When I complete my degree I wish to gain a position in a school teaching PDHPE.
I believe that this choice of career will be very rewarding as I enjoy both working
with children and sport. I intend to develop my professional knowledge and skills
throughout my career, so as to benefit myself and the students whom I’m teaching, so
they may continue on their path of knowledge.
To be a teacher in today’s schools requires a combination of knowledge and skills that
are learnt and developed throughout our time at university. However I believe that to
be a teacher you also need certain attributes which one can not learn, this includes the
desire to work with children. The role of a teacher is to prepare students with the
skills and knowledge for their future endeavours. This is achieved through not simply
cramming students with knowledge but making sure they understand it and can see
the relevance that it has in the ‘real world’.
I believe that to be a successful teacher one must know their subject content and how
to teach it to their students. It is the responsibility of the teacher to cater for the
different learning styles of each student, as each individual will learn better in
different ways. It is also necessary for a teacher to know how to plan, assess and
report on their students learning, as these are all key components of the teaching
learning cycle. It is a teacher’s responsibility to provide a learning environment in
which all students feel respected and safe, so they are not scared to speak out for fear
of ridicule. The teacher is a role model for the students and therefore must model
acceptable behaviour at all times.
Within the classroom the teacher plays a major leadership role. Leadership is defined
as the behavioural process of influencing individuals and groups towards a set goal,
(Barrow, 1977, p232) which is what a teacher is trying to achieve through their
teaching practices. Teachers are involved with decision making processes,
motivational techniques, giving feedback, establishing a good working relationship
with students and directing the class confidently. Effective leadership is the
combination of the following qualities, integrity, flexibility, loyalty, confidence,
accountability, and preparedness. Teachers may employ different leadership styles
depending on the situation, either authoritative or authoritarian style. Most theorists
agree that the authoritative approach is much more effective as teachers work together
with students in the classroom rather than just acting as a dictator. This will help
develop a good working relationship between teachers and students. (Weinberg &
Gould, 2003, pp199-218)
Communication is used to persuade, evaluate, inform and instruct. The way a teacher
communicates with students will form the basis of their relationship. Communication
in the classroom must be clear and of appropriate tone and volume, otherwise
instructions can be misunderstood. The tone of voice that the teacher uses should
convey a message to students and they should respond appropriately, it can be used to
encourage and motivate students. Therefore it is a major teaching instrument.
Communication is also done through sending non-verbal messages, which account for
as much as 50 to 70% of human communication. The teacher must be careful of their
physical appearance, posture, gestures, body position, touching, facial expressions and
voice characteristics as these all convey meaning. Listening is also a key component
of effective communication. To receive messages effectively, a listener must be
active, supportive and aware that people may respond to the way you communicate
differently. To be an active listener, you must show concern for the content and
purpose of the sender’s message and feelings. This may include supporting ideas,
acknowledging and responding, and giving effective feedback. A supportive listener
understands and values what the person is trying to communicate, and acknowledges
the feelings of the speaker, offering them support. Effective listening is essential in
the classroom to maintain clear communication lines. (Weinberg & Gould, 2003,
pp219-238)
To create an environment in which students want to achieve, teachers must provide
reinforcement. Reinforcement is the use of rewards and punishment that increase or
decrease the likelihood of a response occurring in the future. B.F Skinner stated that
“students learn without teaching in their natural environment, but teachers arrange
special reinforcements that expedite learning, hastening the appearance of behaviour
that would otherwise be acquired slowly or making sure of the appearance of
behaviour that might otherwise never occur.” There are positive and negative ways to
teach. Positive reinforcement offers students rewards once goals have been met, this
may include social reinforcement (praise, smile), material reinforcements (medals,
ribbons), activity reinforcements (playing a different position, getting a rest) or
special outings (going to see a professional game). These are all extrinsic motivators
because they come from the teacher. Intrinsic motivation resides within the
participant; the teacher can only construct an environment in which to promote this.
Punishment involves the teacher taking away privileges to eliminate an unwanted
behaviour. Most behavioural theorists believe students respond better to positive
reinforcement in the classroom. (Weinberg & Gould, 2003, pp123-136)
As a teacher, I hope to be able to guide and encourage each individual student, in that
environment which best suits their needs to develop complex enquiry and thinking
skills to suit the present and future needs of each student; thus paving the way for an
intrinsic and lifelong pursuit of knowledge in physical education. I will strive to do
this through effective leadership and communication skills and by using
reinforcement to encourage and motivate my students.
References:
Weinberg, R & Gould, D. 2003, Foundations of Sport and Exercise Psychology, Third
Edition, Human Kinetics, USA.