Designing the PE unit plan

Despite all my rants about NIE, I got to say that the PESS programme does a great job at training new PE teachers in terms of inculcating proper attitudes and imparting the necessary skills. However, there are still some things no one told us about regarding the designing PE lessons for your school, these factors being invisible until you really get into the school and start taking in the culture there.

Are the students obedient?
My kids need the activities to be interesting for them to stay on task, so I'll have to think hard on what might interest them. 'Lame' stuff better don't try, if there's the need to do anything remotely embarrassing, I'll need to demonstrate it professionally first and explain the rationale behind the action. Relays should be used with caution too - it takes hell lot of time to arrange them in lines, and even then they will not stay like that for long. They also limit participation time, of course.

Are the kids skilled?
My sec ones? Nope. My school is not a niche school for any sports, and so kids come in with very average motor skills. Frisbee last term was a great choice because of that, as very little personal skill is needed, and learning tactical movements improve their game tremendously. Soccer and basketball is out - focus on sports that use rudimentary skills instead, like softball.

Are the kids smart?
My kids have average comprehension skills, therefore complex activities and games are out. Rules must be simplified, and instructions short and to the point, with them best illustrated and written out for visual learners. For most activities I have to give them a verbal orientation, walk through and demonstrate the tasks in detail before releasing them to it, and even then they will still be lost.

Are the resources there?
My school will have adequate equipment with some recent new purchases but space arrangement is rather odd. The hall is considered out of bounds for PE use because of wushu classes. There's one basketball court and one volleyball court placed together, an odd arrangement. The quadrangle is useful but the area cannot be prepared for lessons in advance as assembly takes place there.

Also, I learnt last term during practicum that

• Kids cannot be expected to stand at a spot quietly to listen to instructions, squatting can only work for a while, and they refuse to sit on wet grass.
• The best way for them to get into necessary groups in the shortest time possible must be conceived before the lesson, taking into consideration all factors like gender ratio, ability level, cliques, disruptive students distribution etc.
  
• Lots of space between playing areas must be allocated as a 'safety corridor' - they got no respect for playing field boundaries (Well, at least they are enthusiastic).
• No matter how good your lesson is, if the morning sun is blazing hot, making them do drills or any activities according to specific directions is impossible.
  

Very challenging eh? Well I'm gearing up for the battle right now, and will make myself finish the entire term's lessons before the 18th. As someone with a big moustache likes to say, 'Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance'!