P.E. classes around America seem less and less important, as kids are skipping class and a lot of times they don’t come properly equipped for class. But the biggest problem of them all? The lack of effort. 

I took a deep dive into this issue, with one of Victor’s very own P.E. teachers – Mr. Vistocco. Vistocco has been teaching at Victor for 8 years, all of which he has taught P.E.

What actually makes a good P.E. class is very dependent on the teacher. “The proper amount of students in class, and kids who are willing and prepared to be there every class”. 

This is certainly not what every class is bringing to the table. Kids are constantly showing up in crocs, sandals, or some other form of footwear that is definitely not ideal for physical activity.

One of the strategies that Victor has taken to try and patch this problem is the implementation of an advanced class, which this fall, has been football. “I teach 5 advanced classes and the effort level has gone up, those are kids that clearly want to be there”. 

Certainly something to watch out for, to see if every unit displays an advanced option. So far, it’s just been flag football, and the level of competition seems much better.

The structure of units at Victor is certainly unique compared with other schools. “Each year we try and add things that students might want to do, and take out things that might not be super popular”.

Vistocco and the other teachers take in the requests of students and staff, and adjust accordingly. This has made for some units unique to Victor, and has allowed P.E. classes to hop off campus.

Grade level is a big determinant of effort in many cases, “I like teaching 11th and 12th graders, but I’ve also had some very good 9th and 10th grade classes”. 

We often see a trend that shows decreasing effort levels the older kids get, but the culture established at Victor has been able to contain this theory.

Especially for upperclassmen who might have late arrival or early dismissal, P.E. is a lot of times optional. “First block attendance can be down at times, I don’t really know if the time of day affects the class but attendance definitely does”. 

Getting kids to show up to class is essential to an electric class. When you get kids that really want to be there and show up everyday, the mood of the whole class goes up and there is just a different feeling in the air.

We need to establish P.E. as a class that kids treat the same as any other, and the energy level needs to lift up and brighten everyone’s day!