My Field Experience winter of 2011-2012

Monday January 23 2012 was a date that was being dread for the students who just completed their field experience, because this was the day of the final interview.  This post interview was extremely nerve racking and every peer of mine would agree, the field experience took up nearly everyone’s winter break and was awfully tedious.  However the field experience was not that bad I have subbed in the past and it was actually better practice than subbing because I was in Physical Education classes all day every day.  I was truly blessed with going to a small school with such a great Phys Ed program.  All three of the Physical Education teachers were Cortland Graduates and were obviously familiar with the Cortland Physical Education philosophy.  Mrs.  Reynolds, Mr.  Reynolds, and Mr.  Johnston gave me countless opportunities to practice running drill, warm ups, activities, closers, and cool downs. 

One of the warm up I was capable to observe was an interesting one that the girls really enjoyed.  All the girls got in a big circle an took two steps back, then they laid down on their stomachs  and one girl ran started in one direction and began to run and jump over the girls that were laying down.  Once the girl who started jumped over a girl that girl now has to stand up and follow the girl in front of her.  What I thought was clever was sometimes some students are not physically able to jump over someone safely so for a class like that she would have all the girls stand up in the circle and zig zag in and out of each other in the same direction as they would have before.  I thought this game was great so I played it when there was sub in for my host teacher and the girls liked it so much they wanted to get timed, I thought that this was great the girls went over the warm up time that I planned for but they were just having so much fun and were being very active. 

A game that the boys played was called Tchouk Ball, which I thought was awesome because we learned that game in our EDU 255 class during our international game unit.  Seeing the game in an actual classroom really impressed me and made me appreciate the program I was able to observe and assist in.   One thing I would have changed about the Tchouk Ball lessons I observed would have been the progressions leading up to the actual game play.  My ideal Tchouk ball lesson would have mini games and progression activities that practice skills, proper techniques, and tactical attacks, then would lead into the game play.  However even without the progression the students did have some sort of proper technique in place for throwing a ball, passing, and spatial awareness. 

My entire field experience was honestly one of the most fun times I have ever had in a physical education setting.  The class room had such a positive vibe to it, Mrs.  Reynolds has so much enthusiasm and energy, she is so engaged with the students and they all follow their teacher and are enthusiastic and energetic about class and the activities.  The girls like doing warm ups, they enjoy stretching, Mrs.  Reynolds told me she knows something about every single one of her girls and can talk to them about anything.  Mrs.  Reynolds has so much respect from the students that there was no discipline issues, and no problems participating.  I Thank the Chateaugay Central School so much for the opportunity to work them, I cannot wait to go back and sub this upcoming spring!