Goodbye Meigs High School

The last ten weeks at Meigs High School have helped to shape myself as a future educator. I have continued to notice my strengths in the physical education classroom as well as the items I still need to work on. Spending time in the typical school atmosphere has brought on excitement as well as nerves for what is to come.
I believe that overall my professionalism is sufficient. I attended every day that I told my corresponding teacher that I would be there. I had no trouble getting to school on time, despite the thirty minute drive out to Meigs. Even though some days jumping in the car for a half an hour in the morning would just make me tired, by the time the first class would start I would be awake and ready to go. Mr. Dunn did not require much responsibility on my part. In a physical education class there no papers to grade, or grades to enter, so I honestly just watched. If he would go ask me to grab a piece of equipment from the closet, I would do so without hesitation.
Throughout the quarter I was able to build relationships with students in a few of the physical education classes. These students ranged from Caucasian, freshman girls, to African American, senior boys. I had different types of relationships with the students, but I believe that each of those students respected me and enjoyed my presence in the classroom. There was one particular girl who I spent a lot of time talking with while she was exercising on the treadmill. I learned that her passion is animals. She loves to ride horses and she wants to be a marine biologist one day. She was curious about college and how it differs from high school. Over the weeks of talking with her, I began to notice that she wanted my advice on what to do in certain situations. Wither it was petty high school drama or what her future brings, I could tell she trusted me, and respected I had to say. Obviously, my relationships with the boys were different. For the longest time the senior boys were giving me a hard time about being and college and all that it entails. It was hard for me at first to defend myself. Even though I do not participate in the typical college lifestyle, I became very embarrassed. I wanted these students to know that I am not a typical college student, but did not want to continue on in an inappropriate conversation. I began to realize that these senior boys just wanted my attention. These boys are not technically enrolled in the physical education class, but are in there to help add bodies to a very small class. Some of the days when I would observe, the entire class except these particular boys would be exercising on the equipment. They did not get much attention from Mr. Dunn because he was focused on his real students. The boys would beg me week after week to play basketball with them. I always denied the offer and told them that I was there to watch and that was all. Finally, the last week of class the boys were playing Knock Out and coaxed me into playing a game. The first game I played I beat them, and from that point on I had a different feeling from them. I think in those moments that I showed those boys that I do have athletic ability, they began to respect me as someone who could be a teacher. The relationships I had with the students we all very different, but they we all good relationships that shared respect from both parties.
As the quarter progressed and relationships developed I began to become more comfortable in the classroom. During class, instead of standing over by the bleachers to watch, I would stand right on the court. Being up close to the action I was able to hear more conversations and be slightly more engaged in the classroom atmosphere. When the students were playing volleyball, I would stand about mid court and run after stray volleyballs and return them to the teams. I became must more comfortable talking to Mr. Dunn. Once I finally started to get comfortable with the cooperating teacher, I became more comfortable in general. The conversations ranged from high school sports, or sizes of schools in the state of Ohio. In his class I felt comfortable being out on the floor with the students as they were doing their activities. I would stand under the basketball hoops to get rebounds, or stand beside a girl on the exercise bike and let her tell me all about her dreams to play collegiate athletics. Being accepted by the athletic director made become comfortable, because I felt as if the school was comfortable with me.
My strengths in the classroom are continuing to develop. I believe that one of my main strengths is holding conversations with the students. I think I am good at holding quality conversations that both myself and the students enjoy. I really enjoy speaking to students of all ages, and I think that is really important for an educator. I do not want to be a teacher who only talks to her students when she is lecturing. I would like my students to feel comfortable coming to me with issues that they need resolved. I hope that this strength will help me become a warm and inviting teacher, not a cold and distant one. Not only are my conversations with the students developing, but also my conversations with fellow educators. At the midterm, I was struggling being able to carry on a conversation with my cooperating teacher. I love listening to what wise people have to say, but then always feel as if I do not have anything to say back. As the quarter progressed and I started to feel more comfortable in the class in general, I started to feel more comfortable talking with the teacher. I started to ask him about the things I was noticing about the class, or ask him about something I learned here in lecture at Ohio University, and ask him how it applied to his class. I had to interview Mr. Dunn for my tri-fold project and he and I had a good conversation about the importance of adapted physical education. I would like to think that we equally participated in the conversation and both learned something from each other’s ideas.
Mr. Dunn was overall pleased with my presence in the classroom. He gave me all fives on my final evaluation, and said that there was nothing wrong that he could report. From our conversations, I think he could begin to see that I have the qualities of a quality physical educator. He said he enjoyed my time spent in the classroom and that if I ever needed a reference or anything that he would be more than willing to help me out. He also invited me to come back and spend time in the classroom whenever I wanted.
As the quarter concludes, I absolutely still want to be a teacher. I love every minute of being out in the school and interacting with the students. My flame of passion is fanned every day I spend out in the schools, watching and developing my own teaching philosophy. I have always wanted to teach high school physical education. I know that I do not want to be a typical classroom teacher and that physical education is right for me. I originally wanted to teach high school, which I still do. Through the Young Life organization I lead in, I have fallen in love with high school students, and enjoy spending my time with them. However, in my methods courses I have noticed that I really enjoy the elementary school students and their excitement and energy they provide me with. Luckily, I will get certified kindergarten through twelfth grade and may get the chance to teach at both grade levels.
I cannot wait to just be out there on my own, teaching my lessons, and sharing my passion with the future generation. I know that I still have plenty to learn and will grow in my strengths as I continue on in my journey to becoming a physical educator. I still have lots to learn and plenty of work to do before I will be ready to be out in the field on my own. I am anxious to what the next year will bring, and how I will develop as an educator.