A mitzvah, a Jewish word for a good deed. Doing mitzvahs can be volunteering at a local soup kitchen, animal shelter, or retirement home. But, something that is available right here at our school is Partners in PE. Partners in PE is a PE credit class where 7th and 8th-grade students get to teach and guide other students at our school who have impairments.

Now, this class isn’t for everyone and that’s okay. It does take a lot of patience and on the spot strategizing. There are some athletes (students with impairments) who will require more attention and more creative techniques in the way that you teach them. Sometimes you may have to call a teacher over depending on your situation. Other times you will act well under the pressure. It all depends on the athlete and the day.

I myself am a part of Partners in PE and it has been quite an adventure. Every day you feel like you are making a difference and doing your mitzvah. Whether you learned something new about yourself, about your athlete, or maybe you did a great job leading your athlete, or maybe you think, reflect, and realize that maybe tomorrow you will strategize a different way. The good that you are doing for these kids is a great reason why I do it and love it.

The struggles that come with this class are ranging from a small saying to a big action. You are assigned to one athlete and you are given a sport, for example, this week we are doing Football. You guide them and help them learn and do well at whatever sport you are given that week. The sport can be modified to certain impairments. In the sports units, that is where your patience really has to come in. It all depends on your athlete because they might have trouble doing simple tasks.

So as it can be hard, and challenging, you get to help so many athletes who need it and you can be the best part of their day. With this message, I want to say a quote from the book Wonder, “With faced with the choice between choosing to be right or kind, choose kind.”

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