PA/PE REFLECTION

Nadine Putrous
 WHY HEALTH EDUCATION?
 When growing up I always wanted to be a lawyer, I never thought about
teaching. When entering middle school I met my life skills/nutrition teacher
and she made such an impact on my life that I wanted to do the same for
others. I took every class she taught; from seventh grade to the last day of
senior. When starting middle school my father had just left us, but I never
told a friend until senior year. Mrs. Hampson was the only person I would
talk to about it and it made my days in school a lot easier. I decided that
health education would be my career when I started my first job as a
receptionist at a law firm.
STUDENT AND TEACHER RELATIONSHIPS
 One thing that stuck out at me in The Ecology of the Gym Reconceptualized
and Extended was the statement, “Students that feel cared for by the teacher
and classrooms where teachers enact equitable and student-centered
pedagogies are more engaged in the learning process.” (O’Connor &
McCartney, 2007). I can not say that I truly remember my experiences with
all of my PE teachers but I can agree that when knowing you are cared for
and understood by a teacher made the class very easy.
MY PE/PA EXPERIENCE GROWING UP

 At the age of five until the age of fifteen I was a

cheerleader. I was always physically active. I went to
church camp growing up as well, which is completely
different now then it was back then. Now children are
playing with IPads and computers but when I was in camp I
was always outside playing tag, going through bounce
house obstacles, and many more activities.
WHEN DID YOU NOTICE PHYSICAL
ACTIVITY WAS A MUST?
From kindergarten until tenth grade I had one hour of PE. I never
realized the impact that sixty minutes of physical activity could have on
a person. I was burning more calories and feeling so good about my
body even at a young age; not until I was in my senior year did I notice
that one year of not taking a PE elective did so much harm to my body.
I was always eating so well but I could keep up with simple gym
activities like running back and forth. Ever since then I have kept an
active lifestyle.
“How we felt during gym classes years or decades ago may shape how
we feel about exercise today and whether we choose to be physically
active, the study finds.” (Gretchen Reynolds, nytimes.com)
 A MOTHERS PUSH
 Growing up without a father was not
hard; more sad, but my mother did Davis Junior High
a great job being both parents. My Mascot
mother always thought their was a
void in my life and would push me
towards every physical activity
there was around us. I joined
dance, cheer, track, and every
church summer camp for six years
straight. I decided to quit track
after one month because it was not
something I enjoyed but my mother
was completely against it. She
always wanted my siblings and I to
be busy on days she would be
working; she didn't want us to miss
her.
 WHAT DO I DO NOW?

 Now that I do not have the options of taking a real elective that
involves time in a gym I make it my priority to get one hour a day
to working out. I have a personal trainer that I see twice a week
at Troy City Fitness, days that are nice out I roller blade about
four miles, I volunteer a summer church camp, and I swim at
Lifetime fitness.
ENGLISH WAS NOT MY FIRST LANGUAGE
• Growing up in a Chaldean/American household
taught me a lot about respect, culture, and diversity.
Arabic was my first language and entering
preschool/kindergarten was a bit hard because I did
not understand anyone nor did anyone understand
me. The only time understanding a language didn’t
matter was during recess and/or gym. None of the
games played ever required English or Arabic, it was
all about playing on a playset or running around. I
did have a hard time making friends because I was
the only girl in my class that had to take speech
classes.
THE S EFFECT (Diversity and Equity in Physical Education)

SIGHT
 Sight was the only thing I could
connect with when it came to the
classroom the first two years of
school. Students would play and I
could join because it did not
require speaking. I would see what
students were doing and do the
same. (monkey see, monkey do)
SOUND
 Not speaking English was very hard
when it came to the classroom. I
was never and still am not a verbal
learner. I have to see one do
something with and explain it for
me to understand it.

As I train with a trainer I can say that the

these two S’s are involved in my training
everyday. My trainer; Andre, will show me
how to do my next set of reps by also
explaining what it does for my body.
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdUklkGYhrI

• https://
www.nytimes.com/2018/08/22/well/move/how-you-felt-ab
out-gym-class-may-impact-your-exercise-habits-today.html

• https://
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00336297.2016.122
4192

• https://
www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00336297.2008.10
483581