Journal Week 4

I realized this week how much of an impact a teacher (coach or mentor) could have on a student in such a short period of time. I have built a respectful relationship with the students in my classes and it has created a positive and relaxing learning environment. (Proficiency 2.5: Candidate creates a contextually-appropriate supportive environment where all students have an equitable opportunity for high achievement in Health and Physical Education) Having a good relationship with the students, along with effectively planning, my lessons have been going smoother than ever. After weeks of frustration and uncertainty, this week was a complete turnaround. I now have an idea of what needs to be done in order to have a successful lesson. I have adapted and adjusted to the students and their needs. I am more aware of their skill level and the many different personalities within the group.

With this group of students, I find myself focusing on how to grab their attention and the best way to transition from one drill to the next. This week I decided that I would write important information (cues) on the white board. This actually worked. The students grasped the material better. There was less interruptions and I didn’t have to repeat myself over and over again. This is definitely something I will continue to use throughout this semester. For transitions, I have realized that it is best to make groups/teams in the beginning and have them keep the same groups/teams throughout the class. This minimizes the time students have to be off task and it also maximizes my instruction time and student activity. After implementing these two strategies, classroom management has been a lot easier for me. The students are more responsive, they stay active and there is less student misbehavior. (Proficiency 2.4   Candidate creates effective, well-managed, active, and safe learning environments.) (Proficiency 2.7:  Candidate varies instructional strategies in response to individual needs of students) I will definitely keep using these two strategies throughout my lessons. I will also continue to find other ways to grasp their attention and keep them interested. (Proficiency 2.1:  Candidate demonstrates knowledge of how learners develop, learn and think)

This week I also had the opportunity to work with the mini-basketball team (3rd-5th grade). The primary coach was not able to attend practice, so she asked if I could take over for her. This was a good experience for me. (Proficiency 3.3: Candidate builds collaborative and respectful relationships with colleagues, supervisors, students, parents and community members) My first coaching experience was with a very hyper-active group of students. At first glance, I knew it was going to be a long hour and fifteen minutes. But once I started doing drills with them, I realized that they were actually good listeners and they were very eager to learn. After doing a few fundamental drills, I joined in a game of elimination with the students. This motivated them because everyone wanted to eliminate me. I even had the pleasure of teaching one of the students how to shoot without using the backboard. After telling him what he needed to do and watching him try it and be successful at it and it made me feel accomplished( Proficiency 1.2: Candidate represents Health and Physical Education content accurately). I really enjoyed working with the students.

This has really been a great experience thus far. I am learning a lot. Hearing students ask if I can stay to be their teacher or if I could be their coach or at least come watch practice makes all the frustration and uncertainty worthwhile. My teaching skills have not been perfected yet but I am confident that I am doing a lot of things right.