Old St Nick/ The Final Chapter

Today we finished our last day at St Marys. It seemed like only yesterday I was walking through the doors in sight of my first real teaching experience. I had a great time working with my group and of course working with the kids was a blast. I feel like I left St Marys with a better understanding of how my future will be. I learned so much from Mr. Yang and our lab assistance's. Just like anything else you need time to adjust and adapt to situations. Each week there was a new twist, if it was the certain theme we needed to focus on or even the game we had to teach. I felt like group did a great job of communicating and working together to get the job done. A few cues that I learned include, Be loud let your voice be heard. Change the environment or (environmental manipulation) so the kids are repeating the same motion or movement. You be the leader in the gym or on the field. You need to advocate what it is you want to change or focus on. As a group of 20 kids in our Mondays lab we each bring something different to the table which makes things great and interesting. It was great to work with others at St Marys as a team we accomplished a lot I think. We were able to virtually teach many different age groups. You needed to be a different teacher depending on the age group you were teaching. For Pre K you could not talk to 10 minutes on rules. You need to be quick, simple, and to the point. Many times during my trips to St Marys, kids would have questions for me and I was there to help them out even if was regarding how to kick a soccer ball or what a lap up looked like. I truly felt each kid improved from the first week we were their. It seemed like they all grew off of us. I thought it was a great idea to do themes each week. Though it was only an after school program it seemed the kids were much more willing to participate knowing that there would be a new game to go along with the theme. Props helped us get our lesson moving along and flow better and they were excited if we dressed up. Finally I am so thankful for being given the opportunity to go to St Marys and work I had a great time. I remember Mr. Yang saying if you ever experience yourself second thoughting PE or your ever bored at St Marys you should consider another major. I thought about that real hard and its true if your not happy why be near the kids? I never second thoughted myself I was always laughing and smiling and having a good time. I feel like I took a lot away from this experience and it will help me in the future as a Physical Educator.

Gobble Gobble, Thanksgiving Time Again

Today at St Mary's we were able to explore into more skill movements. Our unit was dribbling. (This included a basketball or a soccer ball). Our group was able to work with the Pre K, and I noticed a lot of improvement on their part. They followed our instructions, and it seemed that they always knew what to do. I noticed our group applied simple cues we were taught by Mr. Yang, and Andy. LOUD VOICES, SIMPLE INSTRUCTION, and GUIDANCE. We set up hula hoops all around one corner of the gym. The boundaries were Orange cones we set up as the perimeter. The kids would start outside of the Orange cones and we could call out a color of the hula hoop, and they would go to that color and perform the intended task. We changed up the scenario each time which is crucial because the kids will catch on to the same rountine and get bored ( especially the youngsters). Towards the end of the drill we had them dribble to whatever color hula hoop they wanted and had them dribble 10 times then find another color. While they were dribbling we would yell FREEZE, then we had them put their ball down on the floor and perform a certain task such as a (hop, jump, slide ECT..) When they came back to the line to start again I told each kid to hold the ball tightly I think if I had failed to give that instruction kids would be throwing their ball everywhere, making teaching virtually impossible. Overall I thought the drill flowed smoothly and it seemed to be fun for the kids which is one of the most important things. Also they broke a sweat, they were very tired which is also very important. The goal is to stay away from that 30% of kids being obese in America.By doing "instant activies" this is step 1 of many to decrease that 30 %. Finally I had a real fun time going around and providing assistance to the kids dribbling (brought me back to my old high school days of playing basketball).

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BO BO the Circus Clown

On Monday at St Marys we followed the theme of the circus. Evan, Tyler, Amy, and myself came with props such as wigs, hats, and face paint. I could tell the kids were very excited to engage in our activities. Ive noticed so far when you create these themes the students are much more involved and willing to learn. It was very similar to the super hero theme we did, a simple prop, a simple act of craziness gets the kids more excited, because they have no idea what they will be doing. Monday we taught a game called Fit, Fuel, Fun. A game that tackles many skill movement areas. We worked with throwing, running, and our sweaty sideline represented a "free locomotor" movement. We started by doing a simple warm up activity. Each student picks a partner and they work on throwing back and fourth. This is very important because it allows for each kid to practice the skill before they actual preform the task. Many classes here at Cortland teach progressions. You need to start slow and basic and use environmental manipulation to move to the next peg of the skill ladder. Fit Fuel Fun was a multi step game. On a personal level im still figuring out what games belong to specific age groups and skill levels. As a future professional it is imperative that I gain an understanding what what games should be played, at that specific level. Teaching Fit Fuel Fun I admit was a challenge because we needed to be 100% organized and 100% focus. Some children were looking away playing with friends while we were explaining directions. However we were taught cues such as, Project you voice so they would start to pay attention. We needed to be loud and clear because if your not you will loose them. I thought we did a good job of breaking down the activity into steps. The initial step was to practice throwing with a partner. Then after that step we explained what capture the flag is. I like to use this method when I teach at St Marys. After each explanation I like to choose 1 student to repeat what I said to make totally sure the group and the individual are on the same page, in regards to the rules, and safety concerns. Its important that you don't overload with info. So what I did was give a quick 1 minute explanation of what to do and as a group we went out and started to play. At times we would stop a student and show them what to do. We do this so we dont disrupt the game, so it will flow. Finally as I mentioned I'm still adapting what what these students skills are, and how to to tackle each game so it will not only be fun but successful for the student. Through different games you will start to pick up on age appropriate games. I truly feel this experinece at St Marys will help me so much because now I will know what games should be played and which games I should hold off on when I become a movement expert. Overall I believe the kids had a great time, however on my part I felt I could do things a little different for more success. Organization and explanation are two crucial aspects that I will grow and development when I become a teacher.

School before play!!

Today I had the opportunity to return to St Mary's to assist the pre k teachers. I would like to reflect on how my morning went. I introduced myself to all the students and after that I was free to roam around the room and either play with the kids or help them with assignments. I was able to learn the morning routine which is important because when i student teach I will have to adapt to different teaching styles and environments. The students started off doing a work sheet. They had to write there names in three different spaces, the first was written for them, the second they had to connect the dots to each letter of their name, and finally they had to write out there whole name. I worked with one girl for about a half hour. She had a tough time focusing, and told me she couldn't write her name. So what I did was I told her to retrace the letters again to her name to get the motion down so she could complete the work sheet and eventually we got through her whole name.
Another work sheet they worked on was counting. They had a picture of lets say a apple and they had to count how many apples there where and write the number on the line. Their were about 10 different pictures. I had to help one child write a three, so on the back of his worksheet I showed him and he went to the front and applied what I had showed him. It seemed after each child finished their worksheets they were aloud to play. Examples included puzzles, toys, and a kitchen set. When I was walking around the room I saw Illianna trying to put together a puzzle and eventually about four more kids showed up. It was great to see their reactions when we put the puzzle together, one girl actually screamed and was told to quiet down. But the kids ran over to the teacher and showed her the completed puzzle. It was like the first time they put it all together and they were thrilled. The last thing I want to talk about is a young girl named Lyla. She comes into the class room balling her eyes out, and she walks over to her desk and starts her worksheets. At this point she is still crying. So I walk over and introduce myself, (she wanted nothing to do with that). So I went on to plan B and asked her what she was going to be for Halloween. Couldnt get her to crack. So I walked away and was helping another student with work and all of a sudden I hear "Im going to be a purple unicorn" I look back and sure enough it was Lyla. So I started to joke around with her and she was laughing and started to become more comfortable in the class room. I would walk away from her and say "Lyla" and she would look up, and I would look away as if I wasnt their. And she was looking all around the room trying to figure out who called her name. So i did it again and she caught me looking away and she started to laugh. So I kept doing this until she was in tears from laughing not crying. It was a great feeling to get her to open up to not only me but the other students. In conclusion I learned a lot today, about classroom procedures, personalities from the kids, and teachers, and much more. I would definitely love to go back and work with them again.

Where are my frisbees?

Today at Saint Mary's our group worked with organizing materials and keeping an inventory for the St Mary's PE teacher. Today I felt like I learned alot in regards to keeping myself organized. Its an aspect of teaching I feel people definitely over look. Its crucial to know where all your equipment is at all times, so you can keep your lesson going quickly and smoothly. As future educators it will be important not only to order the material but to keep track and count it as well. At the end of each class you should have the same number you started the class with. Example- going out to the field with 5 frisbees, coming in their should be 5. Be vocal and say "we need 5 frisbees in this bag before we can go back in". This allows you to be sure you have everything to use in the future. Taking care of the equipment is the most important aspect I believe. If your teaching in a lower level income area, you may only have two basketballs, but those two should be treated with responsibility and returned at the end of class. I would recommend cages, buckets and other storage products to use when you become a Physical Educator. Finally I believe today was a great experience, because that is something we will have to do in the future.

Kickball in the PE hall of shame, or is it?

From about the beginning of 7th grade to the end of 8th grade my middle school PE classes consisted of either kickball, dodgeball, our fitness test and Punt, Pass, Kick. Take out the fitness test because it is mandatory , those three games are all we played. I got sick and tired of playing kickball outside every time it was nice out. I felt like there was no variety at all. But I look back and think to myself would the game be more fun if the rules were changed. I believe it would have only taken a slight twist in the game to make it more fun and enjoyable. A red light should come on when your a teacher and you say "ok guys its nice out lets go play kickball". And everyone rolls their eyes, and sighs. CHANGE IT UP. Environmental Manipulation- dont be the teacher to keep all the same rules and guidelines. So here are somethings i would do. Picking teams I would have birthdays from Jan- June on one side and July- Dec on the other side. This changes it up not the boring ok "ones on this side twos on this side. I would then introduce a new set of rules.

1. 2 outs instead of traditionally playing (3 outs)- Quicker Innings
2. A new pitcher after every out. - Involves everyone (not just your best player always as a pitcher)
3. When kicking, each time you need to switch up what foot they use. So if the teams are 7 on 7, when the first 7 are completed kicking with their right foot, change it so everyone's second ups are kicking with the left foot.
4. NO MONKEY ball- you have to touch the base for an out to occur.
5. Run Rule each inning- 5 runs then the next team is up to kick.- keeps the game flowing and it avoids one team dominating another.
6. Have other balls available in case one goes far foul so, your not just waiting around to retrieve the foul ball.
7. Each player is allowed one pass ball in regards to kicking (ex a bad pitch) after that no matter where the ball is you need to kick it.
8. 3 foul balls= an out
9. Each inning there is a position change, starting with pitcher, he then follows an order of first, second,ss, third, then the outfield. (many kids are neglected playing postions that others tell them too, each kid should play everywhere).
10. My PE teacher did this rule which was awesome, if your shoe is untied while your kicking it an automatic out or if your show flies off after making contact with the ball= automatic out.

In conclusion if we played with different rules instead of traditional kick ball rules there would be more participation and enjoyment. I came up with a quick list of 10 rules but you can do whatever you would like. Be creative and DON'T BE AFRAID TO CHANGE IT UP.