First Week of Student Teaching

My first week at Newberry Elementary was a short week, but in those three days I learned a ton about my future students and cooperating teacher. If I had to use one word to describe my first week I would use the term shocking. I saw many things that I have never seen before as well as many things that go against what I have been taught as a physical education and health education student. From the three days that I was at Newberry Elementary, I know that I have a ton of work ahead of me.

On Wednesday, I arrived at Newberry at 7:20 to put my things in the building, and then headed out side to monitor the outside area until 7:55. During that time I began to notice that many of the students were constantly coming up to my cooperating teacher to tell on another for hitting, name calling, or bullying. This continued the entire day, each class, and the entire week. The first class was the first graders that began the day at 8:10, to follow was the Pre-K, sixth grade, fourth grade, lunch, kindergarten, and the last class was second grade. Each class is a full 40 minutes, but much of the time is spent on managing the class because many of the students talk out of turn and have a lack of respect for adults. Throughout the three days students used the parachute using math integration and the rest of the students had fitness days.

As I mentioned earlier, I saw many things that went against what I have been taught. The gym has equipment on the floor in the corners where it is stored (that the students are distracted with) and there are three large metal lunch carts that are stored in the gym when they are not being used. Also, students are required to wear gym shoes, a t-shirt, shorts, or sweat pants for the one day a week they have P.E. I believe the class averaged five students that did dress appropriately for P.E while others participated in snow boots, boots, and shoes that did not have laces, and the worst was a student wearing  boots with a heal. Yes! Running in heals. I felt uncomfortable being in that environment, I didn’t even want to be there because I knew I was going to see someone fall, trip, or bump into the equipment. And, it happened, multiple times. From what I have been taught and learned as a child, no one can participate if they were not dressed appropriately, but at Newberry it’s not an issue. I know it will be a challenge to get students to start dressing, since appropriate dress is emphasized as importance for the years the students have been at Newberry.  

On a brighter side of things, I did meet the principal and assistant principal of Newberry. Both seemed very nice and very passionate about their jobs. It does seem as though they both have a good relationship with my cooperating teacher, but I have yet to see them in the gym during a P.E class.

Each day during a time slot of 11:00 and 12:00 my cooperating teacher and I move to each classroom on the first floor to give teachers a short break to make any copies, use the washroom, or take care of any other quick projects. During that time it is great to have an opportunity to see the students again, but in the classroom setting. It has been an opportunity for me to learn how the other classroom teachers manage their classroom behaviors. Students listen well and stay seated because the classroom teacher enforces and refers back to the classroom rules when students begin to misbehave. I do have some ideas of my own for when I begin to teach, but it was good to see the strategies and techniques the classroom teachers use.  Currently, the gym is nothing but chaos. I am hoping students will adjust well to what I believe is appropriate behavior in a P.E setting once I begin to teach. I feel that I still have the same strong beliefs in classroom management, but I never thought I would ever be student teaching or working in a setting where there is none.

At first, I was disappointed and felt that I would learn very little from this students teaching placement. I after reflection and thinking I believe that I will truly learn a lot from this placement. I had this idea that students were going to be well behaved, a curriculum would be in place, and everything was going to be great, but I have the exact opposite. Thinking realistically, in order for my classes to respect me, my class, and P.E I have to begin to recall everything that I know about good teaching strategies and techniques. It’s now time for me to get creative and start pulling some tricks out of my bag. As crazy as it sounds I believe I was placed here for a reason, I am always up for a challenge, and I am ready to make a difference. It may not be huge but I want to show my students, other teachers, and my cooperating teacher what it looks like to run a class when you are passionate about educating students.