school where you're not required to teach it, but you don't want it to be the other way around and the first time you take a PE lesson is when its with your own class with no support.

Reply 14

Vulgar Monkey

Another good point was raised above - hymn singing!

I remember we had to do that when I was a kid (we all hated it of course), but does that still go on?

As an adult I find it a little odd that we'd still let fairly religion-specific activity into mainstream school. Thought it's all meant to be quite secular these days?

Reply 15

Interrobang

Original post by Vulgar Monkey

Depends on the school. I've been into two schools that were very much 'not religious' and they sang non-religious songs and didn't do anything like prayers. On the other hand, I've been into a school that wasn't a church school, but had a school song mentioning god and sang a mixture of hymns and non-religious ones, as well as having a vicar to visit the children at least every half term