My Teaching Philosophy

As a teacher, it is my responsibility to give my students the best possible opportunity to

succeed in my physical education class. The students in my class, depending on the grade level, will

learn the basics. Starting with fundamental motor skills and going all the way up to lifetime

activities, by the time they graduate high school. In each of my lessons there will be a focus or goal

that states what I expect my students to accomplish by the end of the class. The classes at the

elementary level will focus on their fundamental movement skills by going through obstacle course

and a variety of tag games. In middle school I will start to play teams games such as soccer, baseball,

football, lacrosse, and basketball. In high school I will focus on games that my students can play for

lifetime while still touching on those teams’ games, I will add golf, bowling and racket activities to

the curriculum.

Within each lesson there will also be a way to get each PE standard across. In elementary

school, I want to focus on Standards one and two which are the psychomotor and cognitive leaning

standards. These are important because this is when a student will learn and develop the

fundamental motor skills. In middle school classes I will focus on Standard three which focuses on

how the students can live and maintain a healthy lifestyle. This standard is important because in

middle school their bodies are changing the most and they need to know the necessary steps to

living a healthy life. In high school I will work on Standard five which means that the students will

see the value of physical activity in all areas of fitness. Now this doesn’t mean I will not cover

Standard one or two in high school or Standard 3 in elementary school, they will still be covered just

not in the same depth as the others. Standard four which is about safety will be present in every

grade level because student safety is the most important.

 I will teach my students in a variety of ways. In elementary school I will focus on

demonstrations followed by them trying the skill on their own. I give them reinforcement and

positive feedback. In the middle school environment is when team play will start; they will learn

how to put the skills they learned in elementary school into sports games. They will also learn what

it means to be on a team, as well as how to work together to a common goal. I will take them

through the rules of each sport and work with them on each skill required to play. If it looks like a

student is struggling, I will work with them so they can get caught up to the rest of the class. Any

time we make teams I will be making them, this way no one will be picked last. This will strengthen

participation because if a student is picked last, they will not want to play. I will always be

supportive of my students and always urge them to try their best every time they step foot into my

class. Other ways I will teach is by a method called challenge by choice or teaching by invitation. This

is a great method and probably my favorite method because it allows me to challenge students who

need the challenge. It also gives the students who may be behind time to catch up without feeling

bad that they are behind. In this method I will give the students who are ahead the option of

completing more difficult tasks. If this method was not available, the stronger students will get

bored easily while the weaker students will struggle and get frustrated. Another way I will teach is

by giving positive or negative feedback. Once I watch the student complete the skill, I will pull them

to the side to tell them what they did right and what they need to work on. The students will not get

better if you do not give them a little constructive criticism.

Assessment is important in physical education because it shows where the students are at

the beginning of the year and what I need to do as an educator to help my students improve. When

I assess the students at the start of the year it will give me a baseline on where there they are in
their skill set. I will then create each lesson to incorporate the skills that my class needs to work on

the most. I will still work on the stronger skills but have a greater focus on the weaker skills. I will

assess my students through a series of skill tests and sport tests. As the unit goes on, I will observe

my students and give them feedback as the weeks progress. On the last few days will begin to

assess them on the skills that we learned in the unit. Other ways I can assess my students is the

daily cognitive test to show that my students have an understanding in the days lesson. I will also

make note of their affective behavior, if I feel that a student has not put forth their best self, I can

pull them aside and address it, but it will not affect their grade negatively.

I will always ensure that my students are in a safe and nurturing environment that is best

suited to their ability to learn and grow as an individual. Each student will have an equal amount of

chances to succeed. If students do not listen to class rules there will be consequences which could

also reflect in their grade. Failure to follow the rules and not staying on task could lead to a

classmate getting hurt, in my class safety is my top priority. Every time my students enter the gym, I

want them to be in the best place possible to succeed and have fun.