Dream class

Throughout this year I have taught PE and weight lifting at the middle and high school levels. Dealing with students that dislike physical activity, do not participate, lack effort have really been challenging, and I will continue to use strategies to help the improve. Along with this I have also thought about how nice it would be if all my students loved physical activity. This dream has given me an idea on a class I would like to design once I get into my teaching career. One class that I would love to teach/ design would be called advanced conditioning or advanced athletics. Basically would be a class consisting of primarily athletes and would expose students to a variety of workouts and exercise programs that they could utilize after high school. This class would also be a great class for enspiring college athletes because it could get them used to the physical demands that college sports require. Students who don’t enjoy physical activity would not be involved in this class.

Middle school exercise program

I am currently teaching a 7-12 weight lifting class in which the majority of the class are 7th and 8th grade students. Since there is a distinct difference in ability and skill level between high school and middle school students I have developed two separate workout plans. Up until about two weeks ago the middle school students focus primarily on the core lifts (bench, incline, squat, and clean). Since then I have implemented circuit training that has been very successful. On Mondays and Wednesdays an upper body circuit is implemented which include a variety of exercises such as: arm circles, shoulder raises, chest flys, and arm curls. There are 2-3 variations for each exercise and students perform each exercise in 30 second intervals with minimal down time. On Tuesdays and Thursdays student complete the lower body circuit work out that includes: body squats, overhead squats, squat jumps, split jumps, transition split jumps, line jumps, and stairs. These exercises are also completed in 30 second intervals with minimal rest. The circuit training has proved to be very effective because not only are students gaining muscular strength but they are also receiving a cardiovascular workout as well because of the high repetition and fast pace. When the circuits are facilitated all the students complete the workout at the same time which makes easy for me to keep track of each students completion of the workout. Having the students complete the workout side by side also creates motivational/ competitive environment which is very beneficial in a weight room setting.

Strategy observed that could be utilized

During one of my observations at Baker High School I was able to witness a 10th grade Biology class in which a lab was being facilitated. The teaching strategy used was guided discovery in which the class was given all the materials and equipment along with an explanation of the lab and expected to complete the lab worksheet that consisted of questions, writing prompts, and charting results that students were able to complete upon execution of the lab. What made this lesson so successful was that students were able to gain knowledge and understanding of concepts with very minimal assistance from the teacher as well as staying engaged and on task at all times. This is a very similar strategy could easily be implemented in the health classroom. Using guided discovery I could design a research project consisting of set of questions/prompts that students could complete in relation to some kind of health related topic (e.g. non-communicable diseases, communicable diseases, etc.). Providing students ample time to research and find resources to assist them (e.g. Library) could be very effective in teaching students how access information.

Strategy I would like to implement: 7th grade health

A teaching strategy that I have read about that I would like to implement is called group investigation (type of coorperative learning). Essentially the class is introduced to a topic or problem to be studied. Students will be formed into groups. Students then develop a plan for investigation of the topic. The group would then research and present their results, insights, questions, etc. this would be a very good strategy because it allows for collaboration between students and enables them to think more critically about topics. In some cases students are able to study of the “gray areas” of the problem or topic which intern can create some very interesting results/ insights/ questions. This would enable me to “see what they got.”

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.

Successful Strategy

As a Health teacher it is important that I make my classroom a place where students can feel comfortable talking about certain issues, asking questions, and voicing opinions on topics whenever possible. A teaching strategy that I have found to be very useful focuses on thought-provoking prompts and class centered discussions. By creating lessons that invite questioning and critical thinking can not only help me teach but allows for other students to be exposed to definitions and opinions from other students, which in some cases is more effective than hearing it from the teacher. By presenting students with concepts and encouraging responses not only can stimulate insights/ideas from others, but it allows time for me to provide insights and feedback back to them.

Elementary PE class

Wow, though my content (methods) instructor claims an elementary PE job is ideal place for an aspiring coach, I have yet to see the any evidence to prove that to be true. I am currently teaching an elementary PE class one period of the day (k-3) and every class is an emotional roller coaster. The kids have a great time enjoy all the activites but when it comes to crying and conflicting with classmates I have difficulty dealing with students at such a young age. I guess it’s probably due to the fact I don’t have many strategies or management techniques that are effective at this point. So far this year I have had much success teaching middle/high school students and it’s extremely frustrating that I don’t feel the same success when it comes to the elementary level students.

Teaching Objective(s)

I am a firm believer in active learning and I think it is extremely crucial that students are allowed/ encouraged to think critically and question information they are exposed to. I think that teaching is not about lecturing to students, but rather about presenting theories, ideas, concepts, and material to students in a fashion that allows them to integrate the information into their own personal life experiences. If students ponder information conceptually as oppose to factually it leads to deeper, clearer understanding of content. In my teaching I specifically design aspects of my instruction to stimulate and inspire these thought processes. In daily instruction I pull information from a variety of resources and deliver information using different teaching methods to accommodate all learners. I strongly believe that concept retention is achieved by delivering information to students from different approaches and using a variety of different techniques. Along with incorporating variety into instruction I also believe in repetition in teaching, the more times a student is exposed to information the more likely he/she is to retain it.