Samples of Physical
Education Teaching Philosophies
Being a quality educator is one of
the most difficult and demanding jobs that one could possess.
Conversely, many people consider the job of a Physical Educator to be
one of the easiest and simplest standings there is. All a P.E.
teacher really does is simply “roll the ball out,” and play games such
as Dodge Ball and Capture the Flag, right? That statement
couldn’t be farther away from the truth. The job of a Physical
Educator is just as demanding and challenging as any other educator, if
not more. P.E. teachers have the very crucial task of teaching
young people how to achieve physically sound movements, health
promoting behaviors, and a number of other very essential tasks.
However, the most imperative lesson that a Physical Educator has is the
opportunity to teach quality sportsmanship in individuals.
Students who obtain high levels of quality sportsmanship through
physical education can achieve outcomes such as higher self-efficacy,
higher moral standards, higher social responsibility, greater social
behavior, higher goal setting, and successful use of teamwork.
Physical activity through various outlets like team sports and
individual fitness is very crucial for a child’s psychosocial and
cognitive development. When a child is physically educated in a
proper manner, which clearly
emphasizes the values and importance of sportsmanship, that child has a higher likelihood of
being successful in future endeavors, physically, socially, and
mentally.
Students’ obtainment of quality
sportsmanship is best gained through an authoritative learning
environment, meaning the teacher blends respect for the childs
individuality with an effort to instill social values through physical
activity. With that being said, I firmly believe that a “sound
body delivers a sound mind.”
An effective Physical Education class
needs to be challenging. P.E. should not be a place where
everybody who shows up gets an “A.” Grading is determined based
on individual performance and effort given, rather than on comparing
scores or marks to other students. P.E. also needs combine fun
with instruction and demonstration. Not everyone in a class will
always be motivated to learn and participate. Making activates
and lessons fun will peek the interest of the unmotivated.
An educator’s teaching philosophy is never set in stone.
Philosophy’s evolve over time and so will mine.
Emphasizing good sportsmanship through Physical Education will
provide myself with a solid foundation from which my teaching
philosophy can evolve.
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Learning can best be described as
putting together a puzzle. In the beginning a lot of pieces of
different shapes and sizes (types of knowledge) are laid out in front
of you (instructional setting) with very little noticeable connections
(various academic disciplines). However, by looking at a complete
picture of the puzzle (the curriculum or degree program), usually found
on the box cover, one can see that somehow these pieces fit together to
form a coherent and beautiful picture. It is through the process of
experimenting with the various pieces of the puzzle and the exposure of
the completed view of the finished product that the final goal can be
attained.
More is needed from educators than
the mainstream status quo information typically covered in the
classroom. Within the framework of American higher education there is a
need for a diversity of thought and knowledge. This is not to say one
source or type of information or knowledge is more important than
another is, but in order for a student to truly learn they must be
exposed to different types and levels of knowledge. By engaging the
student in the learning of knowledge in various contexts individuals
will develop a thirst for knowledge on their own. As an educator my
goal is to take students to a new place in knowledge within the comfort
of a classroom that exhibits a culture of learning and understanding.
Many elements come into play as I
attempt to transfer pertinent information to my students. My
conceptualization of teaching is predicated on several circumstances or
objectives that I must meet as a teacher. The instructional environment
must exhibit a culture of learning, which entails organization of
instructional, content and activities. Selected activities must be
developmentally appropriate for my students and call for a high level
of cognitive processing. Students must be given the opportunity to
experience success when engaged in the educational activities or
experiences I implement. My feedback must be constructive, concise, and
meaningful to the student thus leading to positive improvements in
performance or understanding. Finally, the students must be encouraged
to integrate prior or existing knowledge with new information to
construct a meaning for new concepts. It is my responsibility as the
educator to work towards these objectives and to ensure that learning
takes place in my instructional setting continuously. I view learning
as a continuous, participatory process in which the students and
instructor are engaged in a sharing of knowledge and experiences within
the context of educational excellence.
My goals for my students focus
primarily on the student adding to their educational experiences and
knowledge base through various educational activities that I
select. I feel all students can learn and it is my responsibility
to teach to the needs and development level of each particular student.
Ultimately my goal is to that students develop a deeper understanding
of the subject matter and the cognitive acquisition of skill
development. Specifically, as a physical educator I want my students
to:
1. Learn and appreciate the benefits
of physical activity;
2. Acknowledge and appreciate
diversity;
3. Engage in healthy practices;
4. Be able to perform basic motor and
psychomotor skills;
5. Develop a thirst for learning;
6. Encourage others to participate in
physical activity; and
7. Exhibit strong, morals, values and
character.
As an instructor I have identified
several areas of personal growth. First and foremost, I wish to better
examine the learning styles of my students and thus develop alternative
means of instructing them. Secondly, I hope to be able have classes
that allow for more time to be spent using a wider range of activities
and exercises. Thirdly, I feel that I can continue to learn more
theoretical consideration as they relate to effective instruction and
student learning. As of now much of my learning is based on past
experiences and intuition. Lastly, I hope to continue to grow as an
instructor by developing the attributes of expert instructors and to
grow as a scholar within my field. In conclusion, as an educator I
believe that I learn as much from my students as they learn from me.
Moreover, learning is a lifelong process that can benefit the
development of individuals at any age across their lifetimes.
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My
philosophy centers on a very personalized approach to the learning
experience, as I plan to become either a recreational therapist or an
adapted physical education teacher. As such, my focus remains with each
individual- their strengths, weaknesses and limitations, and what I can
do to stretch those limitations to their maximum. The environment I
would like to create would be very encouraging and positive, dwelling
on personal improvements and effort rather than a competition with
others to achieve.
Behaviorally, I would concentrate on the positive, and not expending
much attention on that which is poor, so to encourage students to
increase their positive behaviors. I believe this is quite important,
especially when working with people with various challenges, because of
the need for integration of all skills- physical, academic, personal
and social. Each of these skills would be involved in my teaching
environment in varying degrees, as I also believe that an education is
best received when all elements are incorporated. Morals and ethics
would play as large a role as the actual subject matter, as I find them
to be that which lasts longest in a students mind, and the most
applicable and important in the world both inside and outside the
classroom.
Organizationally, I would like to use the idea of the monitor system in
the adapted physical education environment. I believe placing older,
more able, or more experienced students in a leadership role with their
classmates would foster a sense of importance, responsibility and
self-esteem. I would use the idea of helping others as a lesson in and
of itself, and how very necessary a skill it is for life. Also, as much
as possible I would utilize a more democratic approach to class
decisions, giving the students a sense of control over their own lives
and decisions, as so often people with challenges find their lives and
actions controlled by others. Integration of the student’s perspective
would play a key role in all of my actions and decisions as well.
Finally, I would like to conduct my teaching environment with a sense
of empathy and understanding, and use my own personal gifts and talents
to their utmost. I want to give my students all that I have to offer,
and let them use me as a resource and a role model. I want to be that
person who inspires them beyond their limits, who lets them realize
that their possibilities in life are as boundless as they make them.
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Student
learning is my primary focus. I seek first to learn who my students are
and
what they know, because only then can we jointly work to help them
learn what
they need to know. This
student-centered approach makes teaching a creative and complex journey
as we
challenge and stimulate each other to a deeper understanding of the
content in
the course. I model a variety of instructional strategies and behaviors
as I
communicate information attempting to integrate this with their
existing
knowledge as they enjoy the process of learning.
In
every class I demonstrate my personal enthusiasm for the course content
thereby
helping students realize the importance of, excitement for, and
continual
nature of learning. I seek to teach students collectively and
individually
knowledge and skills in varied, innovative ways that will stimulate
them to ask
questions and to desire to learn more. Each class is organized to
ensure
sequential and clear presentations and complete student engagement. I
ask
questions and encourage dialogue to facilitate critical and creative
thinking
by involving every student, because I know each by name. Questions are
elicited
from students to reinforce how valuable their active participation in
the learning
process is. To engage students more actively in their learning, I use
various
groupings for discussing issues, solving learning problems, analyzing
case
studies, and helping each other learn concepts and applications. I
challenge
students to think critically, to reflect on what they are learning and
how it
is relevant to them, and to participate actively in the learning
process.
A
variety of authentic assessments, with accompanying rubrics, are used
throughout each course to ensure that students are monitoring their
learning
and demonstrating that they are progressing in the achievement of
learning
outcomes. Feedback that I seek and gladly receive from students enables
me to
reflect upon and continually improve my instructional approaches as
well as to
ensure the relevancy and application of course content to the learning
process
and their knowledge base.
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