"Free the child's potential, and you will transform him into the world." - Maria Montessori
Transforming children is par for the course in the Title I, K to 5 school where I teach physical education.
We have one of the largest enrollments of English as a New Language Learners in any elementary school in our city. The challenges these kids face are amazing. Many are learning to speak English for the first time, even as they continue to develop and master their native tongues at home.
There are over a dozen languages and dialects represented in our school. This, along with the long hours of school and after-school program enrollments, severely limit time available for social interactions and the formation of meaningful friendships outside of school.
In every grade, there are students with special needs. All of the children are working hard to meet our newly adopted and rigorous Common Core-based curriculum. What is more amazing than all of this, however, is the dedication these students show day in and day out as they strive to reach all of their personal, social, and academic goals.
My Project
My students don't get out much. They spend most of their days in school and even the time spent outside is restricted to the schoolyard and one crowded city playground located adjacent to our school. We learn many sports and games in PE and most are common city games. I do like, however, to expose them to other sports and games that they might have the opportunity to play if they ever venture out of the city.
Disc golf is a fun game with frisbee discs that are thrown at a disc pole target with a basket and chains.
The disc poles are arranged on a course with different par levels assigned based on level of difficulty. Disc golf courses are usually free and offer participants an opportunity to have fun while enjoying the great outdoors. While I can't take my students on a trip to the country, I can teach them the basics of disc golf in the gymnasium. The disc toss target lawn games and discatcher travel target will let my students learn to toss discs at targets. It will give them another fun way to exercise, socialize, and improve their health and fitness.
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