Critique Section 3: Self Analysis

a) Analysis of Warm-Ups

I led several warm-ups in both the middle school and high school. There were
similarities and differences in both schools. These warm-ups I led consisted of
stretching routines, conditioning routines, and also tag games to get students ready for
the main activity.

I tried different warm-ups for different classes based on their skill level and motivation to
participate. For example, I realized that the younger grades responded better to tag
games, while higher grades were more into conditioning warm-ups. I tried both of these
with all ages, and almost every class I had was very receptive to tag games. Tag games
are a fun way to exercise before a lesson starts without even realizing that you’re
exercising, so I used tag games as a warm-up more than the other routines. After
running these tag game warm-ups, almost all the students who were participating
seemed ready for the main activity. When I ran a conditioning or stretching warm-up,
only some kids who fully took part in the warm-up were ready for the main activity. The
main thing that I observed that these students were doing, or not doing, was not
participate if it wasn’t a tag game. A lot of students I observed did not respond well to
straight conditioning or stretching warm-ups, but almost everyone responded well to a
tag game.

b) Self-Analysis of Lesson Segments

For both the middle school and high school, my lesson segment was the demonstration
and instruction for the first task. For both of these lesson segments, my strength was
definitely the demonstration itself. I performed two demonstrations, one for softball and
one for playing bucketball. The students responded well to my loud voice and I got my
point across very well. I also acted very professional, which made it easier for the
students to understand what I was instructing them to do. Another strength I had was
that I created a good task for the students. Both first tasks in softball and bucketball
created time for the students to work on their skills. Learning and practicing these skills
is essential, because there are some students who have never played or participated in
either of these games before. Practice time is crucial, and I believe I did a good job of
providing the students with the right tools and a good amount of time.

Some of my weaknesses were my use of filler words. I tend to say “uh” and “um” a lot
between words, which isn’t a good habit to have, because it makes my voice sound
unprofessional. Another one of my weaknesses was that I didn’t do check for
understanding like I wanted to. When I was performing my lesson segment, I went
straight from the demonstration without doing a check for understanding. This is
something that I need to fix for the future because check for understanding is very

important, especially if there’s a possibility that the students might not understand the
task the first time around. This is something I look to improve in the near future.

c) Impact Reflection

1. How has this experience affected your pedagogical skills?

This experience has definitely enhanced my pedagogical skills. I learned a lot about
teaching through EDU 255, but the lab’s we did were with our peers, not actual
students. Being able to get a live-action opportunity with actual students helped my
skills tremendously. I got to see what students at the middle school and high school
levels are actually like through observing them constantly. I believe that this experience
has vastly improved my instructional skills and brought them to another level.

2. How has this field experience ‘opened your eyes’ to the demands and job
responsibilities of teachers?

This field experience has definitely opened my eyes and gave me a whole new
perspective on the responsibilities of teachers. To start, I underestimated the demands
that come with being a teacher. There is a lot more to being a teacher than just
teaching, and this experience helped me understand that. I believe that being a teacher
is one of the hardest jobs to have and maintain due to these overbearing
responsibilities. This hasn’t scared me away, though, it’s only gotten me more excited to
become a physical educator.

3. How did the experience compare with what you have learned about quality
Physical Education?

This experience has shown me that quality physical education is hard to come by. The
learning that went on at East Islip High School is not the same as we’ve been taught
here at SUNY Cortland. We learn to go very in depth and to do everything possible to
ensure our students are becoming physically literate and as fit as possible. At East Islip,
they run things different, in terms of not having a curriculum to follow, or even running
instant activities and giving introductions. I believe that when I get out into the field, I’m
going to do everything in my power to do all of the things that we’ve been taught about
quality physical education.
4. How has this field experience influenced your commitment to being an
effective physical educator?

This experience has only enhanced my commitment to being the best physical
education teacher I can be. Being able to see first-hand what goes on at these schools,
as well as being able to be around the students and talk to them, it’s only made me
want to get into the field as fast as possible. From what I saw at East Islip, the teachers
care a lot about their students and their learning experiences. Seeing this in person, it
has only made me want to strive to be even better than they were when I was with
them. I’m looking forward to being the best physical educator I can possibly be.