Unsuccessful Strategy

When teaching basic basketball skills (shooting, passing, dribbling) it is critical to not only provide a demonstration of the skill but also explain correct components of the skill. When trying to teach a skill I had the class spread out throughout the gym and watch me demonstrate and listen to the explanation then they would perform and practice the skill. This proved to be unsuccessful because many students found themselves not paying attention and off task. In a large gym it is very difficult to keep track of all students and make sure they are focused on the task at hand (especially 8th grade). It is extremely difficult for one teacher to disperse loud, clear, and understandable instruction in a large gym with 30 students. All it takes is one or two kids off task to distract other students and before you know, you’ve lost. I later realized it is much easier and more effective to teach students when they are in a tight circle around me or sitting in one section of the bleachers when teaching a skill. Doing this made it much easier to get the attention of students and make sure they were on task and not disrupting others ability to learn.