DPA (Donkey kicks, Push-ups, Arm crunches)
In my practicum experience the integration of DPA varied greatly. Out of the three classrooms, only one completed the required 20 minutes of daily physical activity (OME, 2018). This variance is discouraging as research has supported physical activity to maintain or increase academic success (ParticipACTION, 2018). In my first practicum my AT was not responsible for DPA. Another teacher came in for DPA while my AT had prep. Although there was a designated time on the schedule for DPA, it was rare that the students go the full 20 minutes once everything was settled.
In my second practicum, the grade 5 class would have greatly benefited from DPA. It was common for a student (sometimes multiple students) to come to class upset. It would result in my AT stepping out of the room to help the student while I was teaching. My AT would comment how a guidance counsellor would be a much needed resource to help with the emotional distress the students were feeling. Now, looking back DPA and breathing exercises could have significantly alleviated the stress for many of the students, my AT, and myself. Connecting to the H&PE curriculum, spending some time to develop awareness to prevent stress and strategies to cope when stressed is not only helpful within the classroom but for the rest of their life. The students will continue to face stressful moments and so teaching and practicing mental health and physical health skills is essential.
A favourite Go Noodle video of my grade ones and twos.
In the grade one and two class that practiced daily physical activity, part of the reason for consistent integration was because many of the students could not focus on the tasks without a movement break. There were a few students who advocated for movement breaks and so as a class we would stop and move before getting back to the lesson. I found it particularly effective during transitions to different subjects or when coming back from prep time. A significant moment of DPA was when there was a major snowfall. My AT took advantage of the perfect packing snow and brought DPA outside where students pushed and gathered snow to make giant snowballs, and ran up and down the side of the hill in the yard. The students absolutely loved that they got extra time to play in the snow. In addition, I observed students practice respectful and effective communication, and work as a team to push the growing snowballs. Unfortunately, these moments of active play during the class time is far and few between.
These experiences relate to the acrostic poem as ways to integrate DPA other than through videos (ie. GoNoodle, Just Dance). In class, there was an over reliance of videos to guide DPA. I think the it defeats the purpose of students getting away from the screens and for teachers to act as role models for healthy living (OME, 2018). The personalization for each student with their acrostic poem is something different for primary and junior students to participate in DPA.
Ontario Ministry of Education (re-issued 2018). Grades 1-8: Health and Physical Education Interim Edition
ParticipACTION. (2018). Canadian kids need to move more to boost their brain health: The ParticipACTION Report Card on Physical Activity For Children and Youth https://www.participaction.com/sites/default/files/downloads/2018_participaction_report_card_- _highlight_report_0.pdf
