You know that day-
The real name of this day is
"Melt-Your-Face-Off-Can't-Make-It-to-the-Bathroom-In-Time-I'm-Hot-I'm-Tired-When-Are-We-Going-to-Go-In-Do-I-Have-to-Run-How-Come-You-Get-To-Go-Inside-There's-a-Bug-on-My-Sandwich-Day"
but most schools call it
Field Day.
We also shortened it to "Field Day" because we were running out of space in the newsletters.....go figure.
I remember my Field Day.
Yes, we had it back then- and no, we didn't have to dodge dino poo
and there weren't any covered wagons-
But we practiced during PE...
And on the day of the activities, you ran your behind off!
and you jumped the long jump and you dashed and hopped in potato sacks and you relayed and you tugged and you tied yourself to your best friend and ran like the dickens!
And when it was all over, there were ribbons.
Not just any ribbons.
But shiny ones.
and how many ribbons?
Just three
First
Second
Third
How many people got them?
Just three.
Not three hundred. Not every class.
Just the the children who won.
But we can't do that anymore.
We have a Relay Race Ribbon for each grade level and a Tug o War Ribbon for each one.
No other competition.
During the time that we aren't relaying or tugging, we are walking around, choosing an activity
like throw a ball through a hula hoop.
It makes me sad.
I want my boys to get pumped about racing against their friends (and beating them)
and I want them to brag about jumping the farthest..
Is that bad?
They both played soccer at one point and at the end they all got trophies and they knew they were getting them
whether they were awful or not.
but they "participated"....
Don't get me wrong- it is very important to participate in life-
but you have to strive to be the best too- you have to want to be first sometimes!
If you don't, then you end up "settling" .
Competition is a good thing.
How does your field day work? What kind of events do you have? Is there a winner?
Leave me some chatter and tell me about it.
I am going to sign off for the night- I have to rest up
because whether she likes it or not,
I am tying BFF Neighbor Teacher to me and we are running a lap around the soccer field!!!!
Lol at the image of you and BFF Neighbor Teacher running while the children start at you in astonishment!
ReplyDeleteMy field day was the same as yours, and even though I didn't win any events, it was still tons of fun.
Coincidentally our field day is also tomorrow and also consists of walking - as a class group! - from station to station. The only good part about it is that because we have so many kids we now have Field Day divided in 1/2 - primary goes out for 2 hours in the morning only and intermediate goes out in the afternoon! This means no sack lunches thank goodness! Just regular lunch inside! Yay!
Most teachers are then going to show a movie - I might too - it depends on how long it takes us to finish our paper plate dinosaurs! All in all not too horrible a day at least :)
Jennifer @ Herding Kats In Kindergarten
I so agree with competition is a good thing. It's no wonder kids act the way they do now because EVERYTHING is given to them whether they earned it or not! That's also why adults don't want to get a job and work because our government will pay them to sit at home and have babies.
ReplyDeleteSorry that's a pet peeve I have as well. I want my girls to earn things for being good not just because they participate.
Ok so on to field day. Prek-3 go out in the morning and we rotate stations. No medals. Tug of war, water balloon toss, sponge relay, ring toss, bocce, and obstacle course.
Last year we had a dunk tank that some teachers got in. I got in for all 3 kinder classes and PreK. That was fun!
Heather
Mrs. Shelton's Kindergarten
I feel the same way about giving students awards that are not really deserved. I am afraid we are worrying too much about their self esteem instead of preparing them for the real world. In the real world you do not get awards for doing nothing. Sorry, don't mean to rattle on!! At one school I taught at years ago, we made up awards for students that were not getting one on awards day, which I totally did not agree with. What about the students that really earned it? How did this make them feel? They probably thought-I worked my hiney off, but they still get an award!! I am right there with you my friend!!
ReplyDeleteTeresa
We still do field day the old fashioned way. Mainly because one of our PE teachers probably did have parents show up in covered wagons when he started his teaching career. Our field day is 2 days!!!!! K-2 on day 1 and 3-4 + preK on day 2. That means two days of sack lunches and 2 days of know planning period. We have tug-o-war, relays, races (including sack race). And yes they give out 1st, 2nd and 3rd place ribbons. Usually all the kids end up with a ribbon anyway for some event, but this year I had a few kids that didn't get any (I have that kind of class this year*). Yes, they whined about it. I pretty much told them to get over it and try harder next year.
ReplyDelete*This year's class has earned the title "looney tunes." Just 1 field day incident can sum up what my year has been like...
I gave them popsicles while we watched tug-o-war and one of my sweet love dolls tried to eat it with the wrapper still on!....this is why I don't cry at the end of the year. I'm ready to say GOOD RIDDANCE!!!
-Camille
We can put on our galoshes and run around my field. It's happening today for us too...same as above walking around in stations.
ReplyDeleteWe do have a winner for tug o war. Just one winner. One coveted trophy and let me tell you. We bloody ourselves for it. That's one good thing about having a class of scrappy bruisers. You end up with the ONE coveted trophy.
Right there with ya'!! I absolutely hate Field Day!!! Ours is today, also...I contemplated calling in, but didn't want to do that to my team! LOL!
ReplyDeleteHave "fun!"
Megan
www.mrswheelerfirst.blogspot.com
We used to have ribbons for half the school because the blue team and red team competed against each other as a whole school. But no more, now the kids just play. No ribbons. Boo. We pair with another class and within that group there are 4 teams who compete against each other at each station we rotate to. The games are pretty fun for the kids and they love it. In the morning we have field day for grades 1-5. Then regular lunch inside. In the afternoon we have a kickball game that is teachers vs. 5th graders that we all watch. Kindergarten has their own festivities on their own playground.
ReplyDeleteI'm not a fan of field day. The theory of it is great for the kids, but I'd rather not go. It's hot, hot, hot. I usually walk away with a headache the size of a dino poo!
I don't remember having field day when I was a kid. But I would not have liked it then either.
I had the old fashioned field day as well as a kid and it was my favorite. We had to participate in one event but as long as we cheered we could watch the more athletic counterparts in our class and hope our favorites won. I miss the old field day then new is just not right!
ReplyDeleteMy husband's pet peeve is about giving out awards when they are not earned. He HATES when everyone gets a participation award. Why? Because your boss does not tell everyone good job and not everyone gets a raise or promotion. He believes we are setting up kids to fail. I have to agree with him.
At one school my children attended at the beginning of the year students were assigned what week they would be student of the week. It was suppose to promote good behavior but if it is assigned in advance and for instance, my son was signed up for 4 weeks to the end of school... what is the point? This drives me crazy!
Misty
Think, Wonder, & Teach
Hey Chicklet,
ReplyDeleteI LOVE our field day - but that's because it's completely ran by parents, there are a multitude of stations around the playground/school, and teachers can just stand around and chit chat, play a few games, chat some more - sit in the shade, chat some more- it's just enjoyable!
No winners, no losers - just fun. No ribbons or trophies either. We do get popsicles though!
I'm with you on the competition ... kids just can't lose. My kids, my own personal kids, who are both on terrible baseball teams with a 1-100 record...THEY are good at losing. LOL.
Happy weekend....
Holly
Crisscross Applesauce in First Grade
I've seen field day at all but 1 school that I sub for. No one gets ribbons, but they all get popsicles. Everyone has fun!
ReplyDeleteThere's stations and sometimes grade against grade tug o war, but just stations for them to go to.
Journey of a Substitute Teacher
Our 'field day' completely stinks. Our should be called Do-Whatever-You-Want-Outside-Because-Your-Coaches-Didn't-Bother-to-Plan-Anything-So-You-Just-Try-Not-To-Kill-Each-Other Day. It's horrible.
ReplyDeleteBuzzing with Ms. B
I like field day without super competition (mostly because winning and losing causes DRAMA and makes my day much worse)- but they still compete for presidential fitness awards in gym, and we still have rewards for certain things in the classroom. I think a mix of both is best!
ReplyDeleteJenny
Luckeyfrog's Lilypad
Field Day just isn't like it was when we were kids anymore is it?
ReplyDeleteOurs has actually been renamed "Kaleidoscope Day". No, I'm not kidding you. Why? Because-if you call it Field Day then everyone expects a field day like when we were kids.
Oh no, why would we possibly want to do that?
CRAZY.
Elizabeth
Fun in Room 4B