Connected Reflections

Connecting with others, at any level, is a basic human need and desire. It is most certainly no coincidence that when we involve our passions and interests, the need for connection grows and we seek out those bonds. In the digital age, we have the opportunity to interact, collaborate, and work with others around the corner, across the country, and in the far reaches of the world. At this point in my career, I have barely utilized this concept and for that I feel relatively behind the curve. I do have a preference for face-to-face interactions, however one cannot argue the ease and benefit of using social media to connect. Going forward, I will continue to use Facebook and Twitter to interact in face paced educational discussions. After discovering the webinar vault in my professional organization, I feel like the opportunities to discover more are limitless. Among the many assignments and experiences in this course, I do believe that the unconference model most certainly appeals to me. I believe that most people should have the forum to present but rarely find the avenue or motivation. This pushes them to find that platform and get others to join them on it. This class challenged me in that I typically don’t use my personal social media for educational purposes to I really had to think about how I brand, or rebrand, my profiles so they are suitable. This course added a new avenue to my teaching skills and for that, I will continue to implement this in my educational journey.

Conference vs. Unconference

As educators, I think we can all agree that scheduled conferences and professional development can be dreadful to a certain degree. We find ourselves having to sit through workshops that may or may not pertain to our interests. The idea of the unconference, particularly the Edcamp, is refreshing. We have the opportunity as professionals to dictate what is on the agenda. Our school had an advance Google Doc to develop these ideas so people could create unique workshops and participate in them. As a connected educator, I would hope to continue the face to face interaction but implement follow-up of any kind through a digital platform.

Conferences: And Where to Find Them

There are a wide number of ways in which people prefer to learn: auditory, visual, kinesthetic, and reading. Sometimes, each can be paired with another that is unique to the needs and interests of the learning. When it comes to professional development in the digital age, we no longer need to be confined to the calendar for when a PD arises, nor are we at the mercy of the school district as to whether or not we get approved to go in the first place. Virtual presentations and online conferences give educators from all over the world the opportunity to come together for that brief periods and learn together. They have the opportunity to make connections with each other based on the content of the presentation but take that and develop a professional relationship going forward. This truly benefits educators as they can side chat with others and create those bonds. Although I do prefer the face-to-face conference, I believe that I have learned so much from these online meetings that everyone should engage at some level.

Facebook: A Virtual Museum of Your Checkered Past

Facebook has had a truly unique impact on the world around us. It can be seen virtually everywhere in the physical and digital world. At this point, many of us have had one for years and have grown up with it. I myself have had one since I was a freshman in college. As we have grown up and become educators, Facebook stands as a living record of our past choices. In regards to the articles and our profession, I think one of the biggest things professionals should monitor is the content they are tagged in. From photos to videos, and posts to mislabels, these are easy to overlook. We most certainly are aware of our privacy settings on Facebook, but embarrassing tags could reside on a page with no privacy measures and can be fully accessible by others. The photos from college parties, ridiculous political views, and many more can just be waiting to be found. The timeline review has been helpful on that front to police what gets posted. For an educator, however, one must revisit their past in order to make sure it doesn’t weigh down their future.

Portfolios, Blog, and Growing through the Years

Well friends, it's been a long time but I'm back in the No Spin PE Zone. This time around, I'm learning some new and exciting things about collaboration and tools to connection with other educators. This blog was created over ten years ago at the dawn of my education journey and here I sit reflecting on my growth in that time. A blog and living portfolio such as this shows so much about growth. And I think it's very important we all take the time to reflect on our past as we continue to move forward.

What Type of Digital Footprint Did You Make?

Welcome to the No Spin PE Zone! It’s been nearly four years since my last post and reading back through all of them allowed me to see how I have grown as a teacher and left me nostalgic for my college career. It is nice to be back on here posting and I look forward to (hopefully) posting on here more often. This post is for an assignment in my Communications Technology course through SUNY Stony Brook regarding my digital footprint. Obviously looking back on my blog, I am glad it still exists. However, here are my reactions to the questions provided.

Based on the content provided, what are your greatest concerns with your digital reputation?

Perhaps my greatest concern with my digital reputation is the ease of access in which anyone can literally obtain my information for a few dollars. Much of the information I post on social media is generic and places me in a good light. However, every keystroke is recorded and all of my personal information is stored somewhere ready for someone angry at me or with a vengeance to steal and use against me. I know that there are likely some photos from college out there I’d rather not see but so far so good. It would be a good exercise for students to be given someone else’s digital footprint and critically analyze the good and the bad of it from the perspective of a parent, employer, and friend.

What precautions do you have to take to preserve your digital reputation?

In order to preserve my digital reputation, the precautions I take are simple: don’t post anything stupid and don’t post it immediately. Before anything is posted, I assess how it could be viewed or interpreted and base my decision off of that. I never post about vacations until after the fact and posts are typically vague and neutral as to not incite bias or allow for print outs to be used against me. I typically ‘Google myself’ in order to maintain my image.

As an educator or company your work for, are you held to the same ‘digital reputation’ standard as others?  Is the standard you are held to fair/unfair? Why?

Those involved in the field of education are held to a far higher, and sometimes unobtainable, standard in regards to their digital reputation. One must be very discreet and aware of what they are posting and always be cautious of who may be able to see it. Teachers are perceived as role models in their communities. Any lapse in judgement on social media can lead to their downfall. As a PE teacher, I work with every child and I am well-known by the parents. I ensure that my digital footprint and post only things that highlight my accomplishments in and out of the school. This standard is both fair and unfair. Obviously it is fair for the reasons I listed above. It can be unfair as it may leave many ‘walking on eggshells’ in fear of what could happen.

Whose responsibility is it to teach our children/students to understand/preserve his or her digital footprint/reputation? Educators? Parents? Or is the responsibility on them?

In order for students to understand and maintain a positive digital footprint and reputation, it is up to the collaborative efforts of the student, the parents, and the teachers. One of the new life skills in which students should be competent in is digital intelligence. They need to be aware of what the long term repercussions are of their digital activity. Something that may be worth a hundred ‘likes’ now could be the very same thing that costs you your job in the future. I do think parents play the biggest role in this. There are numerous children in my school who tell me about their Instagram pages when they should not even have one. Hearing it from their parents may encourage them to make the account, but hearing it from their teachers and even from older students could help make it resonate.

Have you or someone you know ever been negatively (or positively) affected by something found online?  Share if you'd like.

I do not personally know of anyone who has even been negatively affected by something found online. However, I continue to hear of situations presented on the local news and it does cause a certain degree of panic. I try my best to keep a positive digital footprint but sometimes cannot help but to think that it would be easier to fall off the digital grid.

Welcome to TEAM BRING IT!

Monday August 1, 2011... the day I decided to bring it. After hearing Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson's formation of Team Bring It, I have decided to declare my allegiance to Team Bring It where I promise to work hard to achieve anything I desire and above all I promise each and every day to BRING IT.

Jack & Kate + 8 -- Circle of Life

Whether it was the thrill of the outdoors or the challenge of a hike or paddle, less than one year after my two-week outdoor education experience at Raquette Lake I had returned to the Adirondacks once again! However, this time I would be on the other side of the table. From June 6, 2011 - June 18, 2011 I served as a staff assistant for PED 308. Going from student to staff was certainly a tedious transition as I still had much to explore and wonder about the Adirondacks. I was however in good company with Emerald 'Emmie' Doin as my fellow staff assistant. Perhaps the best part of this experience was the ability to view the course through a fresh pair of eyes. Everyone was new to the outdoors and uncertain and that gave me a role to guide them and help where available.

Unlike my experience where I went on the 'High Peaks Technical' rock climbing trip, this time it would be mostly paddling with Kate 'KB' Hovey. The experience was extremely worthwhile. I had gained some very close friends and strengthened bonds with others. And while we did not have a camera, the memories are those that will last a life-time.

A Lifetime of Decisions

The Road Not Taken

By Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

Life is full of choices. We make our decisions based upon what we hear, how we feel, and what we see. This past Saturday, I came to the end of a road that I had chosen four years ago. Looking back, I am beyond satisfied with the decision to take the path I had just completed. One cannot regret the decisions they make otherwise they are doomed to cope with them for eternity. As stated, I may have come to the end of a road but I now come to a crossroads with many different paths available for me to take. It can be intimidating. Each path has its pros and cons. You can gain some and you can lose some. Before rushing into my future, I need to weigh all of the possible outcomes of the various paths laid out before me. I need to make the decision that will most benefit me. And it is never too late to turn back. I have gained such an amazing support system of friends and colleagues and I cannot imagine a future without them. Even though their role in my life may be reduced, their impact is plentiful and long lasting. So as I look out toward the future I know several things; make an impact, become successful, but above all, become happy and live life to it's fullest. After all, we only have but one live.

To Making it Count...

Make Each Day Count

Well, yes, ma'am, I do... I mean, I got everything I need right here with me. I got air in my lungs, a few blank sheets of paper. I mean, I love waking up in the morning not knowing what's gonna happen or, who I'm gonna meet, where I'm gonna wind up. Just the other night I was sleeping under a bridge and now here I am on the grandest ship in the world having champagne with you fine people. I figure life's a gift and I don't intend on wasting it. You don't know what hand you're gonna get dealt next. You learn to take life as it comes at you... to make each day count.

- Leonardo DiCaprio as Jack Dawson (Titanic, 1997)

Oh, the Places You'll Go!

Day 31 (66) - Monday May 16, 2011

This would be the beginning of the final three-day stretch of student teaching. It is simply astonishing how quickly time has gone. In not but five days I will be graduating with my degree in physical education. However, before we can get there, there are three more fun-filled days at Ridge Elementary School teaching kindergarten and first grade. This week, we would begin the testing of the shuttle run for the President's Challenge Physical Fitness test on the second day of class. On the first day, I made sure to explain, thoroughly, once again how to perform the shuttle run and tips for being successful. It is always interesting to note that the children will immediately cheer for the student who is in first but not for the one in second. I made sure to note that students are simply running against the clock and not each other. Therefore, everyone had an equal opportunity to win and be successful. I also stress that cheering people on means to cheer on everyone. This enlightened the students to cheer for all of their classmates leading to improved performance. It is important to note these humanistic behaviors and address them as such. This can help develop and create positive sportsmanship within all children at a very young age for them to carry through the rest of their lives.
Saying goodbye to someone can be a very difficult task. None more difficult than saying it to a group of kindergarten children. For one class, it was my last day as their teacher. I made sure to give them a meaningful and thoughtful closure that they could help bring forth to their parents and families. Strangely, it was their sadness that made me happy. They had become so accustomed to me and welcoming that they were upset to see me go. And I was equally upset to part with them as well.

Day 32 (67) - Tuesday May 17, 2011

After a week and a half of non-stop practice, it was time to begin testing for the shuttle run component of the President's Challenge within some of the classes. The students were understandably nervous because they had not had an extended amount of practice but enough that we the teachers were confident in their abilities to perform the test accurately. In order to model the proper way to run the assessment for the class, Ms. Hinton assessed their abilities on the test while I observed and acted as the field judge for any potential disqualifications. It is interesting to note that even after repeated practice and constant feedback that the children are still making the same repeated errors. They only have two opportunities to perform the test and it is nerve-racking for both them and me to see these errors happen. However, since this is the test, I am confident they will 'wake-up' and fix these errors on their second attempt.
In our adapted physical education class, today's thunder proved to be quite the distraction. Some students became frightened with the noise. As the teacher, along with the one-on-ones, we were able to calm the students down and continue our scooter activities. One may not know what can scare a children so the teacher must be ready to act on their toes.
My goodbyes to the students continued through today and they were not any easier. It is always sad to say goodbye but it makes me feel very good when the students tell me that they are going to miss me. To me, it signifies that I was able to make an impact big enough to affect them. This is truly what teaching is all about.

Day 33 (68) - Wednesday May 18, 2011

It is difficult to say goodbye but no scenario is more difficult than to say goodbye to groups of kindergarten and first grade students after eight weeks of being their teacher. Today was my last day during my student teaching experience at Ridge Elementary School. It is rather sad to go from the school. The students and faculty have all been very welcoming and I could not have asked for a better placement here and in the district in general. As a final closure to each class, I discussed their futures using the book 'Oh the Places You'll Go!' by Dr. Seuss. I described how they can do anything as long as they try and that in 2022 and 2023 respectively, I will know that my Ridge munchkins graduated from Longwood High School and be excited about all the places they will go. As I graduate from SUNY Cortland this Saturday, I look forward to my future as well, and all the places I will go during my journey.

The Munchkins are Running! The Munchkins are Running!

Day 26 (61) - Monday May 9, 2011

This would be the final full week at Ridge Elementary School and of my student teaching experience in general. It is almost unbelievable that it went to fast. Nonetheless, it was my time. All of the classes this week were mine to teach. Ms. Hinton put the grade-book and President's Challenge score sheets in my hands and it was all me this week. I was very excited to begin the week. I have been looking forward to the opportunity to display all of the skills I had acquired. I made sure that we caught up on all of the testing that had already been completed before continuing any further. This would be the first day to introduce the shuttle run to many of the classes. Ms. Hinton modeled it for the first class and I went from there. I knew that for all of the students, repetition in both observing and participating would facilitate the knowledge acquisition. Many students had never seen the shuttle run so it was vital to go over everything. When it came time for them to practice, I was surprised at how well each of them was able to complete the task. I made sure to use simple directions so that they would be able to comprehend the material and it seemed to have worked extremely well. Even though the times were a little high, it is still early in the practice stages and the students have six classes of practice before taking the test. I will ensure that each lesson is meaningful and conductive to the improvement of their abilities.

Day 27 (62) - Tuesday May 10, 2011

As I sat there transcribing the times for the quarter-mile run onto the President's Challenge score sheet, Ms. Hinton walked into the office with a familiar face. My student teaching supervisor, Terry Phelan, dropped by for my final observation of my student teaching experience. We did not a class for quite a bit of time so we spent some time having a conversation about various topics. It was nice to have this time to talk as I rarely have the opportunity to sit down and speak with him face-to-face. As we looked at the clock, it was time for class. He would be observing a class with some behavioral concerns but nothing more than any other class. I introduced the shuttle run and allowed the students to practice within the lesson. It went rather well and Terry commended me on a job well done. For the last six weeks, I have been only receiving feedback from Ms. Hinton to improve my teaching skills so it was nice to receive praise from another source indicating my improvements with her. The entire day was not as easy. At the end of the day, the first grade class was acting very silly and not listening to directions. When we came in from outside, we sat in silence after a lecture on listening to directions. It is important to stop a class before things get out of hand. If you give kids an inch they will take a yard. It is very important to identify parameters to facilitate instruction.

Day 28 (63) - Wednesday May 11, 2011

To teach physical education does not simply entail the teaching of physical skills and their application. A physical education teacher has the same responsibility of any other teacher; to teach the students virtues and character. During one of the classes, we went outside to run the quarter-mile as we normally would. One of the alternative learning classes was on the playground at the same time. There was no problem with this as neither class would wind up crossing paths with the other. However, some of the children would laugh and make comments about the students also outside. When we came inside, I sat everyone down on the mat and discussed the situation I observed outdoors. It is important at Ridge Elementary School to combat bullying at all costs. Many students wear shirts indicating their commitment to the pledge. I told them that all children are differently-abled but that they are all the same. It is their differences that make each child special and strong and weak. I made sure to note that each student needs to treat others the way they would like to be treated. After letting this sink in for a few minutes, I continued with class. It is very important to use these teachable moments in class. It is critical for students to understand and comply with this topic to create a safe and healthy learning environment.

Day 29 (64) - Thursday May 12, 2011

The annual Ridge Munchkin Run would finally be held today in the late afternoon! However, before we could get to that, there was lots of practice to be held for the shuttle run in physical education class. In order to allow ample time to set up the Munchkin Run, Ms. Hinton moved two of the afternoon classes into the morning thus creating two back-to-back double classes, both kindergarten. It was my task to manage these classes and to get as many students as possible to practice the shuttle run. We had four stations therefore four children could go at any given time. After a review of the shuttle run procedures, we were ready to begin. I let two children from one class run on one side and two from the other run on the opposite side. I was able to get each student to run at least once. Those who were watching had the ability to note mistakes and were given the opportunity to speak of what they had seen. This was very important for kindergarten students are they need repetition in performing the task and observing the task in order to become successful.
When it came time for the Munchkin Run, the students were more than excited to run. All of the first grade classes, administration, and parents came to watch the race and that made for a very exciting and positive environment. Each student who competed received a medal and a certificate and were applauded by their classmates. Activities like this are very important to hold as a teacher. It brings the school and the community together in a positive setting. I am very happy to have been a part of the Munchkin Run and look to explore similar activities in my future as a teacher!

Day 30 (65) - Friday May 13, 2011

As we came to the end of my last full week at Ridge Elementary School, it proved to be a very light workload. The kindergarten students had a field trip to the Holtsville Ecology Center and therefore three of the seven classes today would not take place. I used this time to finish up transcribing all of the results of the President's Challenge that had been obtained thus far. In honor of my birthday, Ms. Rosenthal and Ms. Hinton took me out to lunch and we had a nice little conversation and bonding experience before returning back to the school. It is very nice to have colleagues who become friends as well as co-workers. It makes the job more fun and enjoyable plus you have a friend in which to confide in. As the day drew to a close, the kindergarten students returned from their trip. The last two classes of the day were filled with kindergarten children exhausted from their trip. Their teacher informed me that they walked over one mile just before they left and their little legs were tired! This was immediately apparent in physical education class; however, I immediately switched to entertainer mode and got them up and moving for the thirty minutes. They did the best they could and certainly earned a paw print for the day. It is very understandable that very young children can easily tire from physical activity. As the teacher, I need to take this into consideration and motivate them to do the best that their little bodies will allow them!

Who Wants to be Strong? Wii Want to be Strong!

Day 21 (56) - Monday May 2, 2011

In 1983, the United States Congress declared the month of May as 'National Physical Education and Sports Month.' As Longwood director of physical education Gina Curiale made note to the district's physical education teachers, the first week in May would be 'National Physical Education and Sport Week'. Together with Ms. Hinton, we developed a simple outline for the week to integrate physical activity into the classroom with the cognitive, affective, and psychomotor domains. This would be known at the Ridge Primary Center Fitness Week. Through this, we hope to have the classroom teachers and the administrators within the building become advocates for physical education during the month of May and beyond. When I earn my own teaching job, I become the unofficial physical activity director of the school building. I need to explore new means in which to excite students about physical education and make it more inviting for all to participate. Today in class I announced my commitment to the Presidential Active Lifestyle Award (PALA). I decided that if they children will be taking the President's Challenge, then I should join them by taking a fitness challenge as well. By sharing this information with them, I hope to inspire them to work for their goals. After all, I need to practice what I preach.
In athletics, the Longwood Lady Lions track and field team defeated the William Floyd Lady Colonials track and field team. This was a extra special meet is it placed myself and my good friend Patrick Wingler against one another as 'coaches'. While it was fun to see Patrick, it was even better to see the Lady Lions improve to 4-0 on the season!

Day 22 (57) - Tuesday May 3, 2011

As we continued our President's Challenge assessment, I was looking for different ways in which to get the students active while I was assessing. Initially, we tried stations but that did not work out too well. There was too much action going on at one time that I was unable to focus on assessing the student and paying attention to the rest of the class. Our next attempt was to have students simply watch their classmates go one at a time. While this was the best way to observe everyone, it tended to be a little boring for some students. Today, I decided it was time to reintroduce a few stations as well as the Wii Fit! Even though these students are in kindergarten and first grade, they are all very familiar with the Wii Fit system and games (even more than I was!) Needless to say, once they saw the television the students became very excited about their being able to play the game. All was going well until some student became upset that they were unable to hold the remote and did not have a chance to play as long as others. At the end of the day I decided to only reintroduce the Wii Fit at random or different times in order to make it more special. Technology is a driving force in today's society and we as educators need to use it to our advantage when teaching. Students of all ages are very familiar with various forms of technology and are always willing to learn more. In order to create a stimulating and entertaining learning environment, the teacher must evolve with technology.

Day 23 (58) - Wednesday May 4, 2011

After six weeks at Ridge Elementary School learning the ropes and practicing my teaching skills in different classes, Ms. Hinton placed me at the helm of the classes being taught today. While it took some mental preparation to teach eight classes (four in a row, lunch, four in a row), I was very excited to have the day in my hands. Today I would have five first grade classes, one kindergarten, and two adapted physical education classes. The day started off on a great note with the first adapted physical education class and helped set the stage for the rest of the day. I remained calm, confident, and excited out the material within each class. We continued our President's Challenge assessment by completed the curl-up test and by beginning, and completing, the sit-and-reach test. I made sure that my rules were concise and yet direct. I always had a full view of the class and consistently reinforced positive behavior. The students were excellent! They performed very well on the assessment and were very well behaved. In order to keep their attention, I would continue to act silly at appropriate times to keep their attention and strengthen skill acquisition. The second adapted physical education class was a little tough but I was able to rebound during it and finished the day on a positive note with the last class. In the high school, I taught each class everyday. However, here at Ridge, it was quite different. There were eight classes instead of five to teach and time management was a huge factor. I felt very confident today and Ms. Hinton was very impressed. She noted, "Last week sucked but this week is awesome!" This got a pretty hearty laugh out of me! I am very happy with today and look forward to the rest of this adventure at Ridge Elementary School!

Day 24 (59) - Thursday May 5, 2011

As the school year begins to approach the end, it is almost time for the school's field days for the kindergarten and first grade students. Ms. Hinton organizes all of the activities for the day and today was the second day of meeting with the teachers to go over the activities. This would be the first year in which the teachers would be in charge of leading their classes through each station and although some where initially unsure they quickly began to become more comfortable and excited with the upcoming festivities which I unfortunately will be unable to attend. Today Ms. Hinton took the morning classes and I had the afternoon. She told me how it can be good and bad to have a student teacher. It is good because she gets to help them grow professionally and it is bad because she has to take a step back and not teach as much. As we continue to reach the end of my experience, I am teaching more often but Ms. Hinton is still getting her fair share of work! When I someday become a cooperating teacher, I will revisit these words from Ms. Hinton and model the student teaching experience in a similar way. Through that I hope to develop strong teachers in the same manner in which my skills were developed. Today was very successful and I look forward to teaching all day once again tomorrow!

Day 25 (60) - Friday May 6, 2011

To close out the week, Ms. Hinton once again had me teach each class of the day. After a successful week, I was very much looking forward to this. It proved to be an incredibly beautiful day out and we were able to finish testing for the running and curl-ups for each class and many were able to finish the sit-and-reach test. All was going well until we hit the end of the day. There is a notable difference between kindergarten and first grade both developmentally and behavioral wise. Ms. Hinton noticed early on that I sometimes let the kids have a little too much fun and that puts the control of the class into their hands. She noted that I need to be a little more stern and decisive while still allowing the students to have fun. During the class, the students were noisy and did not follow directions very well. I mainly did not pay attention to them in order to get through the assessment. At the end, I let them know how I was upset with their behavior and how we may not continue if they do not listen. This harkened back to the high school hockey lesson where I tried to teach to no success due to constant disruptive behavior until I finally called it quits and lectured the class. For students of any age I need to lay down and enforce the rules at all costs, otherwise, they will be meaningless. Even though this was a tough class to end the week on, Ms. Hinton told me not to be discouraged as I had a great week. I now look forward to my final eight days in which each of them will be fully in my hands.

The Champ is Here!!

Day 16 (51) - Monday April 25, 2011

After a nice relaxing week-long spring break, it was back-to-school for the final 18 day stretch of my student teaching experience! It is hard to believe that in less than one month, not only will student teaching have been completed, but I will have graduated from SUNY Cortland with my undergraduate degree in physical education. However, in order to get to that point, I need to continue to shape the children at Ridge Elementary School into physically educated individuals. This week would be an important turning point in my student teaching experience as we would begin to assess the students under the President's Challenge at the end of the week. In order to get the students focused on the impending assessment, I adopted a new phrase for the week; it is time to get serious. I needed to have them all focus on their exercises and practice as if they were being assessed in every practice. At this age, it is not very difficult to motivate children however I felt it necessary to go a little beyond what was necessary in order to get them motivated. With the WWE World Heavyweight Championship around my waist, I told the story of my spring break where I won the title by using the very same exercises in which they were performing. I stressed the fact that while someone may or may not be the strongest person, if they practice regularly and set goals, then they can achieve anything. That is the first step in their path to the President's Challenge. As I continue into my teaching career, motivating students to succeed is one of the most important aspects to focus on. I need to show them that they too can reach their goals if they simply set and work toward them. Anything is possible for those who want it most.

Day 17 (52) - Tuesday April 26, 2011

Every now and then, everyone goes through bumps in the road that can affect their performance in their everyday lives and responsibilities. With many things in my personal life not going too well, it seemed as if my stress and frustration came out a little bit in my teaching. I would begin each class well; however, as they progressed, each lesson seemed to come off a little stale and a little boring. Ms. Hinton wanted me to stick simply to the basics and not add 'filler' to my speaking during the lesson. Between personal issues and a focus on what I had to say, I lost my composure once in a while and therefore the lesson was adversely affected. Again, I was nit-picking behavior and not being overly positive. Ultimately I fell back upon the words of Stephen Yang from my motor development class (the very class where my teaching journey began); "even with all of your problems and personal convictions, you can never let them show through to your students... each day you need to wear your teaching mask." I now understand these words truer than ever before. The educational experience of the children should not be compromised because I am having a bad day. I need to shake off any worries or concerns at the door and let the energy of the lessons and the students guide my actions. One of the most important things I have discovered is that you must live the lesson and not force the lesson to live your life.

Day 18 (53) - Wednesday April 27, 2011

After two days of bumps in the road, I was back on the highway ready to move forward. In order to mentally get to the place I needed to be, I viewed each class I taught today as the best class in the entire school. Through this, I would be able to utilize all of the components of my personality and teaching skills in order present a quality lesson to the students. Today was the first day of assessing the students for the President's Challenge. The test of the day was for curl-ups. In order to ensure that the students were engaged in some sort of activity while we were assessing, we implemented stations into the lesson. The testing station was located in the corner and had a bird's eye view of all students within the gymnasium. After a brief introduction, we were off and running and the students provided the skills. Each student in both classes that were assessed met the criteria for either the National or the Presidential awards. This was very enlightening as it was a sign that all of the practice paid off and the students were able to become physically stronger. As a teacher it is a pleasure to see student improvement because it is a product of both parties' collaborative efforts. The adapted physical education class also proved to be a successful lesson as well. Ms. Hinton and I were very satisfied with my improvements since the last few days and I look forward to a strong finish to this experience. It is now safe to say that the champ... is... here!!

Day 19 (54) - Thursday April 28, 2011

I'm sorry but we will not be having physical education class today in the gymnasium. That was the big news story today. There seemed to have been some issues with the gymnasium which made it unusable for the day. Rather than use the gym, we used the school's all-purpose room located down the hall. Unfortunately, this room was a quarter of the size of the gymnasium but we had to make due. We moved select pieces of equipment into the all-purpose room and continued our station rotation and President's Challenge curl-up test. Even with the limited space, the classes still went well and there were very good results on the curl-up test. Some kindergarten students were able to perform over thirty curl-ups in one minute! This situation demonstrated that a teacher has to be ready with alternative plan in the event that their teaching facilities were unusable. When it was decided that we were not to use the gymnasium today, Ms. Hinton immediately sprung into action and we were set up in the all-purpose room within ten minutes. However, not all things went well today. The stations proved to be a little chaotic and it was difficult, as the teacher, to split time between assessing the students and monitoring behavior. After an evaluation at the end of the day, Ms. Hinton and I determined that it was better to eliminate the stations and develop a new course of action for testing. It is sometimes more important to sacrifice activity time to ensure the student's safety.

Day 20 (55) - Friday April 29, 2011

Lights, cameras, action! Oh wait, the lights just went out. That would be how the day would begin. Just before the first class of the day, the electricity in the school went off. And not but five minutes later, the fire alarm went off. While these may seem like detrimental parts of the day, I did get some valuable experiences out of it. This was my first opportunity to bring students out and monitor them during a fire drill. As it turned out, we were outside for quite a while and the kids were becoming restless. However, I did my best to maintain their focus and entertain them in order to keep them quiet. After the fire drill was all over, we were still unable to use the gymnasium for the first half of the day. We continued our curl-up testing for the President's Challenge in the school's all-purpose room. Unlike the previous few days, we no longer used stations in the gymnasium or all-purpose room. We instead had the students sit and watch their classmates perform their exercises during the test. While it seemed as if this would be a poor judgment, it was a necessary one. Students were in one area where I was able to observe them and know that they were safe. We stretched in-between tests and ran outside so that they were somewhat active. It is a fair trade-off to have a few classes of inactivity rather than a few classes of chaotic mayhem. In my future, I need to ensure that I develop teaching environments conductive to safety and activity.