I personally do not agree with grades in gym classes affecting students’ grade point averages. I believe that gym class should be strictly for fun. There are many students who are not very athletic. Many females do not enjoy playing sports or running a mile. I do not think it is fair that schools make their students run a full mile, time them on it, and grade them on their times. Certain students are not great runners and the fact that they can fail because they did not finish running a mile in the “right” amount of time is horrible. There is no right amount of time to run a mile.
Everybody is different and no two people can run a mile in the same number of seconds. So why are the students who run a mile in 7 minutes any better than the students who run it in 14 minutes? They aren’t… so why does one student deserve an A and the other a D? In my opinion, the mile run is very harsh. This also goes along with other sports played in gym class. Some students are great volleyball players, others are great football players, and others are great hockey players. I do not believe that every student deserves to be graded on every sport. I personally would play super competitive in floor hockey because I loved the game.
I would get an A everyday for the two straight weeks we played it. When it was time for volleyball I still gave it my all but my letter grade was a C-. This made me really upset and I just felt like, why should I try so hard for it not to pay off? The next sport that I don’t enjoy playing I’ll just slack off and get a C- for a reason! No student should ever feel that way. I believe that every student should try hard and not have to worry about the grade their getting. Gym class should be strictly for exercise, not to make kids run themselves to death to bring up their grade point average.
Why grade kids on skill, it has nothing to do with their intelligence. Of course there are techniques; this is why they can join after school activities. Some kids deserve a 4. 0 but lack skill in PE so their GPA is at a 3. 6, which does not seem too bad. But, some kids aren’t used to not having that perfect GPA and they really do not deserve any lower. Some PE teachers do not pay as much attention to their students as they should. They may not notice the disabilities in their students, or the lack of skill. They usually favor the more athletically abled students, which really is not fair.
Students are graded more on skill then they are effort because these teachers are focusing on the athletes. Statistics show that forty percent of city kids are obese or overweight (Yahoo NEWS). This is gaining lack of skill on those students because schools are not requiring gym class. Some kids have side effects on the lack of their skill like height, weight, mental disability, etc. When you are applying for the college or job you have wanted, they’re looking at your past grades. Some colleges/jobs are strict and they are not going to take you if you don’t have a perfect GPA.
Well, that requires a perfect grade in your PE classes too! This can be a big effect on your future careers. You could have been the smartest person in your grade with a low GPA. It’s not your fault but you are the one affected. Gym class may teach students discipline. By teaching the kids the discipline they need that they don’t get at home is good. It may get them to break a sweat, or for those who are obese, to lose some weight. Some kids have many excuses in gym class not to attend or give any effort. I am not siding with the lazy ones but those kids who give a lot of effort but are not credited, it is very unfair.
When the students give a lot of effort and it isn’t recognized, it can only come down on the teachers. I do very much agree that being healthy is important. I also agree with every school scheduling a gym class for every student. Health class tells about healthy foods, unhealthy drugs, and everything else good for your body. I believe that PE class should teach good exercise and practice it. Maybe the grades should be based on attendance and participation and put on report cards for parents to see them. Many people will argue that PE class is very important, which I agree with, it just shouldn’t be included in students GPA.
