Portfolio Showcase

Yesterday, I was chosen by Dr. Couturier, the physical education faculty and staff to display my professional portfolio in Park Center from 3-4pm. This is an honor and goal achieved for myself which I am very proud of. Below I am posting the letter given to me by Dr. Couturier which states why I was chosen for this event, and how I have developed into a professional educator.

Practice Interview Questions

Things to improve:

1) Look at the person interview me when answering my question

2) Be more confident with my answer and smile more

3) Explain how I could have improved the situation so the student will not be sitting out.

Any other suggestions?

Responsibility and Job Security in the classroom

As a future educator of many students, it's important to know the boundaries of both the student, and yourself. As every teacher should know, their are laws, prohibiting teachers from doing certain tasks, as well as laws for students to abide by while in the school. As a teacher, understanding ways in which you can be fired, as well as ways you cannot be fired, are extremely important. Being able to identify when things are going wrong during the lesson, and fixing them based on your responsibilities as a teacher. It may seem obvious to some, but yelling at students with negative criticism, or touching a student without consent is not allowed. Job security in the teaching profession can be difficult to some, but should not be. Understanding your obligations to teach these students, and the responsibility of being in charge of an adolescent, are crucial when finally landing a job. According to our EDU 470 textbook, "A teacher enjoys job security as long as the teacher's behavior and personal life do not disrupt or interfere with teaching effectiveness. Teachers may copy material for classroom use by adhering to three criteria: brevity, spontaneity, and cumulative effect." (2007 McGraw-Hill Higher Education) During this portion of Chapter 8, it discusses these three criteria based on the term 'Fair Use'. The term Brevity discusses how a teacher can use another piece of work, depending on the length. An example of Brevity would be using a book, however you may only use up to 1,000 words or 10% of the entire book. In short, Brevity is made so teachers cannot use the full work of another individual and pass it off as their own. Spontaneity is discussed next in the chapter, about the published work of that teacher. If a teacher is currently publishing work, and wishes to distribute it to their class, they may do so due to the fact that it has not had enough time to be reviewed. However, if the teacher wishes to distribute the same work the next semester, it must be requested to be used in the classroom. Personally, I think this is a great idea because many times the teacher may have great idea's for the lesson, but not have time to get their work fully published and submitted. Lastly, the cumulative effect relates to the spontaneity criteria because this limits the amount of work a teacher can give to their class, without it being reviewed. With the federal law having such a huge impact in today's schools, teachers have to be aware of their responsibilities in order to protect their job security. Posted below is a video discussing job security across the country. Obviously this is not the case for everyone, but it is a major problem with future education majors. One thing I would like to point out, is the discussion of making yourself more marketable. Some girls discussed taking classes related to her major that may increase her likelyhood of landing a new job.

Coaching Philosophy

III. Coaching Philosophy

            Throughout my lifetime, athletics have been a huge part of my life, giving me the opportunity to interact with others, develop my skills, and find lifetime hobbies.  As a coach, I believe in 4 ideas that help me successfully develop my teams which are: practice harder than you play, respect others like you would like to be respected, design practices for optimal use, and provide my students with enough knowledge, skills, plays and corrective feedback to become successful in that sport.

            As a coach, I believe that the work you put in during practice, relates directly to game play.  Being able to conduct a practice that is working on the needs of each player will benefit the team.  Similar to an educator, the coach is responsible for making sure his team knows the plays and rules before they get to an actual game.  Doing drills where the team is working together to accomplish a task, will help make them become a better overall team.  It’s the coach’s job to make sure his players are practicing hard, but at the same time correcting and improving their skills.

            In athletics respect is a huge characteristic that some people have, and some don’t.  As coach, I will make sure my team is respectful to themselves, to myself, and to the opposing team.  It’s important that the players know, sports are about the experience, not the win or loss.  During practice time would be great to reinforce the rule, respect others how you want to be respected. 

            While coaching any sport, it’s important to plan ahead so the practice runs as smoothly as possible.  Depending on the school, the athletic facility may be good or in poor condition, either way, it’s the coach’s responsibility to optimize his facility and equipment for maximum participation.  The coach needs to be evaluating their player’s strengths and weaknesses throughout practice and games, which will then decide what needs to be worked on during future practices. 

            One of the most crucial parts of being a coach, is being able to recognize what the athlete is doing wrong and also able to know the correct way to fix it.  As a coach, you need to give you players enough plays, drills and knowledge about the game so they can become successful.  Being able to tell individual players what to work on or correct, and give them specific drills to do, they can not only work on it in practice, but outside of school as well.

            A coach is not just a leader of the team; they are also educators of the sport.  Having the ability to improve the skills of players is a great motivator to become the best coach possible. 

Philosophy of Physical Education

II. Philosophy of Physical Education        

            As a professional physical educator I believe that all students should be given the necessary knowledge to be able to live a healthy and active lifestyle.  In order to properly physically educate the students, I follow these main ideas; the student should understand basic motor skills and movement patterns,  responsibility of personal and social behaviors, the idea that physical activity is for everyone, and understanding how to maintain a health-enhancing level of physical fitness.

            In physical education, basic motor skills and movement patterns are important concepts that should be highly stressed throughout each year.  In most activities, it’s the basic movements that are most relevant and more commonly used.  Everything that is new, must start from the easiest stage and work its way up to more complex.  As a physical educator, I believe it is my job to provide my students with the necessary skills, examples, and demonstrations to become successful.

            Responsibility of personal and social behaviors in each individual should be worked on and developed in the physical education setting, as well as the classroom setting.  Within physical education, students are constantly interacting with others while doing activities.  Activities such as team games work on sportsmanship within classmates, and ultimately create a better learning environment. 

            Being able to create a learning environment where every student is successful and can participate, is an essential part of being a teacher.  In every class, every student should understand that physical activity is for enjoyment, health and social interaction. Creating fun and exciting activities will motivate the students to give their best effort, and want to continue to be physically active.

            It is the physical educator’s responsibility to give every student the necessary knowledge to maintain a health-enhancing level of physical fitness throughout their lifetime.  Throughout the student’s years in school, they should be constantly learning new ways to stay active in the gymnasium and outside of school.  I believe this is a crucial aspect that needs to be understood by every student.  Through physical education, I will be able to give every student the necessary knowledge and skills to live a healthy and active lifestyle.

           

Philosophy of Education

I. Philosophy of Education

            As a professional educator I rest my philosophy upon three themes that I follow in order to properly educate my students.  Together, these three themes provide the basis of what I value, what I do, and why I do it as an educator.  These themes are: educating the student is the primary focus, the teacher must create a positive and successful learning environment, as well as adapt each lesson to the needs of the class.

            Throughout every class with your students, they should learn something new and important that relates to that lesson. In school, it is the teacher’s job to find creative ways to stimulate their minds and keep them interested.  As an educator, I feel it is important to create a positive rapport with students as quickly as possible, and be open to suggestions and ideas from the class.

            Creating an environment where students feel comfortable and safe is important because it allows them to relax and fully concentrate on what the teacher is saying.  By adding visual aids on the walls, it will allow the students to learn visually, as well as verbally from the teacher.  I believe it is the teacher’s responsibility to make sure every student has the same opportunity as every other child to have their opinions heard, and respected.  Being able to speak your mind and ask questions knowing it will be respected by others is the type of environment that all teachers should strive for.

            As an educator, I believe it is important to be able adapt each lesson to meet the needs of your students.  Being able to plan separate lessons, but still work on the same focus, is a skill that is essential when teaching.  While creating lessons, it’s important to have as many adaptations as possible, to allow for success in every student.  This is a skill that can be developed as a teacher, and if done effectively can benefit every student.

            My philosophy for education is based on the three themes that I truly believe in and teach by.  If given the opportunity, I believe I can instill every student with knowledge that will better them for the rest of their life.

Why physical education is important to me

Due to the thanksgiving holiday, I was asked many questions regarding my status in school, when I'm graduating, what I will do when I'm done, and why I chose to become a teacher.  My family was hitting me with questions all day trying to figure out what was going on in my life the last three months.  All the questions were easy to answer except when my mom's friend (Who is a physical education teacher) why i wanted to do physical education.  For a few seconds I thought about it, and I actually had several answers.  I want to be able to help young students improve their skills, and I feel like I can connect with all students on any level.  I'm very good with handling kids, and being able to adjust to random situations.  Another reason I wanted to be a physical education teacher is because I love sports and would love to be a coach one day.  My whole life, my Father coached teams, some with me on it, some not.  Being able to be a leader, and having your team look up to u is something I take very seriously.  Being a role model is not something that comes easy, eyes are usually on you.  I feel like if I am given the opportunity, I can be a great role model, and help lead kids in the right direction.  My last answer for the question was, this is something I've always wanted to do.  Not many people can come out of high school and know what they want to do for the rest of their life.  I consider myself lucky to have found a major that fits my personality perfect, and something that I love to do.  One thing my mom always told me is you have to be happy with what your doing.  It doesn't matter how much money your making because if your not happy at work, all that money will be worthless.  Physical education gives me the opportunity to have an impact on people's lives, which is something I love.  Being able to put smiles on people face, or make their day better, doesn't sound like a job, but it's definitely a big factor when teaching.  Throughout my last four and a half years of college, I've never been more sure that this is what I want to do for my career.  Looking back, I would like to thank every teacher I've ever had whether at SUNY Cobleskill or SUNY Cortland.  The day I was accepted to Cortland, changed my life.  I was nervous I would have to change my major, until i got the letter in the mail.  Since then, my goal has been the same; be humble, take it one step at a time, and be myself.  These little reminders everyday help keep me composed when I have a lot of stuff going on, and keep me organized throughout the year.  Being in this major at Cortland, has introduced me to a lifetime of friends and hopefully one day colleagues.  I'm sure I will be seeing my fellow classmates in years to come, and I have SUNY Cortland to thank for that.  My time at this school was priceless, and if I could go back and change ANYTHING, I wouldn't.  Everything happens for a reason; live off your experiences.