By Nargis Afzali
Eagle Eye Staff Writer
El Camino Physical Education teachers face many challenges during distance learning this year because PE is a physical performance class and teachers claim teaching it online isn’t as effective.
Since the beginning of this school year, PE teachers have had difficulties due to the conversion to distance learning. Teachers are trying their best to get students motivated for physical activities, but it can be challenging.
PE teachers last year would see students dressed up in their uniforms running every Friday, but now they’re assigning worksheets and students are typing up their workouts. PE Teacher and Varsity Football Coach JP Dolliver has experienced problems while teaching his classes online.
“Telecommunication is not the way that we were taught to teach,” Dolliver said.
Another issue that PE teachers have is that they have many units to teach, which wouldn’t be a big deal if they didn’t have to do it online. Since sports are the main focus in PE, teaching and overseeing them is something that teachers can’t do over Zoom.
Addison Ponder who is a freshman at EC also thinks that doing physical education during distance learning is tough.
“There aren’t enough ways to stay active, working out at school would be more motivating and fun,” Ponder said.
Most students have to work out at home now while siblings and parents are running around, so it can be difficult to get PE assignments turned in.
Jordan Martinez, Varsity Girls Soccer Coach and a PE teacher at EC also faces obstacles.
“For us, it has been very hard to come up with activities or workouts that everyone is going to be able to do because everyone’s home environment is different,” said Martinez.
Unlike other classes where students turn in assignments and teachers can see their work, PE teachers are not able to see if students are actually doing their work or not.
Martinez explains that students are going to miss out because they are not moving in any way.
Every year PE teachers take fitness tests from students to see how much they improved that year. Teachers are prepared for it, but they are not sure if they will be canceled or not like last year.
Martinez said that it depends on if we are going to return to in-person learning or not.
Just like any other tests, PE tests also require supervision and rules.
“It’s a lengthy process and we need to make sure that we get it done correctly,” Dolliver said.
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