Week3 in Badminton

'Time goes by fast and as we now starting to learn how to "play" the game of badminton, it seems we just started. Using the sport education model does have a learning curve or two. First, as the instructor I am new to this unit so as I try it out I learn what works and what does it but try not to do it to the expense of the students even though it will affect them in a way. Second, the students are new to learning this way so it takes them some time to adjust as well.

I do know a few things that did not work that I must be aware of for next time:
1) Student absenteeism is large at the moment (flu season, early classes,...) which makes role responsibilities a big deal

2) I notice using only a few roles a lot: coach, fitness leader and manager (which I should name score keeper). Because of the number of students attending and the space we have, I rotate students through being the official when needed so most times all students are moving and all get the opportunity to be the official. There is not a lot of equipment so I would not need a specific role for that either.

3) The warm-ups work awesome and I am having students create some warm-up cards on their own as part of an assignment so I am hoping to develop a set of perhaps 10 cards that next semester I can just have in a little box and students can pick out a card. I had the fitness goal setting but did not come around to doing it and even though I think it is important, I believe it would be great in the fitness class. Maybe when the routine is more comfortable for me but I do not wish to overwhelm the students too much.

4) I think I could have done better at instructing the serve... within the model, I used a more direct approach and I just did not feel like that worked well, maybe because I never use direct teaching and do not like being in a situation where I tell the students what to do. This week, I used the tactical games approach within the sport education model and I feel way better!

Tuesday I had students appreciate the game by playing real double and single games and using high and low serves. Thursday I let the students play 1 on 1 on 1/2 courts and discussed the clear and the lob. I started off putting the into a situation where the students had to start with a high serve which pushing the opponent back and makes them respond with an overhead stroke. I had all students one on one but always against a member of another team. Having them do the practice activity in a games situation is great but creating a small match really gets the students to think about strategies. After a few minutes of play, all scores within each team were added up and put on a board which we than counted up in the end to find the points for the application contest score.

Through questioning, the students thought of possible situations when you would use a clear (overhand/underhand) and lob. From their came the focus of the class where I wanted to get the students to move from their "safe zone". Most beginners in badminton seems to stretch their bodies rather than move, get under the birdie and hit so we discussed that and practiced it right in the game situation.

After 3 rounds of that, I wanted to really show the students what I meant by the safe zone and how students need to move and create some type of in and out, star motion. Where students are in the center and move to the birdie but come right back to the center to set up again. I explained the ready position and why weight distribution on toes or heels is important in badminton. I guided students into creating a circulation map. We use circulation maps in PE when observing student teachers to track their movement around the gym and I thought that this type of map can be used in sports as well, specially in tactical games. I modelled how to create such a map by using a dry erase board. I had two students play singles and watched one player. I followed the movement of the player on paper and put stars on the spots where the birdie fell if it was in the players' court. After wards, I asked students what information such a map can provide and I modeled how a coach would use it to provide feedback to the player as well as the opposing player. What was really noticeable was the lack of movement away from that safe zone so I accomplished what I wanted today.

That being said, I did probably make the wrong choice in the end. I chose to do a small application contest on the clear where the students had to try to get the birdie in the "end zone", it took 2 minutes. While I should have debriefed! I know how important it is and I know in this situation I made the wrong choice so I want to make sure I manage my time better next time.
Next class, students have homework and activity logs due and they will take the test. Also, I will continue to work on clear/drop and movement around the court. I may do a small skill assessment (mid way) and map but I am not sure yet... the test is not that long but it depends on how much time it takes students to complete it.

What I am impressed with is how students really seem to enjoy being in teams. One student who was absent yesterday emailed me to apologize that he was absent and that he knew it would affect the team. Last class we only had 1/2 the class show up so it does hurt the teams as far as scores.

There are two aspects of sport education that work amazingly well at this point and I see a value for this in every activity we teach, student led warm-ups and student coaches session. I see students testing each other on the history and laws of badminton and I also see them help each other out to develop the skills in the class. Two students in one class asked to stay after class for a 1/2 hour to play each other and to add badminton on their activity log. I was not sure about the logs and I will see Tuesday what they think about them but I think that as well is an aspect I will come to value!

As conclusion, lots of good things happening, dealing with the learning curve but really enjoying the experience.