Miss Byrn

Miss Bell

Miss Byrn

Miss Bell

Miss Byrn

a~4e

He kicked higher than amyone else in the class, didn't he? He expended
twice as much energy manouvering his fect in the prescribed direction.
There is no doubt in my nind that he was getting all the exercise
possible, which was a great deal more than necessary, out of the activity
When the class had finished the reutinc, he still had two measures of
pattern to do = which he did - apparently blissfully unaware that he

was guilty of any invention over the original thenee

Well, you cortainly can't say that he wasn't having a good time.

Yes, Virginia, he was having a wonderful time. I havnpen to mow that
it took no siall anount of effort for this boy to muster up enough
courage to enroll in this class. If he had from the beginning been
openly criticised for his mistakes anc made to fecl ridiculous, it
would take just about threo times as much courage for hin to elect to
take another activity in which ho might mect with the same difficulticse
In his caso, to have domanded that he perform perfoctly or even nect
the average performance of the class would have been asking the imposse
iblee He may never learn to tan dance, but he is not being punished or
ridiculed for seeking to mow. Another tine he may happen to choose an
activity that fills his necds and conforms to his abilities so well
that the activity might become a life-long hobby.

You believe, then, Miss Byrn, that wo encourage nhysical illitcracy

by demanding a standard of performance often beyond the cavacity of the
student to perform, thereby making the whole business so distasteful
that we defeat our own purposes

Yos, Virginia, that is my belicf, and it scons to me that wo have failed
4n our job if wo have not helped cach individual in our class to attain
the maxinum perfection of skills of which she is capable, without ld lle
ing her interest by insistence wnom detail. Wo have failed if the
student docs not leave the class having had such a good time that she
is anxious te come back for more of what we have tc offer. We havo
failed if we have not made the exnerionce of learning the activity boing
taught so pleasurable that the student is anxious to explore other un+
known areas of experiences. We have failed if we have not nade her
aware of the valucs of continuing physical activities + after leaving
school - and the possibilities of enriching her hours of leisurce

Tt is small wonder that we find Amcrica sitting on the sidelines =
at the races = at the canes « at the movies. There they can buy the
thrill of commetition without having to know personal defeat or accept
the responsibility for failure. There they can be a succosse We havo
been the merchants of failure. We need to remonber, we need to teach,
thet not to win, not #0 fail -- but to play the game is the thinge
Let's have physical cducation for dubse Let's have physical education
for funersecs