Teaching Gymnastics

[PEcoach]

I am curious, is there anyone out there that still teaches gymnastics as a unit in their PE curriculum? If so, what does it consist of (e.g. tumbling, apparatus, floor routines, etc...?) How do you go about instructing it?

[pingeyez2]

Even though my teaching days are over and being a boys and girls coach for 25 years, I can attest that many of the skills and curriculum have changed. From the beginning , the skills were more of a tumbling , low balance beam and vault skills. The only other piece of equipment used was a Ruether (beat board. As the years went by , I found that incorporating other "sports" made it more interesting and fun for all the students.
The skills were taught in sequence in each event. Even during coaching I took the same approach. That is, the skills for the balance beam must be done on the floor first , then low beam , then high . There were floor routines , but I put them together in an "add on" activity. This was a great way to teach the ingredients /elements of the entire routine.This was succesful in both PE and coaching. This is where the incorporating of other related sports was evident.
During a circuit , the class was divided into 6- 8 different skills/tasks , and then they would switch after a DESIGNATED TIME LIMIT. Here are some examples:
1. Folded mat(s) in a row( choices were hurdle , dive or step over without touching/knocking down the mat .
2. Vault/crash mat ( jump on and off , squat/straddle , twists ,turns, skateboard skills, which lead to proper approach and landing skills
3. Low beam( walk , slide, skip, small run, jump to each side like plyometrics)
4. Log roll, forward roll , free roll, hop,step,jump)
5. Hula hoops( like tire drill -football, two feet,one foot
6. Cones with golf tube across( crawl under, jump over, high jump
7. Standing long jump , backward jump,which was pre-requisite for a back handspring{this was done on a marked long jump mat}
8. Routine mat - must put 3-5 skills together:
a. Cartwheel , slide sideways(chasse') , log roll, squat jump
b. Log roll , sit spin , breakdance
c. Roundoff-back roll or extention, cartwheel
d. Any series of advanced skills

This lead to the "add on" activity which can be found from my web page at:
http://igreen.tripod.com/gerpe/id28.html
As you can see that the unit evolved throughout the years and safety was always taught first with "spotting" and the proper sequence. It involved more body control and kinesthetic sense. I took into effect how to rollout of trouble from various sports to keep the body safe and under control. This became a safety "mantra " that showed the varying degrees of how gymnastics is related to many sports, from form to execution.
Not to be forgotten is dance and rhythm gymmansics that played a part of the whole unit/curriculum. I wanted to make sure there was something for everyone to give them opportunities to succeed form the simple to complex.The final outcome was a Gym Show that displayed all the skills taught in PE class. That included an obstacle course, rope jumping, vaulting, individual and group tumbling routines, karate , exercises, rhythmics, and variety acts. Even though it was under the auspices of "gymnastics" as a name , it was understood that there was more going on other than tumbling.

Gerry Cernicky
http://igreen.tripod.com/gerpe