Professional Experience

I am currently undertaking my final professional experience at a high school in Canberra. There are many things that I have noticed over the past two weeks, about me and my students.
The first thing I have noticed about myself is how passionate I have become about this profession I am entering. I have always been slightly nervous about teaching, especially in a new school. I always took this as pretty normal but it did concern me. I have recently realised that these nerves are an important part. I am nervous because I care. Because I want to be the best teacher I can be. I know I have found this passion because I walk away from classes and I am buzzing. I have an strange excitement when everything goes well. It is addictive.
I have also recognised the passion that I have for health and physical education. About teaching my students how important it is to be active and healthy. It seems to be all I can talk about.
The students I am teaching have taught me a lot. I am really lucky as I am currently teaching a great group of students who all seem to be motivated and interested in participating in PE. This is something that I have found to be quite rare in high schools. There are usually a number of students who are not interested in participating in PE. It has given me a little more faith. That with the right nurturing I can help students to become as passionate and interested in health and physical activity as I am.

Learning on the Job

I am currently undertaking my final professional experience for my teaching degree. It is interesting to find myself at the end of my degree and reflecting on what I have achieved over the past three and a half years. It is even more interesting to reflect on how I have grown as a teacher. 

After only a few days of placement I am itching to get out 'into the real world' and become a teacher. As each lesson goes by I become more and more confident in both my teaching style but also my career choice. 

I have been very lucky with mentor teachers off whom I have learnt so much in the last three years. They have varied and all have had a unique way of teaching. But they all have had one thing in common, that is, they have all supported me immensely throughout. 

While it hasn't always been rainbows and butterflies, the feedback I have received from each of them has allowed me to grow as a teacher, as a professional and as a person. For that I am truly grateful. 

I still have over three weeks remaining of my professional experience, but I can already tell that that time will fly. I am looking forward to continuing this experience with enthusiasm, making sure that I learn plenty along the way. 

Video Analysis

An interesting point was made last week about the way we use video to analyse sport.
It is not uncommon for teams to use video analysis to assess their performance to improve their future performance.
It is a strange feeling when you watch yourself performing a skill or playing sport. We all have this picture in our head about how we look. But this seems very different when you actually see yourself.
Ultimately, the way we usually see ourselves is as a reflection. In a mirror for example. But when we watch video footage of ourselves we see ourselves as everyone else does. And that is strange.
Using video analysis is a great way to help athletes understand what they are doing and how they can improve their performance.
Allowing them to see what they are doing, whether right or wrong, will give them a better understanding of the reasoning behind concepts in sport.
Simply watching the performance will not allow the athlete to fully understand the positives and negatives in their game. This needs to be highlighted. It needs to be discussed. And, if possible, watched again.
Explanation, pausing and dwelling on certain ideas and concepts will depend on the age and experience of the athletes. For inexperienced athletes it is important that they are given time to understand the reasoning behind video analysis and have time to comprehend what is happening in the performance they are viewing.
More experienced athletes will be able to pick up on both positives and negatives in their game and learn from the video analysis. They will probably have one or two key aspects that they are trying to work on and seeing their performance will allow them to have a greater understanding.
Video analysis is a great tool for athletes to learn with. When used correctly and at the right time it can be a very effective tool for learning. 

What I want...

Knowing your students or athletes is one of the most important aspects of being a successful teacher or coach.

As an aspiring teacher I am looking forward to creating my own style of teaching and creating a great learning environment for all of my students. While I have had many opportunities to experience great classes and schools on my Prfossional Experience through university it is 'my own classroom' that I am truly looking forward to.
I want to create a classroom that is fun and inspirational. Where students are able to express themselves openly and learn at every opportunity. But surely that is what every new teacher wants?
The key is to find out how this happens. I think knowing my students is vital.
Something as simple as learning their name. Asking how their day has been. Asking what they do outside of your classroom. Finding out why. Why didn't they hand in an assignment? Why weren't they at school? Why were they acting diffently?
But students won't respond if they don't trust. If they don't respect and have my respect. So this rapport is what I need to build. That is my goal as a teacher.

Statistics in sport

I was at one of my club Netball training sessions earlier this week and was asked to take statistics for the match play during selections. Without thinking too much about I took the statistics on an iPad using a special netball app.

Later on that night I got to thinking about the app and the use of statistics in sport.
This app was able to tally almost everything a player did right or wrong on the court. Whether they got an intercept or threw a bad pass. It could all be documented. But how accurate is this? Do we count a 'tip' of the ball as a positive? Despite the ball still reaching the desired target, hence the tip has no effect?
And what about the work what is done 'off the ball'? There is never any solid evidence for this. It is only what a coach or spectator observes and how they perceive the work being done.
While the use of statistics has its benefits in sport it is vital that all aspects of a players game are taken into consideration. Also, combinations of players are important. A game of netball (for example) would not work if you had 7 individuals on the court. Instead you need a team. While individual talent is needed, a team doesn't work without combinations and a solid understanding of the players around you.
Statistics are one aspect or perspective of sport. And while they are valuable, they are not the be all and end all.

A sense of entitlement?



I am lucky to have a job at a large elite sports facility here in the ACT. I often enjoy observing the athletes and the staff that deal with sport in every day life and how sport has become the main focus of their lives.
It was late last week when I was approached by an international athlete who was asking about the facility. He was in awe of the place. He wanted to know why and how and what happened in such an amazing place.
Though he wasn't a volleyball player he enquired if there were volleyball athletes that used this facility. He then went on the tell me that there were members of his team that did play. Though, when they played at home they would simply play on gravel courts without shoes. I was taken by surprise.
Living in Australian we are spoilt by the facilities that we have access to. This is the same in schools. It made me realise that I need to use the resources available to me and be grateful for what we do have, rather than what we are lacking.
Schools in the ACT are well equipped. While some are better than others it is important to realise that these resources and facilities are fantastic.

A Learning Experience



Moments of learning come from unexpected sources. And unless it is reflected upon often these opportunities are lost.
Last week I attended a football training, not to play but observe. One of my close friends is a coach and he was conducting trials at the time.
When the session finished he came and sat with me and we had a chat about the session, the players, and the potential of the squad. He vented about his frustrations with the trials and what he was struggling with. It became clear that one of the main concerns was that a range of players from both U18's and U16's were trialling. They were selecting two teams, yet training them together.
After speaking for a while I mentioned the possibility of splitting the squads into U18's and U16's. Then, if U16 players were being considered for U18 positions then you could pull the 'stand outs' over into the U18 trials. He has mentioned this was something he had considered and would think about doing it in the next trial.
Earlier this week, after the next training session I received a text message thanking me. I really didn't know what I had done. At the trials the teams were split for the last 1/3 of the session. There was more clarity and decisions were made somewhat easier.
I denied having any influence, knowing that he had considered the use of splitting the squads prior to my input. However, he said 'it was exactly what I needed to hear. Don't undervalue a perfectly timed suggestion'.
I have since realised the importance of this. While often suggestions are undervalued or disregarded completely, sometimes all we need, as a coach or a teacher is someone to confirm our thoughts. To remind us that we have the ability and knowledge to create our own style of teaching or coaching. Sometimes a little shove is all we need to truly recognise the power that we have.
So, often the key is confidence, with a fraction of apprehension to keep us grounded. It's during those moments that we might need a little shove, a word of advice, or a bit of encouragement to do what we know we can.

Sports Coaching Pedagogy - Week 2

 It has been an interesting start to my final Semester at the University of Canberra. I have started this year with the intention of finishing my Bachelor of Education in May. Though I think I may have gotten ahead of myself. I have tunnel vision, my mind is firmly fixated on the task of finishing. I seem to have forgotten how much learning I still have to do. 

Sport Coaching Pedagogy has already provided me with the opportunity to learn and broaden my perspective on teaching. While I am keen to finish I am also intrigued by learning. I have realised that I need to stop looking forward and start living in this moment. 

After the first tutorial I went home only to rave to anyone that would listen about how much I enjoyed my first class. While I couldn't fully participate I was given a role within the practical lesson. I was given a role that made me feel involved and responsible. People asked me for direction. Immediately I admired and noted the importance of doing something small and quite simple in both a coaching and teaching environment. Students in particular thrive on responsibility. They flourish when they are given opportunity and guided through their own learning experience. Something as small as this makes a big difference. 

The other detail that I noted from our first lesson was the use of 'Icebreaker' games as a way of introducing students to one another. 


While I have always recognised the importance of this at a new school or with a group of new students, I had forgotten about the importance of this at any level. It makes people get to know one another. It forces them to interact help one another. It gives them a sense of belonging and pushes people outside of their comfort zone. Immediately they are companions. After the tutorial last week we had a lecture and I found it interesting that I found myself talking to a number of classmates who I had only met that morning. We were laughing and chatting like old friends, yet we had only known each other for a couple of hours. 


 
My opinion and outlook of this semester has already been changed. I am now looking forward to the learning opportunities that I still have, rather than having my mind fixated on the finale. Mind you, the finish line is still in sight and I am looking forward to that as a reward at the end. 


 

 

 Photo Credit: Coach Boeheim Lays Out a Plan, Matthew D. Britt, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
Inspirational-learning-quotes-for-studen ts-Anyone-who-stops-learning-is-old, aashu tosh,CC BY-ND 2.0