Physical Education is For Fun!

Studying to become a teacher, I have tried to get in the habit of reading and watching daily news coverage. I now realize the importance of staying up to date on the latest top stories, information, and health information, because different events can have an impact on our students. Different events can also effect how you approach a situation as a teacher. One event that occurred most recently was in Ohio at a Youth Soccer game. A 17 year-old boy received a yellow card from the referee and reacted by punching the referee in the face. Because the referee suffered an internal head injury and was unable to see the damage, he wasn’t able to realize how seriously he was injured. The referee ended up going into a coma and passing away. As a physical education teacher, this story had such a strong impact on me in so many different ways. Starting in elementary school, it is crucial as a physical education teacher to teach children affective characteristics they will be able to demonstrate into their adulthood. First and foremost, the games children play at such a young age should be for fun. To often the focus is put on winning, and children haven’t yet developed the skills nor should they be put in a competitive situation. In physical education class, my students will learn to demonstrate good teamwork skills. More importantly I want to build good personal skills and character skills. Unfortunate events like this should not have to happen. I hope the future for youth sports can look brighter, and by preparing my students by having them demonstrate respect, patience, and good sportsmanship hopefully events like this no longer occur. This unfortunate incident helped me to realize how my job as a physical education teacher is important in many different ways and how I am given the opportunity to leave an impact on the lives of my students as well as shape my students into well-rounded individuals, socially, physically, and cognitively. By having my students participate in fun activities where everybody is a winner, I hope to prepare them to be able to handle a situation more appropriately then the unnecessary event that occurred at the soccer game.

Reflecting on Past Events

Reflecting on past unfortunate events such as September 11, as well as the Boston Marathon Bombing, it offers a clear picture on how as a future educator we must be aware of events that are going on so we are able to be there for our students. When events like these occur, many times students want to talk about what is going on, and many times teachers are the ones they turn to for answers to their questions. As an educator it is important to know how you will be there for your students, and how you will prepare to answer such questions. Furthermore, events like these may also negatively affect a student’s ability to think straight, for those who were directly or indirectly impacted. Everybody was impacted from these events one way or another, and as a teacher we must strive to bring comfort in hard times. Furthermore, from a physical education standpoint, events like these make me realize how in a sudden instant, a person’s life can be changed forever. Because of the War in Iraq, and events such as the Boston Marathon Bombing, more and more people are becoming disabled; whether it be becoming an amputee, or some other disability. It is important as a physical educator to be prepared to deal with students who are disabled and accommodate them into your class. Inclusion is essential, always striving to make them apart of the class, and modifying only when necessary. Because of events like this, people who suddenly lose limbs deal with grieving, sadness, and anger. It is important to be aware of that, and help in anyway you can.

What is the relationship between the individual, community, & society?

What is the relationship between the individual, community, & society? How do questions themselves shape responses? • Give us a theme to work with • Build more responses – somebody is either agreeing, disagreeing, or creating another statement • The responses and questions create more ideas, debates, and push us to think more • Making an assumption that there is a relationship between individual, community, and society – some people feel individual should be able to do whatever they want. The question is assuming there is a relationship • You realize there may be no correct answer What is the ‘thread’ that pulls through the responses? (How do you make sense of the narrative) • The dominate idea is that they all function together and influence one another • What role culture has and how it effects them • Can positively effect each other or negatively • Media is influential

Culturally Relevant Pedagogy in Health & Physical Education

- In a town where walking is used as a main source of transportation, have the students wear pedometers and see how many steps they take throughout the day. Have a ‘pedometer challenge’ and see who can get the most steps. Have students set a goal to try and reach 10,000 steps a day. - To promote healthy eating, have students track the nutritional value on what they are eating, as well as the daily calories they take in. They can also track how much their food costs per week -Have students do an outside of school miles sheet. Promote cardiovascular exercising by setting an amount of miles you wish for them to accomplish before the end of the semester Things discussed in ‘1st Year Teacher Documentary’ - Getting background knowledge - First year teacher attitude: Teacher starts high, but by December gets on low. By end of the school year the teacher is looking forward to next year - Teacher burnout: Nov-Dec teachers are at bottom of rollercoaster. -Early education sets foundation

Autobiography of Schooling

I firmly believe that a good education is the cornerstone to a fulfilling and productive life. Furthermore, education is the most important indicator for an individual’s future health, wellness and overall well-being as an adult. Different experiences from my past have helped build my idea of what an effective teacher is. More importantly these experiences have helped me to decide the type of teacher I wish to become. It is these personal encounters both in and out of school that has ultimately led to my decision to pursue teaching as my profession. It is extremely important for teachers to foster a classroom environment that encourages students to strive to do their best and facilitates continual growth. I plan to create this classroom environment by ensuring that each student is comfortable with their abilities and the abilities of others. My undergraduate transcript which is made up of mediocre to failing grades provides a clear picture of myself as a student. It was evident I was a poor student not achieving to the best of my ability. What my transcript does not show was the struggles behind my grades. With the idea of school came the feelings of fear, anxiety, and uncertainty. Fear of walking into a classroom, and uncertainty of not knowing the correct answers. Looking back I wish I realized the only way to participate did not consist solely of raising your hand with the correct answer, but could simply be raising your hand to ask a question. Many of my classes both in high school and college were run based around The Socratic Method . In this method the teacher calls on student’s randomly; cold calling on them. I began to associate class with fear and anxiety because of this. I would never be found sitting in the front of the classroom, but instead hiding in the back. It was not that I was not prepared, I just never had the confidence in myself that the answers were correct. My experiences as a student have made me aware of the different emotions and fears student’s may have associated with school. This has greatly shaped the way I wish to run my classes. Something my teachers could have done differently would be using the No Opt Out Method. This method encourages students to participate and be involved, but not by putting student’s on the spot. Students are called on randomly, but first the teacher gives them the opportunity to discuss their answers over with their classmates in small groups. This way student’s are less likely be scared when answering the question. Acceptance, individuality and tolerance I realize that the path to success is not always the easiest, and that teaching is certainly not the easiest profession. However, reflecting on past personal educational experiences, I now see that teachers must never lose sight of those who sit before them, where they come from and all that they have to offer. It is not that a student cannot learn; it is that a student cannot learn in the manner that they are being taught. As early back as I can remember, I have always struggled with my ability to learn. My grades on assessments and standardized tests never reflected the knowledge I had of the content and material that I was being tested on. In seventh grade, I was diagnosed with a learning disability. I received a personalized IEP and have been struggling to overcome my learning disability ever since. Because of my personalized IEP plan came I was placed into college prep level classes which were run at a slower pace. These classes did not provide a great environment for learning. They consisted of students with all different types of learning disabilities, as well as students with behavior issues. Although I have had to work twice as hard as my peers and study twice as long, I have been able to overcome this hardship and through these experiences become inspired to help others learn as well. A positive and accepting classroom environment can change a student’s outlook and in turn, a child’s life. I will always adapt and modify my lessons for the various learning styles of the students in my class. There are various methods and learning styles that must always be taken into consideration when teaching a lesson. Teachers must possess the ability to “think outside the box” and view problem in different ways in order to find a solution. As a future teacher, I will continually adapt my teaching styles to meet the diverse needs of my students, using a variety of learning styles during each lesson. With this, it is the responsibility of a teacher to guarantee an environment in which each student can excel to achieve their personal goals as well as achieve the best of their abilities. If they continually receive the wrong answers, perhaps they are being asked the wrong questions. Every student is unique and special. Therefore, every student learns slightly differently from one another. Knowing that all lessons may be tailored to each student’s needs, both in the gym and in the classroom, is essential to successfully reach all students. Sports have always provided me with self-motivation, diligence and perseverance to overcome many of the challenges that life has thrown at me. Competitive sports have taught me to be a team player, to fight for what I want and to play for the better good of my team. Within my community I joined women’s sports leagues such as volleyball, soccer, and tennis. Most importantly, actively participating in sports has allowed me to take a proactive role in my overall wellness in order to stay fit and healthy as an adult. Therefore, as a future Health and Physical Education teacher, it is important not only to educate students, but to make learning enjoyable in the process. Additionally, it is important to encourage them to overcome any hurdles that they may encounter so that they can retain the information and achievements throughout their lifetimes. It is important to remember that students’ success, at every level, is essential and greatly dependent upon the teacher. With this, physical fitness activities which enable students to meet their personal fitness needs, must be emphasized. My objective as a future Health and Physical Education teacher is for all students’ experiences to contribute to the development of positive attitude toward physical fitness and positive self-esteem, to be carried throughout the student’s life and adulthood. Those chosen few who strive to make a difference as an educator of tomorrow, play an essential role in the lives of children. I am one of those few ready to take on the challenge of contributing to such a significant and important cause.

Digging into Media Messages

Reading numerous articles regarding rising crime in Dover involving both violent crime and non-violent crime, helped to paint a clearer picture of all teachers have the opportunity to educate their students about. More specifically in Dover, they struggle with gun violence, bullying, and drugs. Within their community, students at a young age are surround with an array of bad influences such as violence and drugs. As a health education teacher I am provided with the obligation to educate them about the importance of avoiding bullying, drugs, and violence as well as severe consequences that can happen when one decides to participate in such activity. One article discussed the growing problem of bullying, which was the cause of a six-person fight on the school bus. They ranged from 15-16 years old. In the article it states, “Morris Hill School officials were notified of the situation to speak with the families.” Although most of the information being given is from the Safety Director of Dover and the Police Officer, I believe it was important to address the problem to the school officials. The school officials, as well as myself being a health and physical education teacher have the opportunity of addressing the culture of bullying, the zero tolerance policy, and the serious consequences that come a long with bullying. (http://www.nj.com/morris/index.ssf/2012/10/ongoing_bullying_caused_school.htm) Two other teenagers were involved in a form of bullying by arming themselves with imitation pistols and leaving a homemade bomb outside a classmates home. This was all in respond to an argument the two had. (http://www.nj.com/morris/index.ssf/2012/08/dover_police_arrest_juveniles.html) In Dover, Taxis are a common source of transportation for teens as well as adults. One article discusses an incident involving four teens that robbed a taxi driver for his I-phone, and then beat him. The sergeant involved with the arrested stated, “"This arrest shows the importance the community plays in crime-fighting efforts and
 we thank them for getting involved," Residents within the community helped the police officers at the time of the crime because the teens fled the scene by running from the cops. The residents were the ones who told the police which way the teens were running, which ultimately led them to catch the teens. This was important to share with the public, because it not only showed the effort the police are making to provide for a safe community, but it also showed the importance of the community working together to achieve a safer community for everybody. (http://www.nj.com/morris/index.ssf/2012/08/cops_four_teens_beat_robbed_ta.html) The last article I read was regarding the rising problem with drugs in Dover. Most recently 13 people were arrested in a drug raid, which was only 500 Feet from the Second Street Playground in Dover. This is highly concerning regarding the students we will be teaching, because the playgrounds they should have the opportunity to be playing on and building their locomoter skills are being used as a meeting spot for exchanging drugs. According to this article, in Dover, non-violent crime has raised 14 percent. This article is important, because it points out that they are making an effort to crack down on drugs. As teachers, we have the opportunity to educate our students of the importance of staying away from drugs. The detective states, “Increased community involvement, more tips to police and a better partnership between patrols and citizens is helping the community.” It is important the community is working together and being involved to make their town a better place. But as a health and physical education teacher I also will have the opportunity to help build a safer community by educating my students and giving them a good foundation and knowledge of staying away from drugs and violence. This way they are able to go out into their community and help to promote for a safer environment. (http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2011/04/dover_police_ramp_up_effort_to.html)

NJ Disabilities Film Festival - 'The Importance of Tying Your Own Shoes'

As teachers we need to be patient, curious and have awareness of what our students say and do. The film ‘The Importance of Tying Your Own Shoes’ is a perfect portrayal of the importance of getting to know your students. Alex gets a job to be the leader of a group of people with disabilities, and although he appreciates every one of them, he never gets to know them the way a teacher should and therefore runs into many problems along the way. The first time Alex encounters trouble is when they go for a walk, and one of his students with Down syndrome climbs up the sculpture and is unable to get down. He did not think this was such a big deal at the time, but then he was approached that the student had a heart condition and he can’t let him do that again. That same student and Alex encountered another problem when the students are playing soccer outside, he kicks the ball to the student with Down syndrome and it hits him right in the face. There are many implications to be aware of when teaching a student with Down syndrome, that if Alex were aware of he may have approached the situations differently. Firstly, people with Down syndrome many times have heart and lung problems. Their blood is not effectively pumped through their heart so they fatigue easily. They also have less aveoli in their lungs, so they can’t take in oxygen, which causes them to have asthma. People with Down syndrome also many times have vision problems, so this is why the student had trouble seeing the ball when it came close to his face. The next problem Alex encounters is he takes them for a bus ride and forgets to do the seatbelt check, so none of the students have their seat belts on. Throughout the movie it was obvious that Leif suffered from what I thought to be anxiety. You see this occur when he was cutting the wood outside, and also when they get on stage to perform Leif stops and is unable to continue. This problem, which seemed very serious never seemed to be addressed by the teacher. Having some knowledge of the implications of teaching students with Down syndrome, I noticed when Alex goes to Kristina’s house to talk to her; he places himself at eye level. Because people with Down syndrome are usually much shorter, it is important when talking to them to put yourself at eye level, this way they don’t always have to look up. This is something Alex was aware of when talking to Kristina. Although Alex really cared about every one of his students, it is important to get to know your students along with certain implications to be aware of when it comes to safety concerns which is something Alex never did.