Running head: SIGNATURE ASSIGNMENT

Signature Assignment:
Dream Paper
Victoria Ramirez
resno Paci!ic Uni"ersit#
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E"er since I %as #oung gir& I 'ne% I %anted to (e a teacher) (ut as I gre% up the road to
education seemed to more cha&&enging than I !irst assumed* So I dri!ted to an easier path (ut soon
!ound that I %as not tru&# satis!ied %ith the easier !ie&d I had chosen and decided to ta'e the
cha&&enge o! (ecoming a teacher (ecause I 'ne% in m# heart that the re%ards o! teaching %ou&d
most certain&# out%eigh the cha&&enges* As I continue do%n the road o! (ecoming an educator) I
o!ten dream a(out the +ourne# ahead o! me*
As o! right no% I am undecided on %here I %ou&d &i'e to teach) I guess the truth is I
rea&&# hadn,t put too much thought into it unti& no%* -ut as I dream a(out the !uture) I don,t see
m#se&! in an# speci!ic educationa& setting or at an# speci!ic schoo&* I !ee& &i'e m# options are
&imit&ess and I %ou&d actua&&# consider teaching at an# &ocation* .hen I,m done %ith m#
schoo&ing) I p&an on app&#ing to %hate"er schoo&s are hiring in the area and a&so (e#ond* I %ou&d
de!inite&# reconsider re&ocating to a ne% area i! I %ere o!!ered a teaching position (e#ond m#
current residence*
As an educator) I %ou&d pre!er teaching in the &o%er grades in e&ementar#* I %ou&d &i'e to
teach an# grade !rom preschoo& to second grade and %ou&d consider a position in those grades
(ut I a&so %ou&d consider %or'ing %ith o&der grades in e&ementar#) i! I %ere o!!ered a position in
that &e"e&* So need&ess to sa#) I am 'ind o! undecided or I shou&d sa# I am open to a&most
an#thing in this area (ecause I don,t %ant to &imit m#se&! to +ust one speci!ic grade &e"e&* I
(e&ie"e I %ou&d (e a(&e to ad+ust to %hate"er &earning en"ironment I %as p&aced into and I %ou&d
incorporate a re!&ecti"e teaching approach in e"er# situation*
As a re!&ecti"e teacher I %ou&d ma'e a signi!icant attempt to ac'no%&edge the di!!erences
amongst m# students and I %ou&d tr# m# "er# (est to design &essons and the curricu&um
according&#* I tru&# (e&ie"e that one size doesn,t !it a&&) so there!ore it,s unrea&istic to pretend that
/
a&& chi&dren possess the same a(i&ities and s'i&&s* So as a re!&ecti"e teacher I %ou&d ma'e sure to
modi!# &essons in order to meet the needs o! each indi"idua& chi&d) design curricu&um !or each
uni0ue c&ass o! chi&dren and ma'e accommodations !or chi&dren %ith specia& needs*
In order to (e a re!&ecti"e teacher I %ou&d need to incorporate di!!erent approaches into
m# teaching st#&e in order to create a 0ua&it# program that is e!!ecti"e in a&& areas o!
de"e&opment* I thin' the (est %a# to design this t#pe o! program %ou&d (e to uti&ize the s'i&&
themes approach) %hi&e incorporating the mo"ement concepts) as %e&&* I %ou&d uti&ize this
approach (ecause it !ocuses on teaching (asic s'i&&s (e!ore introducing sports or games into their
ph#sica& education* I thin' this is an important aspect o! the approach (ecause chi&dren need to
de"e&op the necessar# s'i&&s needed to p&a# certain sports and1or games (ecause i! the# do not
de"e&op these s'i&&s the# are more &i'e&# to !ee& incompetent in their a(i&it# to participate*
According to the te2t(oo' Children Moving (2013), the primar# goa& in the s'i&& theme approach
is to pro"ide chi&dren %ith a degree o! competence &eading to the con!idence that encourages
them to (ecome) and remain) ph#sica&&# acti"e !or a &i!etime* The pre"ious statement !rom the
te2t(oo' is one o! the main reasons %h# I ha"e decided to uti&ize the s'i&& theme approach %hen
I (ecome an educator and (e&o% #ou %i&& !ind a chart disp&a#ing the mo"ement concept I %i&&
teach %hi&e using this approach*
Mo"ement 3oncept
3ategories
Mo"ement 3oncepts 3omponents
Space A%areness 4ocation Se&!5space and genera& space
Direction or%ard) (ac'%ard) side%a#s)
c&oc'%ise and
counterc&oc'%ise
Path%a#s Straight) cur"ed and zigzag
E!!ort Time ast) s&o%
orce Strong) &ight
Re&ationships 6! (od# parts Round) narro%) %ide and
7
t%isted8 s#mmetrica& and non5
s#mmetrica&
.ith o(+ects and1or peop&e 6"er1 under) near1!ar) in
!ront1(ehind) a&ong) through8
meeting1 parting
.ith peop&e 4eading1 !o&&o%ing)
mirroring1matching)
unison1contrast) a&one in a
mass) so&o) partners) groups)
(et%een groups
.hen teaching a speci!ic s'i&& or s'i&& theme it is important to create a &esson p&an !or
each da# that the s'i&& %i&& (e taught* The &esson p&an shou&d inc&ude the main !ocus area !or that
da# p&us the o(+ecti"es and outcomes* A se0uence o! the p&an cou&d (e use!u& (ecause it pro"ides
an o"er"ie% o! the &essons and out&ines the speci!ic da#s that s'i&& shou&d (e e2perienced* An 9:5
da# se0uence !or tra"e&ing cou&d &oo' something &i'e this:
.ee' Da#
9 9 Esta(&ishing an en"ironment !or &earning
$ Esta(&ishing an en"ironment !or &earning
$ 9 E2p&oring se&!5space
$ E2p&oring genera& space
/ 9 Tra"e&ing in genera& space
$ Tra"e&ing in di!!erent directions
7 9 Tra"e&ing %ith imager#
$ Tra"e&ing %ith di!!erent &ocomotors mo"ements
; 9 Tra"e&ing %ith di!!erent &ocomotors mo"ements
$ Tra"e&ing through path%a#s
< 9 S&iding
$ S&iding
= 9 Ga&&oping
$ Ga&&oping
: 9 >opping
$ 4eaping
? 9 Running
$ Tra"e&ing %ith music
;
The s'i&& themes and mo"ement concepts are designed to %or' together in order to create
a uni0ue &esson p&an aimed at e!!ecti"e&# teaching a %ide range o! di!!erent ph#sica& s'i&&s* The
mo"ement %hee& can (e used as a too& in ph#sica& education (ecause it pro"ides teachers %ith a
use!u& guide in imp&ementing s'i&& themes com(ined %ith mo"ement concepts* or e2amp&e) the
s'i&& theme o! tra"e&ing) %hich is (ro'en up into ; di!!erent s'i&&s) can (e com(ined %ith a %ide
range o! mo"ement concepts such as in genera& space or in se&!5space* E"en more speci!ica&&# the
s'i&& o! %a&'ing cou&d (e com(ined %ith a mo"ement concept out o! the e!!ort area &ocated under
the time section) !ast or s&o%* The mo"ement %hee& is another great too& that I %i&& (e a(&e to
incorporate into m# !uture career as an educator*
Another important aspect) possi(&# the most important aspect o! m# !uture career as a
teacher %i&& (e the esta(&ishment o! a &earning en"ironment %ithin m# c&assroom* Since the
en"ironment p&a#s a crucia& ro&e in the o"era&& &earning e2perience !or chi&dren) I thin' it is
important to create a positi"e and supporti"e en"ironment in %hich chi&dren !ee& encouraged to
ta'e on tas's and cha&&enges* According to Moving Children (2013), there are t%o components
that are in"o&"ed in esta(&ishing a &earning en"ironment8 these t%o components are descri(ed as
manageria& and instructiona&* The manageria& component re!ers to the non5su(+ect matter
acti"ities necessar# !or a c&ass to run smooth&# and e!!icient&# o"er time and the instructiona&
component re!ers to the su(+ect5matter acti"ities designed to see that chi&dren &earn %hat is
desired to (# participating in ph#sica& education*
As a !uture educator) I thin' it is important to inc&ude (oth these components into the
c&assroom in order to esta(&ish the (est &earning en"ironment !or chi&dren* I p&an on
incorporating di!!erent aspects o! each component into m# c&assroom en"ironment in order to
esta(&ish and maintain a &earning en"ironment* In order to create and maintain a &earning
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en"ironment I p&an on esta(&ishing protoco&s such as ru&es and routines and I p&an on using
techni0ues &i'e the re%ard s#stem) responsi(i&it# teaching and positi"e interactions*
In order to esta(&ish the (est &earning en"ironment and a&so to (e an e!!ecti"e re!&ecti"e
teacher) it is important to uti&ize the too& o! o(ser"ation* 6(ser"ation is an essentia& part o! the
&earning e2perience (ecause it pro"ides the teacher %ith opportunities to ana&#ze the
e!!ecti"eness o! &essons) chi&dren,s responses to certain tas's) (eha"iors and mo"ement patterns*
The o(ser"ationa& techni0ue I intend to use in m# !uture c&assroom is 'no%ing %hat to &oo' !or) I
thin' this is pro(a(&# the most important techni0ue (ecause a huge part o! accurate o(ser"ation
is (ased on 'no%ing %hat and %ho needs to (e o(ser"ed*
6(ser"ation is a&so a signi!icant part o! assessment !or &earning (ecause in order to
accurate&# assess a chi&d,s gro%th and de"e&opment in their s'i&&s and a(i&it#) an o(ser"ation in
some !orm must ta'e p&ace* .hen I (ecome an educator) I p&an on using teacher o(ser"ation as
one o! m# main !orms o! assessment in ph#sica& education (ecause I thin' it is an appropriate
!orm o! assessing a&& the domains o! &earning* I %ou&d a&so incorporate a chec'5&ist assessment
chart in %ith the o(ser"ation (ecause I thin' this %ou&d he&p %ith 'eeping record o! the critica&
e&ements o! the o(ser"ation*
6(ser"ation is a&so a crucia& part o! determining chi&dren,s &e"e& o! s'i&& pro!icienc#*
Through o(ser"ations) a chi&d,s a(i&ities can (e assessed and characterized (# the generic &e"e&
re!erred to as pre5contro&) contro&) uti&ization and pro!icienc#* It is important to determine these
&e"e&s in order to design a de"e&opmenta&&# appropriate &esson* There!ore I intend to use these
generic &e"e&s in m# %or' as an educator (ecause I (e&ie"e that these &e"e&s %i&& he&p me create
&essons that are appropriate !or each chi&d,s a(i&it# and s'i&& &e"e&*
=
The ac'no%&edgment o! di!!erences is not on&# use!u& %hen %or'ing %ith chi&dren o!
di!!erent s'i&& &e"e&s (ut it a&so e2treme&# important %hen %or'ing %ith chi&dren %ith specia&
needs* Using the re!&ecti"e teaching approach I p&an on accommodating a&& chi&dren regard&ess o!
their s'i&& &e"e& and1or a(i&it#* In order to meet the needs o! e"er# chi&d %ithin m# c&ass I %ou&d
ma'e e"er# e!!ort to modi!# &essons to meet indi"idua& ph#sica& a(i&ities* I %ou&d ne"er %ant a
chi&d to (e &e!t out or e2c&uded !rom an acti"it# (ecause o! their disa(i&it#8 there!ore I %ou&d
ma'e sure that a&& chi&dren cou&d participate (# modi!#ing the acti"it# to accommodate an#
specia& need* I %ou&d a&so ma'e sure that appropriate e0uipment %as a"ai&a(&e in order to
accommodate a&& chi&dren) especia&&# those %ith specia& needs or ph#sica& disa(i&ities*
I thin' that a&& e&ements o! ph#sica& acti"ities and sports are important8 each s'i&& shou&d
(e taught through an appropriate amount o! &essons and acti"ities and dance) g#mnastic and
dance ha"e no e2ceptions* These ph#sica& e2periences are pro(a(&# some o! m# !a"orite and I
%ou&d de!inite&# incorporate them into m# ph#sica& education program* And (ecause I thin'
these ph#sica& e2periences are some o! the most en+o#a(&e aspects o! ph#sica& education I %ou&d
ma'e sure to inc&ude at &east one o! them into m# dai&# &esson p&an* Dance) g#mnastics and
games are a&& great %a#s to e2pand on certain s'i&&s and mo"ement concepts8 there!ore I %ou&d
uti&ize them as !un opportunities !or chi&dren to e2p&ore %ith di!!erent s'i&&s and mo"ements*
According to Children Moving (2013@) an# time %e can ma'e &earning more re&e"ant and
persona&&# meaning!u& to the chi&d,s &i!e) it has a more pro!ound e!!ect and %i&& (e remem(ered
&onger* There!ore I thin' it is important to !ind connections (et%een curricu&um and chi&dren,s
persona& e2periences and interests* Research has sho%n that chi&dren (ene!it !rom this t#pe o!
integration8 e"en more speci!ica&&# studies ha"e !ound that chi&dren (ene!it (oth academica&&#
and ph#sica&&# %hen ph#sica& education is integrated in other su(+ect areas* As an educator) I
:
%ou&d %ant to imp&ement interdiscip&inar# &earning into m# c&assroom) &essons and curricu&um
(ecause I (e&ie"e this t#pe o! &earning pro"ides man# opportunities !or an enhanced &earning
e2perience* In order to esta(&ish integration (et%een mo"ement concepts and curricu&um I %ou&d
use the content &in'age approach in order to connect mo"ement concepts and s'i&& themes %ith
di!!erent content areas* The te2t(oo' Children Moving (2013) has a e2amp&e o! this approach
disp&a#ing the connections that can (e !ormed %ith the s'i&& theme o! dri((&ing %ith hands %ith
su(+ect areas such as &anguage arts) science) socia& studies and math*
Throughout m# career as an educator I %ou&d stri"e to address a&& the domains o! &earning
inc&uding the a!!ecti"e domain* In order to e!!ecti"e&# address this area I %ou&d ma'e sure to
ac'no%&edge chi&dren,s !ee&ings and emotions* I %ou&d a&so tr# "er# hard to ma'e each &earning
e2perience en+o#a(&e (ecause I thin' that chi&dren gain a &ot more out o! the e2perience i! it
promotes positi"e !ee&ings*
As I continue m# education to (ecome an educator m# dream progressi"e&# unra"e&s into
rea&it#* As o! right no%) I !ee& &i'e I am on the right trac') and e"en though it,s not a&%a#s an
eas# road) I 'no% that a&& the hard %or' %i&& (e %orth it in the end* M# num(er one hope and
dream is to (e a(&e to (ecome the (est teacher I can (e so that %a# I can) a(o"e a&& things)
pro"ide chi&dren %ith a positi"e &earning e2perience* During m# !irst #ear teaching I intend to
uti&ize the strategies and techni0ues &earned throughout m# education in order to esta(&ish the
(est &earning en"ironment possi(&e* I p&an on designing a program that has a&& chi&dren in mind8
ho%e"er I %ou&d sta# optimistic) e"en %hen things don,t go e2act&# as p&anned* I %ou&d not
hesitate to modi!# an# acti"ities and1or &essons in order to accommodate a&& chi&dren %ithin m#
c&ass* Most important&# I %ou&d %ant to (ui&d positi"e re&ationships %ith m# students and their
!ami&ies and a&so %ith other teachers* I (e&ie"e these re&ationships are essentia& (ecause the# %i&&
?
pro"ide me %ith the support and guidance I %i&& need in order to gro% and &earn to (e the (est
teacher I can (e*
E0uipment At#* Manu!acture Price B
Acti"it# %a&'ing trai& 9 &ag >ouse 99;*CC
oam (a&ance (eam 7D 9 &ag >ouse ?;*CC
oam (a&ance (eam <D 9 &ag >ouse 99?*CC
.a&'ing (oard set 9 &ag >ouse $??*CC
Acti"e Series Ru((er -as'et(a&&
5 Size /
9C &ag >ouse ?;*CC
Ad+usta(&e -as'et(a&& Goa& $ sets &ag >ouse 9C;*CC
A&pha(et (ean (ags $ sets &ag >ouse ==*?C
Num(ered (ean (ags $ sets &ag >ouse 79*?C
4ight %eight (ean (ags 7 sets &ag >ouse <$*CC
-and in a (o2 ; sets &ag >ouse 97?*=;
Rain(o% ri((on %ands 7 sets &ag >ouse ;;*:C
Aero(ic step ; &ag >ouse /7?*=;
E2ercise mat /C &ag >ouse ;<:*;C
Acti"it# .a&'5Motor s'i&& 'it 9 &ag >ouse 9$<*?;
ie&d and !&oor mar'er super set $ &ag >ouse $C?*?C
oam !oot(a&& set $ &ag >ouse </*?C
&#ing disc super set / &ag >ouse 99C*:;
Adapted steep&e course set 9 &ag >ouse $7?*?;
Steep&e course set 9 &ag >ouse 9:?*CC
E&ementar# hurd&es $ &ag >ouse </*?C
oam hopscotch $ &ag >ouse /=*?C
Eump rope "a&ue pac' $ &ag >ouse :/*?C
E0uipment At#* Manu!acture Price B
9C
Parachute set 9 &ag >ouse 7<?*CC
P&a#ground (a&& 9C &ag >ouse ?;*;C
>i5-ounce -a&& 9C &ag >ouse ??*;C
-a&& toss %ith num(ers 9 &ag >ouse =/;*CC
P&astic PI3F4E (a&& set 7 &ag >ouse ;?*:C
-ig Dice set / &ag >ouse /:*:;
3atch Net set / &ag >ouse 99C*:;
Soccer (a&& G/ 9; &ag >ouse 99?*$;
Practica& Goa& set $ &ag >ouse $?:*CC
Tunne&s o! !un +um(o +unction
set
9 &ag >ouse 9=?*CC
Dou(&e target (ean(ag 'it 9 &ag >ouse 9C7*?;
Sensor# motor 'it $ &ag >ouse $=?*?C
99
Resources
Flaghouse* Hn*d*@* Retrie"ed !rom http:11%%%*!&aghouse*com1Ath&etic1Va&ue5Sets5
PNI=JNa"4in'Itrue
Graham) G*) >o&t1>a&e) S*) J Par'er) M* H$C9/@* 3hi&dren mo"ing* H?th ed*@* Ne% Kor') NK:
McGra%5>i&&*