All Out Play

Here are some important questions to ask about your current Physical Education program. Are these important principles being followed every time your students go out to play?

• Are ALL of the players active ALL of the time? At Tandalay we call it the Snapshot Rule: if you take a picture of the game in progress, how many kids are actively participating at that moment? Take a look in your mind’s eye at Dodge-ball, Baseball, Steal the Bacon, Duck-Duck-Goose….
• Is the activity INTIMIDATING or EMBARRASSING for any of the players? Many games in physical education favor and reward the strong, athletic players, while humiliating the less-skilled or less fit players. A quality physical education program will help EVERY player feel SUCCESSFUL. Play your games with Fluffilos to instantly reduce the intimidation factor and elevate SUCCESS!
• Are students waiting in line for a turn? Students need to be engaged in activity – not waiting in lines! Many commonly used games and drills have students waiting in long lines for their turn. Look at traditional-style relays, common sports drills, baseball, etc. With a quality program, players are actively ENGAGED – not waiting in line! At Tandalay we emphasize drills with small team sizes (3-4 players), and perform them for time, rather than first finished. This provides the perfect work:rest ratio, while developing skills, reducing intimidation, and keeping those players moving!
• Are players being ELIMINATED? Games where the “last one standing wins” reward the athletic, while depriving and humiliating the less athletic. Who needs the movement experience the most? (The players who get eliminated first – so they get less play time and less opportunity to play.) Who clamors to play these types of games? (The most athletic and competitive – the quiet, shy, intimidated players suffer in silence.) Take another look at Dodge-ball: How many players are actively engaged? Which players? Which players are enjoying themselves and getting the most movement experience? Who is feeling successful? Who might be feeling embarrassed or intimidated? Which players are getting eliminated first?
• Are the games and activities developmentally and grade-level appropriate? Quality physical education provides progressive skill development, based on standards. Tandalay Curriculum provides 16 units of instruction for each of three developmental levels: PreK – 2; grades 3 – 5; and grades 6 – 8. Each unit of instruction includes 10 comprehensive lesson plans that build skills progressively, culminating in games and activities utilizing the skills learned.
• Does the program provide lead-up games and NON-TRADITIONAL variations of traditional sporting activities? A quality physical education will teach sports skills, with an emphasis on fun and success for all. At Tandalay, we introduce the skills needed for each sport, and play lead-up games that keep players active, engaged, and feeling successful. In a game like baseball, for example, there is much time spent standing around. We simply modify some of the rules a bit to keep the game moving and the players involved. Another example includes traditional style relays. Often times a group is divided into a few large teams while one player at a time runs to and fro before tagging the next player. Let’s think about this. How many players are active? How many are watching? Is there potential for embarrassment? How can this be fixed? At Tandalay, we emphasize TEAM relays in which the entire team workstogether to accomplish a set goal. The players learn cooperation, teamwork, and sportsmanship while moving, working, getting fit and having fun!
• Is the program versatile? With a quality physical education program you will always be prepared- and be prepared for anything! It is crucial to be able to adapt and modify activities on the spot. With Tandalay Curriculum it is easy to substitute equipment, lessons, activities, or the playing surface. You can play with large classes or small groups. All of our units and lessons are designed to be FUN, yet easy to set up. Our units use minimal equipment with maximal versatility to keep things enjoyable and manageable for instructors.
• Are there thousands of fun, standards-based activities to choose from? In physical education, more IS better! Active players who are having fun will give you no grief. Bored, frustrated players will become a problem. If you have many activities to choose from, you will be able to find the perfect match for every group. With Tandalay, we have your back-up plan built right in! We have intentionally provided more activities than you can get to in one lesson. This allows you freedom to choose – choose to play longer, choose to skip an activity, choose to play again tomorrow!
• Is the program flexible? As with all subjects in education, many variables will come into play. Some groups will master a skill quickly, while others will need more time. Some players will enjoy one activity, while others another. With Tandalay we encourage you to use your best judgment when moving from one activity to the next. We do not include time designations for activities. We encourage you to watch the players for your cues. You can tell if players are ready to move on by watching them. If a skill is mastered, move on. If players are becoming disinterested, move on. The right time to change activities is just after the peak of interest – while the group is still having fun! If you hear groans of disappointment when it is time to stop – you played the right amount of time. If you hear “finally!” when you call time – you played too long! If you end the game while the kids are enjoying it, they’ll want to play again tomorrow. If you play it too long, they’ll never want to play it again!
• Does the program include cognitive concepts and character counts? A quality program should include health and wellness; nutrition and fitness; acceptance and respect for self and others; conflict resolution; and SPORTSMANSHIP, INTEGRITY, and HONESTY! Physical education standards include ALL aspects of movement, understanding, social, and personal responsibility. Tandalay focuses on the whole experience – not just skill development, but strategy, fitness, respect, and the power of purposeful PLAY.
• Is the program progressive, comprehensive, and developmentally appropriate? Tandalay’s lessons progress developmentally from:
  • simple to more complex activities;
  • individual, to partner, to small groups;
  • from non-competitive to more competitive;
  • from activities that require little skill to more challenging activities.
• Is the program FUN? Does it help every student feel SUCCESSFUL? Are you creating a physically and emotionally SAFE environment? Does the program make movement RELEVANT and REWARDING for every student? Is it simple, effective, easy-to-teach and enjoyable for the instructors? With Tandalay, we have developed a turn-key SOLUTION to implementing a quality physical education program effectively, affordably, and with ease.

In the end quantity and quality are both essential in physical education.  The most important thing is that people get out and move, be active, PLAY and most importantly have FUN!