The last four weeks have been an adventure. I believe I have grown as a professional and future educator. I have been able to build some rapport with my co-operating teacher as well as the students in his classes. Throughout the last few weeks I have realized that I have some obviously strengths and weaknesses. There are a few goals I would like to accomplish before this quarter is over, and I move on with my education.
I believe I have been professionally proficient at the school. I have shown up when I told the co-operating teacher I would be there. I try to be there every Tuesday and Thursday from
The other staff members at the school have been very accommodating. The ladies in the office recognize me and say hello each morning when I walk in. Also , during week four when I needed to find a special education class room to observe in, the principal himself took me around and introduced me to a few teachers. He really made sure he found what I was looking for. I really appreciated the gesture, and hoped that because of his willingness he noticed my professionalism. I was worried at first about the staff looking down on me. Two other girls from class drive out to Meigs with me each day. The two of them always look so nice dressed up in their professional clothing. Although I make sure I am presentable, I felt uncomfortable in my sweat pants and sports polo. I felt that maybe people would not see me as professional as the other observation students. As time went by I realized that the staff understood that I am going to be a physical education teacher and what I was wearing was professional and presentable for my future occupation.
Each Tuesday and Thursday, my co-operating teacher pulls out exercise equipment for the students to work out on. This has been a blessing for me to have conversations and build rapport with the students. At first, they would try and get my attention by saying, “Hey Dude” or “Hey teacher person”. They now know who I am and what I am doing there, and refer to me as “Miss B” or “Miss Brandenstein”. I have been able to talk to some girls who really do not enjoy physical education. These are important conversations for me because; those girls are the reason why I decided to be a physical educator. I know that some people especially girls tend to hate physical education just because the set up of the class, or they think their teacher is rude. These girls I have been talking to have been sharing with me about why they do not like class. They tell me that it is boring, or they always get picked last. These are the classic answers of why students do not like gym class. One of the girls asked me why I wanted to be a physical education teacher, because she said that no one likes those teachers. I told her that it was my goal to not have the kind of class who people do not want to attend. I shared with her what I would do in my classes and she told me that she thought I had some good ideas. I like to have these conversations with these girls because the whole time they are talking they are walking on the treadmill or riding an exercise bike. When I talk to them I keep them occupied and they get their full twenty minute workout in because they do not realize that they have been exercising. If I was not talking to the girls, it would be likely that they would cheat themselves. When Mr. Dunn is not watching, they have a tendency to stop peddling or step off the treadmill until his eyes find them again. I have been able to build rapport with these girls, and I believe they respect me for the position that I am in.
I have noticed that I have some strengths and weaknesses. My strengths are that I am able to professionally interact with the students, and pick up on things that are important for me to remember when I become an educator. The students have been playing a lot of volleyball in the time that I have been observing. I stand off to the side about mid-court and watch them play. When the ball comes to me, I make sure that I get it and pass it back. I make sure that I do not just stand there and let the students run by me without even acknowledging their presence. While the students are participating or not participating in class, I try and pick up on activities that I think I will be able to use in the future . When Mr. Dunn is teaching I like to think about whether or not the activity would be appropriate according to what I have learned in my classes. Most activities that Mr. Dunn uses are great activities that keep all the students involved. From time to time I have picked up on something that according to my professors is not quality. By no means do I judge him for these activities, I just make note that they contradict what has been drilled into my head. For example, most days two captains are picked and they pick their teams one by one. I have been told this is not a good idea because there are always the same students who are picked last. This makes these students feel defeated before they even begin their activities. I like to make mental notes of these things just to build my knowledge of physical education in general. I have found my strengths, but I have also found my weaknesses. I have realized that when Mr. Dunn is sharing his knowledge with me, I am at a loss of words to keep the conversation going. I love listening to his wisdom on physical education and I could sit and listen all day, but when I am sitting there it is like my mind is blank. I know I have things I would like to ask about it, but I just can not think while he is talking. I know this is not my best quality but I hope and I become more and more comfortable, I will loosen up and be able to carry on a conversation.
As the quarter comes to a finish I would like to be completely comfortable in any classroom I set my foot in. I would like to improve my strengths and make my weaknesses few. I hope that my knowledge continues to grow and my passion for teaching physical education becomes stronger. I am overall pleased with the overall experience and opportunities I have been given at
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