Gym Class

Leah will be beginning preschool this spring, so I figured Leah should get some experiences in a class like setting. We signed her up for Gymnastics. She had a great time picking out her leotard, "I love this blue one!" After I got her dressed she told me, "No class today! I go to sleep!" I was a little nervous....

It turned out she loved the class. The class is designed for 2-3 year olds. Personally, I think there is a huge difference between a 2 year old and an almost 4 year old. Orginally she was signed up for a 2 year old only class that got canceled. Leah seemed to be one of the youngest participants. Let's just say you could tell that during the first class. During the first class, she had no idea that there was a "teacher" or what the role of the teacher was. She spent the stretching portion of the class sitting next to me looking bewildered while I stretched. She did enjoy the various activities set up by the teacher. She had no sense of a rotation, though, and protested when she had to leave an activity she loved. She also wanted no part of the teacher touching her. Miss Kaitlyn would reach to help Leah with something, and she would just run around her. By the end of the class, she did let the teacher help her flip over a bar. Despite a few near melt downs, Leah loved the class. As we were giving her a bath that night she gave her final thoughts on the day: "I love that class" and my favorite, "no touch froggies in class" (she desperately wanted to play with the stuffed frogs that were are part of the 4-5 year old class).

The second class was an entirely different experience. Leah "got it." She did the stretches, got the rotation, and was even the model for how to do a somersault on a balance beam. She looked toward the teacher for direction and went willingly to her during rotations. This lesson we got to jump on the trampoline, and Leah learned how a line worked. The whining only happened once, as we were leaving, "no leave gym class, mommy!"

I had a conference comp day today, so we went to a morning class. Leah wasn't feeling it today. There was a different teacher, who Leah was immediately suspicious of. The gym was also empty, so Leah could see some of her favorite equipment (the rings, i.e. "tire swing" as Sassy calls it). We weren't using the rings during this rotation, but another girl from our class wandered over. The mom was helping her on the rings, and Leah was incensed she couldn't also go on the rings. As a teacher, I couldn't let her break the rotation to do her own thing (how I hate when my kindergarteners try this). She did the warm-ups and first rotation well, but then decided it was time to go home. We left early. I thought it was better to go out on a high note.