With my gained perspective this course has given me, my philosophy has changed, deepened and expanded. However, one of the largest lessons I have taken away is that success looks different for each individual child. We must modify our expectations and adapt to the skill levels present in the classroom. There is no benefits from asking children to engage in physical activities that they will be unsuccessful in. Further, it may discourage the student from participating in a physically active lifestyle lifelong. The image below depicts a value and mindset I have as I prepare to teach physical education within my own classroom.
Link to image: https://www.thesimplestencil.com/educational_vinyl_decal_wall_quotes/306/physical_education.html
This is a quote that I use for all areas of my life, but specifically with fitness. I always have had anxiety about participating in physical activity, whether in sport or at the gym. This is something that I still struggle with. The thoughts of not being good enough constantly run through my head, but the truth is that I will always be good enough as long as I keep working towards improvement. The best way to measure your success is looking at your personal improvements and how far you have come from one point to the next - whether that be physically, emotionally, mentally, and so on. I believe that the quote also speaks on the idea that everyone's successes within physical activity (and beyond) look very different from one another. If one person's success looks different than yours, but you are still accomplishing your personal goal then that is still a success. This is a mindset I want to encourage within my students.
The philosophy can relate to all areas of my life, just as it can relate to the three domains of learning within a learning environment. I would use this philosophy when guiding my expectations, assessments and strategies used to track progress. I would ask students to track their progress on skills explored in class over the year in a personal journal, then ask them to reflect on their accomplishments at the end of our time together. This could allow students to see their progress, whereas they may not have realized how successful they truly were throughout the year. This type of activity relates to the Psychomotor learning domain, which "covers physical skills, developing health-related fitness" (Stoddart, 2020a, slide 22). I would do a similar type of activity to satisfy the cognitive learning domain, which is the "knowledge and comprehension of skill performance principles and precepts related to fitness and activity" (Stoddart, 2020a, slide 22). This would allow students and educators to focus on the learners "strengths, not weaknesses" (Stoddart, 2020b, slide 8). I would do something a little different for the affective learning domain, which refers to the "attitudes and behaviours, such as learning to cooperate with peers on a team or behave in a responsible manner" (Stoddart, 2020a, slide 22). I would ask them to write in the journal all the compliments, positive comments and cooperative behaviours they showed throughout the course. What appropriate behaviour looks like would be discussed as a class beforehand so students are prepared for the task. I would ask students to reflect on what they had wrote about their affective domain throughout the year, and jot down some of the strengths they have or areas they are still growing in. The goal is for students to see how they have improved as an encouraging and cooperative person throughout the year. These are skills that are beneficial for individuals lifelong. The goal for these journals are not to be graded, but for students to assess their own growth. This creates a need for educators to thoroughly understand "assessment vs. grades" (Stoddart, 2020c, slide 32).
When applying this philosophy to my teaching, I must consider the skill level of my learners and adapt to create a learning environment of success for all my learners. My adaptations to make sure that all students needs are being met are crucial as "Physical education may be the only opportunity for a child to learn the tools required to be physically active for life" (Stoddart, 2020d, slide 13). On the other hand, students may be enrolled in many extra-curricular sports that allow them to progress through the skills we explore in class at a faster rate. The goal is not to create gifted athletes, but to encourage lifelong movers so the focus must be on individual progression.
Lastly, the philosophy I have chosen highlights the flexibility and reflectivity of an educator in this position. Educators must be prepared for modifications to allow all students work on skills in a progression that meets their personal abilities. This could be done by teaching by invitation, which "allows the students to choose the different parameters of a task to match their own specific skills" (Stoddart, 2020e, slide 23). However, the teacher may also modify the skill level of a task. This strategy is referred to as Intra-Task Variation. Both allow students to continue their progression to their personal best at the skill/ability level they are capable of and comfortable with. As long as students are striving to be their personal best, the activities are satisfying outcomes, and the students are motivated to live a physically active life, I will feel satisfied with my work.
References:
Stoddart, A. (2020a). Curriculum Part 1. [PowerPoint slides]. Stoddart, A. (2020b). Inclusion (Adapting Content for all Learners). [PowerPoint slides].
Stoddart, A. (2020c). Assessing Student Learning. [PowerPoint slides].
Stoddart, A. (2020d). Value & Purpose of Physical Education. [PowerPoint slides].
Stoddart, A. (2020e). Generic Levels of Skill Proficiency (GLSP). [PowerPoint slides].