With all apologies to The Clash
As we all close out the school year and reflect on what has occurred over the last nine months, one topic that ends the school year is fresh on our minds-Field Day. P.E. teachers hate it, P.E. teachers love it. Classroom teachers hate it, classroom teachers love it. The question is does Field Day still have any value in our curriculum and could the prep time and funds be spent better on planning better lessons that are definitely a part of our curriculum.
“Darlin' you got to let me know
Should I stay or should I go?”
It seems that Field Day really only addresses National Standard 4 and perhaps a little bit of Standard 5. I feel that almost every lesson we do is going to address those standards in some way. Thus, Field Day is not the only time our students get to work on those standards. I really don’t think a 10 year old sitting and eating a popsicle is going to help him/her with anything related to our curriculum. Sometimes the activities are little more than supervised recess, such as schools that rent “bounce houses” for Field Day. So it really doesn’t seem that Field Day is “essential” to a student mastering our subject matter.
"Should I stay or should I go now?
If I go there will be trouble
And if I stay there will be double"
The time and money spent to plan Field Day is immense with most schools. Whether you do games or multiple stations, the planning probably starts in January and continues until the event happens. Numerous teachers show up two or more hours before school starts to set things up. At some schools it is the only time parents volunteer so it is great for the community. Budget dollars are spent on popsicles, bounce houses, awards, water toys, and more. But does the event give us a “bang for our buck”? Couldn’t our time and resources be better spent on creative lessons and innovative equipment to actually provide our students with basic skills to participate in activities throughout life? I mean other than the egg toss……….
What do you think??? I would be interested in your comments.