Here’s why some students make excuses to get out of PE:

They don’t feel capable.

"But that's an even better reason for them to do it."

Fair enough. But if others in the class are already good at the skill, the student who is making the excuses might be doing a very human thing: comparing themselves to others.

The problem may not be their attitude, it could be that they haven’t seen others make the mistakes to get to that point.

One of the biggest barriers to a child getting better at a skill, is the silent expectation to get it right. It might not be said out loud, but everyone can feel it.

So let’s drown it out with a much more productive message: everyone makes mistakes on the path to learning something new.

What’s the loudest form of communication? Actions.

If you show your students that it’s OK to not be good at something, they will receive the message louder than if you tell them.

Let’s get vulnerable, baby!