Sports and Physical Education is a natural places where cooperative learning takes place. Students are constantly working together to achieve a goal. Plus, depending on the activity, space, equipment available, they also have to take turns. (Very big deal at the elementary level!) This requires them to follow a series of directions and to be patient when it is not their turn.
Often times, there are "mini-Mrs. Weber-students" who just want to do it all, they take over and instead of helping their partner, they do it for them. (LOL... we all have things we need to work on...). In class, we talk a lot about how everyone has to do it on their own in order to learn and to improve at that skill. We also talk about how we have to work on being patient and waiting our turn, because everyone wants a chance to practice or score.
The kindergartners this year have really stepped up to the plate in all of these areas. Today for example, they were practice their soccer passing skills in order to knock over a giant bowling pin, if they hit it or knocked it over they earned points (collected bean bags). Their partner had to wait their turn and cheer them on, they also had to let that person get their own bean bags - even though you are excited for your partner, they want to collect the points they earned for their team.
Some students collected a lot of bean bags and others not so many, but what I saw today was great cooperation, great teammates and EXCELLENT soccer passes (even great passes that just didn't quite knock down the pin). I'm extremely proud of this group and can't wait to see what we do next!
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