Continuing the Journey

As the semester comes to its end, I can not help but reflect on my immense journey of growth.  Not only have I come to know myself more as a learner, but more importantly I have learnt great amounts about myself as a teacher.  I truly know that I am studying in the right field and could not imagine finding happiness doing anything else but teaching.

I do not want to bore you about every detail of my past year but I thought it would be beneficial to make a short list of “tips” geared towards University Students in the Faculty of Education preparing for their pre-internship.

1. Reflect, Reflect and Reflect some more.  It may seem repetitive and boring, but it really is a beneficial learning tool. Blogging or journaling an excellent way to do this.
2. Plan, but do not freak out if your plan fails. Lessons fail all the time. Reflect on those failures and you are sure to experience success in lessons to come.
3. Get to know your students by name. Make them feel special!
4. Make your presence known at the school.  Talk to teachers, and more importantly the school principal. They are valuable resources!
5. Dress professionally, even if the others teachers at the school don’t.  Taking the time dress professionally gives the impression that you care about your time at the school, the children and your profession.
6. Brain breaks are awesome. Find a handful that you love that can be used in any classroom setting.  These brain breaks are key to managing off task students.
7. Do not be scared of your faculty advisor.  They want you to succeed and are more than willing to offer assistance in all areas of your education.
8. Do not ever turn down classroom resources that other classroom teachers are getting rid of.  They are not discarding them because they are invaluable; it is likely a space issue.  Teacher resources are expensive, and pre-service teachers need to start somewhere. Hand me downs are perfect to begin building your collection.
9. Invest in a camera and take pictures of yourself in action. These photos are valuable additions to your portfolio and special keepsakes.
10. Relax and enjoy the process. It goes by fast!

This will be my last official blog of my third year and I just wanted to thank my audience/classmates for their time and thoughtful comments.  It is my hope to continue blogging, as a move forward in my journey as a pre-service teacher, as I have greatly enjoyed the experience this form of reflection has afforded me.  It was completely out of my comfort zone and frustrating at times, however exposed me to the place technology has in the classroom and for this I will be forever grateful.

“Focus on the journey, not the destination. Joy is found not in finishing an activity but in doing it.” ~Greg Anderson

Teachers Have Outside Lives?

After full-filling my position as a cheerleader for my boyfriend’s hockey team, a couple friends and I, took our places outside the dressing rooms to begin our painstaking wait for our all-stars.  As we chit chatted about the weekend, and our general complaints as girlfriends, out of nowhere I heard a little voice chirp, “Hi, Miss. Cheater”.  At first I was flustered, and frantically searched for the person greeting me in such a matter.  My eyes fell upon a smiling face; one of the students in my third grade classroom where I am doing my pre-internship.  After trading a typical conversation, she was on her way and I continued with my previous conversation.

While driving home I could not help but replay the conversation over in my mind.  While doing this I was reminded of the expectations that are placed upon me as I take my place in the profession of teaching.  My title as Miss. Cheater does not cease to exist once I leave the school, and therefore my professionalism becomes a part of who I am in all aspects of my life.  The possibility of seeing my students is huge, especially in the close knit community of Regina.  Furthermore, this possibility grows with the more classrooms that I spend time in.  I have to mindful of the types of conversations I have, the language I use, clothing I wear and even the types of people I choose to spend my time with.  I want to clarify that I do not plan to go into hiding but having this experience allows me to move forward in my life with the consideration that the little eyes from my classroom are always watching.

To this day I recall how excited I would be if I were to see my teacher at the grocery store, or at a sporting event.  As a student, this excitement was present as a result of the connection that my teacher’s had made with me.  I am filled with pride knowing that my grade three student felt comfortable enough to approach me in a public setting and I strive to make connections with future students to ensure this sense of safety continues to be created.

This is my first experience running into students outside of the classroom and I would love to hear other teacher’s experiences so feel free to comment.

Surviving My First Week in the Classroom

So I have officially survived my first week of pre-internship and I thought it would be beneficial to sit down and reflect upon the wide array of feelings and experiences that have been afforded to me throughout the past week.

For starters I want to comment upon the overall welcome that was extended to myself, and teaching partner as we began our three week block.  The community at Sacred Heart Elementary school is truly a family and I am so appreciative to be provided the opportunity to become a part of this family for the duration of my three week teaching block.  This comfort has been developed through daily welcomes and smiles, and discussion surrounding, taught, planned and upcoming lessons.  I really feel as though all the staff and faculty have really done their part in taking an interest in my journey as a pre-service teacher and for that I am welcome.

For the duration of my three week block I am leading an investigation of the author Robert Munsch.  Each lesson has an underlying message that speaks to the question “What Makes Robert Munsch loveable, memorable and unique?” At the conclusion of each lesson this new found information/criteria is tracked on a thumbprint template.  By the end of the unit, this thumbprint ends up being an snapshot of Robert Munsch’s identity as an author, in addition to, the identity of his works.  The unit focuses on developing students oral language skills and includes a lot of classroom discussion as well as creation of visual art works, mathematical graphing, and kinesthetic story telling.  So far I have taught three lessons from my unit and I am very pleased with how each of them have developed.

I am so surprised how fast the days fly by while in the classroom.  I am a very punctual person and am driven by time deadlines.  This week there was shuffling of lesson times and activities everyday and it made me realize just how important it is to be able to adapt to change, as it is inevitable.  Another thing I noticed this week is in relation to support staff and “pull outs” for reading.  Reading is a target goal throughout the school and guided reading time is essential.  There is amazing support staff who take guided reading groups throughout the day and this means students sometimes miss time in other subject areas.  As a teacher I have noticed that it is extremely difficult to constantly be reviewing instructions however feel as though this repetition allows for all students to experience more success in their classroom.  The dedication that it takes for a teacher to commit to this type of instruction is huge and is just one more indication of the overall passion that the teachers at Sacred Heart have for their careers, and ultimately their students.

Management this week for the most part went well, with the exception of Wednesday and Thursday.  A lesson planned to take minimal time ended up doubling in time, as a result of management issues.  Talking to other pre-interns on this day, it was apparent that it was not only our classroom that was experiencing this issue, therefore we concluded to it being a type of “spring Fever”; and let me tell you the presence of a substitute teacher the following day did not aid in these management issues.  On Thursday, I had planned a small phys. Ed activity for the students and to sum it up, it was a disaster.  The students were not interested in listening to instructions or even playing the “game” and I left feeling very defeated.  I have allowed myself plenty of time to review why it is that I feel this way, and I realized that I took it personally when I shouldn’t have.  It was nothing against me, it was merely the context and situation that didn’t work out.

I am looking forward to the second week as I continue leading students in their investigation of Robert Munsch and will be sure to keep everyone updated on our progress! Have a great week everybody 🙂

Stress Management in the classroom.

 

As I am frantically attempting to complete my last week of assignments prior to entering the field as a pre-intern, my stress levels are at an all-time high.  Between working part time, attending class and finishing projects, sleep has fallen further and further away from being a top priority.  As I was racing from work to class today, I was reminded of a semester long project I worked on in regards to my personal and professional development.  For this assignment I aimed to manage my stress using a variety of techniques, however as I reflect on my current stress filled state, I can not help but feel that all the work I did last semester has been forgotten. 

Tension is high in classes and I think that it is safe to assume that my peers are experiencing similar feelings in stress as I am. This post is not only a reminder and inspiration to myself, but is also specifically for my classmates and in turn the future students they will teach.  Just like adults, children deal with stress on a daily basis, therefore it is my belief that stress managements should be incorporated into school settings. It is understood that stress in limited amounts adds to learning situations and life; the possibility for being overstressed is an eminent danger in the lives of young children. Due to their age children are not equipped to cope with such feelings and the long lasting results of stress is staggering. Teachers should provide students with experiences that allow them to addresses the concept of feelings with a specific look at stress, its influence on student’s lives, as well as, supply students with skills to cope with such stress. 

Below I have included a lesson plan that was developed specifically with stress management in relation to physical education in mind.  This lesson is for the grade 3 students whom I am doing my pre-internship with.  The activity found within the lesson is not limited to specifically grade three, but can be adapted for any grade or age.

 

Name: Kyla Cheater                        Date: Dec. 1, 2011

Subject: Physical Education           Grade: 3

 

Content: (Topic)                                                           Stress Reduction Techniques	Teaching Strategy: Experiential Learning
Outcomes: Outcome: PE3.2 Evaluate the role of participation in movement activities in providing opportunities for enjoyment, challenge, self-expression, social interaction, increased skill competency, stress reduction, active work life, use of leisure time, contact with nature, and involvement in communities.	Indicators: Discuss the benefits of participating in a variety of activities (e.g., team sports – social interaction; yoga – stress reduction; educational gymnastics – injury prevention; aerobic exercise – strengthen heart and lungs).
Adaptive Dimension: If students are having a difficult time taking the exercise seriously, turn out the lights, and sit in quiet until everybody is ready to move forward. If this is done in a gymnasium have students stay on one half of the gymnasium to the script can be heard without shouting.
Cross-Curricular Competencies: Developing Identity and Interdependence
Prerequisite Learning: Knowledge of emotions Knowledge of stress and ability to identify stressors.
Lesson Preparation: Equipment/materials Relaxation Script (attached)
Presentation: Set (5 mins) Ask students to find a spot on the floor where they have enough room to lay down without touching, or looking at somebody else. Explain that as a class they have explored emotions, and have taken a special look at stress, the types of situations that create that stress and the ability they have to stress another person and that as a class they are going to learn one way to relax during a stressful situation. The teacher will explain that in a minute they will be turning out the lights, and they will be asked to close their eyes.  Outline that the simulation will not begin until eyes are closed, and there is no noise in the room. Wait for complete silence, turn off lights and ask students to close their eyes. Development (15 mins) Use the attached script to lead the classroom in a relaxed breathing exercise. Closure (10 mins) Ask students to return to their desks quietly with no talking. The teacher should ask students to express how that breathing exercise made them feel. The teacher will explain that there are times when stressful situations occur and as people we are unable to control them. However our bodies react to those situations can be controlled.  Explain that the breathing that they just did is a way to manage their stress. Ask students to explain any other tactics they feel would work to manage their stress.	Classroom Management Strategies If you can hear my voice clap once, if you can hear my voice clap twice etc. If there are known behaviour problems present in the classroom, the teacher should allocate personal space areas for relaxation instead of allowing students the freedom to choose their own.

 

Relaxation Script * adapted from http://www.innerhealthstudio.com/breathing-relaxation-for-children.html

 

Let’s relax right now. First, let your body relax a bit. Reach up, high above your head, stretching your arms… stretching your body very tall. Now let your arms relax. Place them at your sides, loosely.

Do the same thing again, but this time, breathe in as you reach up. Stretch…. and now breathe out as you relax and place your arms at your sides.

One more stretch, arms up, breathing in… and relax, arms down, breathing out.

Just sit now, letting your arms rest at your sides.

See how your breathing can relax you by taking slow, deep breaths. Breathe in…. hold your breath…. and now breathe out, slowly. Breathe in…. and out.

Keep breathing deeply and slowly, in and out, in and out, in and out.

Place one hand on your chest and one hand on your stomach. Feel both of your hands moving up and out as you breathe in… and down as you breathe out. Feel your hands moving with your chest and stomach, gently moving in and out with each breath.

(pause)

Imagine that there is a candle in front of you. You can even hold up one finger in front of your mouth and pretend it is a candle, if you like. As you breathe out, blow the air out through your mouth very slowly. Feel the air on your finger. Imagine that you are blowing enough air to make the flame of the candle flicker, but not enough to blow it out. You will need to blow very softly.

When you breathe in, imagine that the flame of the candle flickers and leans toward you. As you breathe out, the flame flickers and leans away.

Imagine the flame of the candle moving in and out with each breath you take.

(pause)

Another way your breathing can relax you is to breathe like different animals. Do you know how a dog pants? Breathe in…. and now as you breathe out, pant, ha ha ha ha ha ha ha.Breathe in…. pant, ha ha ha ha ha. Breathe in… pant.

Imagine that you are like a cat purring. Breathe in… and as you breathe out, purr. Breathe in…. purr. Breathe in… purr.

Now as you breathe, you can sigh, and relax. Breathe in…. and sigh as you breathe out. Breathe in…. sigh. Breathe in…. sigh.

Just relax now for a moment, feeling your body relax. Your arms and legs are very loose and relaxed.

Now you can imagine that your body is like a balloon filling up as you breathe in, and emptying as you breathe out. Let your ribs expand out to the sides, like a balloon, expanding… and then let the air out, like a balloon that is emptying. The balloon expands…. and then the air goes out.

You can even imagine that you are blowing up a balloon. Imagine that you breathe air into your lungs, and then when you breathe out through your mouth, imagine that you are blowing up a balloon. Each breath you blow out makes the balloon get even bigger. Imagine filing the balloon as it gets bigger and bigger with each breath out. Breathe in… and then blow up the balloon even more. Bigger… bigger…. bigger.

Imagine letting go of the balloon, so it flies around the room as the air escapes. Feel your body relaxing just like a limp, empty balloon. Continue the breathing relaxation for children.

And now, see how slowly you can breathe out. First breathe in…. and now breathe out very slowly… out… out…. out. When you can’t breathe out any more air, breathe in again, and then very slowly breathe out.

For the next few moments, just relax, resting. It feels good to relax. Enjoy this calm feeling.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I really hope that you found this lesson helpful and it my hope that as teachers we are able to provide our students with skills that will allow them to find success in all that they do in the future.  Stress is inevitable, but needs to be managed and therefore teachers owe it to their students to find activities that develop their abilities to manage stress.

 

Adaptations for Physical Education in a Limited Space

 

 

retrieved from: http://www.googleimage.ca

 

 

As mentioned before, when it comes to topics for blogging I need to be hit by inspiration. Much to my surprise, my inspiration came for this post struck while I was working on a reading lesson plan with my peer Melissa Thiessen. Cooperatively, we created a reading lesson that incorporates, Reading Comprehension and Physical Education with a focus on the skills of sending, stricking, and running. We found a fantastic book called Baseball in Action by Bobbie Kalman and designed a very engaging, experiential lesson that we are very proud of.

 Reflecting upon our creation later on in the day, I was reminded of a comment my professor Brian Lewis had brought to me epe 310 classes attention, commenting upon the amount of time classrooms are allotted in the gymnasium. Next thought I had was of my pre-internship experience. I recalled the fact that although the students are given Phys. Ed every day, that it is not always in the main gymnasium; meaning that space is sometimes an issue. I am proud to say that the lesson that myself and Melissa created is a worthwhile example of how to incorporate physical education, cross curricularly, into classroom settings on the occasion that space is an issue. With this said, not all lessons will be able to be adapted into the classroom and this lesson is not conducive to all the goals of the Physical Education curriculum .

 Lack of space is an issue that faces numerous classroom teachers, so I have included the Baseball Skills, as an example of just one of the ways to overcome this.

Physical Education Equipment

Until last night in my EPE 310 class, I had never considered the hefty price of the traditional equipment found in a gymnasium storage room.  Balls of various shapes and sizes, skipping ropes, hoola hoops, matts, pylons, raquets, and benches are found in storage rooms across the province. These are considered a  given, however what  most people might not realize is 3 fold blue matts are valued at over $200 a piece,and even more surprisingly 6 benches, at  approx $4500.  I have included some links for physical education, for those that haven’t yet, I strongly advise you to browse through the catalogue.  I assure that you will be as astounded as I was.

This new found information got me thinking back to my elementary school equipment room; it was stacked full of expensive equipment.  Enough blue mats to lay across the entire Gym floor for cheerleading practices, track and field equipment including high jump bars and matts, class sets of volleyballs, basketballs, soccer balls, four square balls, foam balls for the controversial dodgeball, scooters, hoola hoops, skipping ropes, more than one parachute and the list goes on and on.  As a student I always considered these a standard and a right.  What I did not realize was that this equipment was a privilege, provided to myself, peers and teachers by school and school board funds.  I think if his knowledge would have been provided to me as a student that I would have had a greater respect for the resources that were provided to my school community.

As  a future teacher with a new understanding of the importance of such a equipment and the cost it comes at, I will not only be an advocate of respect of such equipment with my future staff, but also my student.  When students visit the library they are taught to respect the books they borrow, as they are resources to be used by the entire school and as a collection are valuable in more than one right.  I think that students should be provided the same talk in respect to physical education equipment, and that this would result in the better upkeep of such resources.

What are your thoughts on other way to spread awareness to staff and students in relation to the deserved respect and up keep of physical education equipment?

As always, thanks for reading 🙂

 Links:

Marchants

Flaghouse

Technology and Teacher Involvement in Relation to Physical Education Curriculum Goals

As I have mentioned before, I am an individual that is in constant search of inspiration.  From these inspirational insights, I often do my best writing and thinking.  This being said, I often wait for inspiration to strike prior to the writing of this blog.  Normally these strikes of inspiration occur often; however, this week has been a little slow. 

After arriving home from a long day of work and school, I sat down to create my list of “Things to do tonight”. For those of you who may not know me very well, I am a list fanatic.  I even have a special pad of paper that is entitled TO DO and is split up into categories, such as tasks, errands, correspondence and notes… I might just a tad detail oriented.  Anyways, about half way down the paper I listed ‘make lunch’.  This got me thinking about the fact that tomorrow is Thursday, meaning I would need to plan a supper also.  This being said, I struggled to recall whether or not I had ordered a pita for supper.  For the life of me I could not remember.  I attempted using the mid trick of “retracing my steps”, and to no avail.  Suddenly, it occurred to me that I have a constant form of communication with my professor through the social media outlet of Twitter.

After sending Brian a quick direct message, I got to thinking about how appreciative I am to have a professor that is so personable and easy to get a hold of.  In my early university career, I found professors all too intimidating; to the point that I felt awkward sending a simple email.  In large classes, I felt like nothing but a number and as though the professors had no inclination whether I was registered for their class or not.  This changed significantly when I transferred into the education faculty.  The professors were much more personable and knew my name etc.  Just to clarify, I am not knocking other faculties or professors by any means I am just speaking from personal experience.  I am confident in the claim that other faculties have similar feelings of connection and familiarity with their professors as well. 

I consider my section of education students, led by Pamela, to be a tight knit group and I would not trade our classroom dynamic for any other.   With this all said, the epe 310 class has a very different dynamic than that of any other classes.  I have concluded that this dynamic is a result of the connection we all have to one another, and our professor has with us as students and vice versa.  Not only do we spend approximately half an hour a week ‘checking in’ with one another, but we are constantly connected through the social media outlet of Twitter, and are actively participating and engaging in physical activity as a large group, professor included.

Continuing with this concept of connection, I was reminded of the  Saskatchewan Physical Education Curriculum and relationships goal.  This goal focuses on the holistic well being of an individual through movement.  It stresses the importance of areas such as, experiencing growth as social beings, interacting with and within the environment and the promotion of cultural awareness resulting in a strengthened sense of self.  My professor, Brian Lewis has truly created an environment where this takes places.  He participates with us in every activity that we do, offers and encourages high fives and actually seems interested in the happenings of our lives; thus bringing us closer together as a class.  In High school teachers refused to be friends with their students on Facebook, and yet Brian follows us on twitter, reads our blogs and shares his own blogs with us.  The distance between teacher and student in this case has been diminished, not to say that this relationship has lost its terms of professionalism.  The relationship goal of the curriculum is evident in my epe 310 class, and this inspires me to ensure that I hit upon this goal as I move into the role of teacher in Physical Education

Benefitting the Whole Student in Physical Education

Upon arriving at work at the daycare one early morning, I stopped and read the communication bulletin board, and I noticed posted leaflets, provided by the Saskatchewan Ministry of Education, that addressed the benefits of Physical Activity for children.  The leaflet listed the physical, intellectual, social and emotional benefits that physical activity provides.  As I scanned the article, I could not help but make connections from this information to ideas presented in my EPE 310 class; specifically the goals of Physical Education, as outlined by The Saskatchewan Education Curriculum.   These goals include Active Living, Relationship and Skilful movement.  Keeping these goals and benefits of active living in mind for physical education, I have concluded that it is up to Physical Educators to provide their students with an educational experience where they are able to see the benefits of the physical activity they are provided with while in Phys. Ed class. This was not something that I was provided with in my early experiences with Physical Education.  In fact, the idea that Physical Education should extend beyond the gym, and focus on the incorporation of healthy lifestyles and lifelong participation in an environment where community building is apparent, was not something that I was aware of until enrolling in KHS 139.   

As I have continued with my pursuit of educational knowledge in relation to the education of young school children, I am increasingly aware of the impact that teachers have on the lives of their students.  Teachers spend more instruction time with students, than those students do with their parents.  Therefore the pressure that teachers have to provide students with experiences in physical education that allows them to create a healthy lifestyle, benefitting the whole self of the student is overwhelming. Support is available for teachers, and I have included some links below that have aided in my personal journey of gaining clarity in relation to what students deserve and need from their Physical Education classes.

Teacher guide for physical activity:  This guide for teachers provides a starting point  to see the need for physical activity  in their classrooms.  It provides some basic stats, and portrayls of success’ that teachers have experienced in relation to the incorporation of physical activity.

http://www.growingyoungmovers.com  Is an excellent resource that provides links specifically to the Saskatchewan Education curriculum and a focus on teaching games in physical education for understanding.  There is additional information on Summer Day camps and G.Y.M nights that students can become involved in, apart from school.

http://ontario.teachnutrition.org/teacher-programs/grade-levels/teacher-workshops.aspx This link provides the possibility for teacher workshops on “THE POWER TO PLAY”. A teacher resource that provides detailed lesson plans, support DVD, CD, posters etc, that aid teachers in incorporting inititives for healty lifestyles in their classroom focussing on nutrition, meal planning, physical activity etc. The resource is extremely engaging and manageable!

Music and Physical Education

In high school I considered myself a combination of an athlete and an artist.  If you have read a little bit about me you will already know that my true passion lies in the arts, not to discredit the high regard I have for sports and athletics. With this said, I thought that this blog post should comment upon the divergence of these two worlds that I noticed and immensely appreciated while attending the G.Y.M night on January 11, 2012, as well as in my E.P.E 310 class in relation to classroom management.

As any future or current educator would know, classroom management is a topic of constant discussion and debate.  At this point in my journey of becoming an educator, I have concluded that there is no definite answer.  It is about trying different strategies for one of best fit, and to keep in mind that for each group of students you work with that this might change.  The gymnasium is just as much of a classroom as any other, although, traditionally might not be considered such.  Regardless there is no way that this could be disputed; after all valuable learning takes place there, if facilitated in the right manner. Keeping this in mind, the questions of how to adequately maintain management in this oversized classroom is called into question.  It can be overwhelming when considering… How will I get the students attention? What are positive means of discipline, if necessary? Where should I position myself as a teacher? Etc. 

My professor Brian Lewis uses a fresh approach to management in the gymnasium, through the use of music.  Not only did I find this technique attractive as a result of my musical background, but furthermore consider it necessary for being physically active.  I can not imagine heading to the gym without being connected to my Ipod.   Not only does music set the scene for my physical activity but it provides me with additional energy and motivation that I can not summon from any other source.  These are just some of the personal benefits I noticed from the implementation of music in these Physical Education experiences.  Brian carries a remote with him throughout the class that allows him the control of changing songs to suit the energy at that time, as well as the opportunity to turn the music off during times of direct instruction.  As a result of routine, the children at the G.Y.M. night, as well as myself and peers, the music turning off it is a signal that Brian wants our attention. This integration of music and above mentioned management techniques are something that I look forward to implementing in the future Phys. Ed classes I teach.  Furthermore, it is my hope that I will be able to incorporate music into other areas of study.

And so it begins…

So this is my first crack at blogging… hold the applause. It’s probably going to be a little rough, so your patience is much appreciated. Truth be told, upon hearing social media was an aspect of my EPE 310 class, I became stressed.  Technology and I do not exactly get along, but with the help of a peer I was able to successfully create a twitter account. After 4 days I finally managed to figure out how to upload a picture… Congratulations to me, I am no longer an egg.  After that triumph, I figured I was ready for my next step, the blogging world!!

This blog was especially created as a form of social media interaction for my EPE 310 class.  We had our first meeting last Thursday, and I will admit that I was a little weary of a 4 hour night class at the end of a very long day.  To my surprise, I left class refreshed, and well, a little bit hyper.  Not only did I enjoy the physical activity aspect of the class but the sense of heightened community I felt in relation to my education family was overwhelming.  It was exciting to see my fellow pre-service teachers in an environment different than the classroom in which I am so used to seeing them. Being provided the opportunity to participate in some competitive fun, while addressing topics close to our hearts, was the perfect end to a first day back to the semester.