LYNN — There will be physical education in the public school system this fall, even with the district in a remote-learning setup. So says Mike Geary, director of health and wellness for the system.
“We’ve had to adapt our staff to a remote model,” said Geary. “A lot of the onus is on the teachers, and they’ve done a good job at being creative so that the kids can learn remotely, via computer.
“The toughest part is there’s not always enough space in (students’) homes to do some of the stuff, and you can’t just assume there is. My teachers are good. They’re used to settings where there isn’t any space.”
One of the early gym exercises is what Geary calls a “striking unit.” It helps students develop hand-eye coordination.
“We have to teach kids by having them stick their arms out and strike something. There’s also object control, like dribbling a basketball. There’s a lot of creativity and planning that goes into it.”
Geary said that as soon as Lynn can progress to a hybrid learning model, and students are allowed back into schools, it will present more challenges, not the least of which is the personal protection equipment (PPE) mandated for students and teachers.
In the meantime, Geary said, “we’re looking to get coaches and kids together for virtual meetings to get them on their own strength and conditioning programs. Kids shouldn’t be getting together to work out.”
Geary said a lot has changed since he was a student at Lynnfield High.
“Back then, especially in health, it was all about the body, digestive and muscular-skeletal systems,” he said. “Now, so much of the curriculum is on the mental side — preventing depression, substance abuse. That takes up the lion’s share of it now.”
Much of his time is spent on physical education, though, “mainly because we have more classes in PE throughout the district. For the health requirement, you have to take one course in middle school and one in high school.”
His views on physical education are egalitarian.
“The idea of the physical education curriculum is something that is available to all students, regardless of their physical abilities. I’ve always emphasized team sports. There’s a component there. There are lots of concepts that you can learn from. And I stress team sports that involve all kids.
“That’s something our teachers do a really good job of embedding into their lessons,” Geary said. “When a teacher blows a whistle for a rest, that’s when they remind the kids of why this is important.”
Also, he said, “a big part of our curriculum is emphasizing that the teachers not just do the meat and potatoes of sports, but to try to get them to do different things that might take the athletes out of their comfort zones.”
Geary said it’s hard not to have some empathy for what the students are going through.
“The toughest thing is you feel bad for the kids, because they really rely on school,” he said. “You forget how important the socialization is when it comes to school. Most of the kids miss that more than anything. That’s what we see the most.”