Last day..

On Monday we started a new unit..gymnastics! There is a lot of safety issues involved in this one. I learned that the teacher must give many rules for the students to abide by in order for them not to get hurt. He instructed the class how to do each station emphasizing the safety issues of each station in a stern voice, letting the kids know that if they fool around they will be seated automatically; which is the end of the world for these little kids. "Creating a peaceful, nonviolent school environment must be a long-term effort that includes many strategies." For example, emphasizing pro-social behavior; sharing, helping, and cooperating. The teacher I observed did this well. While explaining the instructions to the gymnastics unit he encouraged the students who knew how to do cart wheels and back benders to help other students who didn't know how. This allows the students to interact with each other and it teaches the children that it is nice to help others that are in need of your help.
I really enjoyed observing these students and interacting with them. I may even go back on my own time just for giggles :) the teacher I observed was very nice and told me that I could come back anytime and if I would like to teach one of his classes he wouldn't mind, which may also be an option. This will give me the true feeling of teaching a physical education class.

Everybody's a winner!

While observing I noticed many kids kept asking the score or when the game was finished asking who won. The teacher never told them he would always say there is no winner, everyone is a winner, the score doesn't count, etc. I think this is a good thing because it keeps kids from getting discouraged. It keeps kids from fighting or saying I'm better than you, or I'm the winner, you're a loser, negative things like that. As a kid you want them to be positive, you want to get them interested in the sport and focus on participation, not on just winning! I mean as they get older that becomes more accepted because they better understand competition.

Addressing socioeconomic differences and safety

"Make a special effort to address the needs of students from low-income families" (Ormord, 408). While I was observing I noticed that kids who weren't prepared for class (wearing sneakers) were leaving and coming back with sneakers. I asked my teacher about this and he informed me that they have a bunch of used sneakers given to them from more fortunate families that they allow the students to use. This allows them to always be able to participate, no matter what they have on their feet; that shouldn't stop them from being able to play! I've never seen this before and I really like it, I thought it was a very thoughtful idea of the school.

I also noticed the safety in my teacher observation. No
matter what age and time of the activity he would stop it and have
a shoe lace check. If they are too young to tie their shoes on their
own he would than call them out of the game one by one and tie
them (joking around with the kids saying that each time he has to
tie their shoes, they owe him a dollar).

What really goes on in a childs head..

I think this picture pretty much describes educational
psychology and what goes on in that
crazy head of ours.

Cueing

"Cueing is the use of signals to indicate that a certain behavior is desired or that a certain behavior should stop" (Ormrod, 517). Quickly and in an unnoticeable manor cue students about appropriate and inappropriate behaviors through body language, physical proximity, or short verbal reminders. A teacher should start off with their cue early in the year, this allows the students to get familiar with the specific cue and to know you aren't joking around; so they'll take you seriously. I noticed a cue in the teachers I observe; when a student gets out of hand he shoots them a certain look they know they're doing something wrong and need to stop. If the "look" doesn't work he raises his voice a little but the children don't necessarily like that; knowing this next time they will stop at the "look." I will definitely use this in my teaching but I also think that you come off too nice to start it's going to be hard to keep control of your classroom; so start off a little more stern and loosen up just a bit as the year goes on, as you grow relationships.