Jocelyn Cavalier
EDCI 205
Bill Brown
My Educational Philosophy
Originally, in ancient times, physical education (PE) consisted of gymnastics to
improve strength, agility, flexibility, and endurance. The Greeks considered the human
body a temple that encompassed the mind and the soul, and gymnastics kept that temple
healthy and functional. Times have changed and PE today is not what it use to be back
when the Greeks embraced it. In today’s time, physical education is still an ever
changing curriculum. By stating the purposes of education, explaining how teachers can
best help students and addressing their differences, utilizing the best teaching practices
and creating safe and effective learning environments, I will present my philosophy of
education related to my field of Physical Education.
All my life I have been involved in activities and sports. While all the other girls
were on the swings or doing cartwheels in the sand, I was off playing kickball with the
boys. My inspiration to teach comes from my 8th grade PE teacher. Through her
passions for her field, she showed me the importance of physical activity in my life. In
high school I was a well accomplished three sport athlete and eventually went on to play
soccer at the collegiate level here at Purdue University. A year after graduation from
college, I decided the best thing for me to do was to go back to school to get my teaching
certification in PE. I realized my place was in the educational system teaching what I
have grown up to enjoy and love.
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With that said, I believe the purposes of today’s school include developing
not only the child’s mind but their body as well. There are many tactics that are used but I
believe the most efficient way to accomplish total body growth is through understanding
of the epidemic of childhood obesity that exists for today’s youth. The obesity statistics
of young children are increasing at an alarming rate. Many school districts feel that 30
minutes of PE class twice a week is sufficient. The numbers don’t lie. I want to educate
their young, impressionable minds that staying active and participating in activities can
improve their quality of life. Students need to be provided with opportunities to discover
health related problems in today’s society so they can make effective decisions related to
themselves, their families, friends and community. If students can take knowledge
learned in my class and further educate people around them of the benefits of exercise
and proper nutrition, I would be satisfied and my goals would be accomplished.
Using this type of approach, teachers can best help students learn by provide a
safe and sequential program of fitness and fundamental motor skills addressing students'
needs. I would strive to develop a physically educated person who is a life-long learner
and participant in physical activity such as organized sports. Many children are not
involved in sports either cause their families can’t afford the ever rising costs or simply
because of lack of exposure. As an educator, I would make it my goal to ensure that all
children have to opportunity to expose and refine their talents.
By addressing student’s differences such as socioeconomic class, ethnicity, and
gender, equality in the classroom could be made possible. By developing a positive
attitude towards physical education and fitness no matter their diversity, I would be able
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to achieve another critical goal of an effective physical education program. In a physical
education classroom, students should have fun! Being physically active can enhance
many areas of students’ lives including social skills, teamwork skills, and selfconfidence. If students are able to enjoy physical education and fitness, they will be more
likely to stay physically active outside the classroom.
By introducing different games and activities that are popular in diverse cultures,
students will be able to relate to each other. An example of such an activity includes
Tinkling which is a dance from the Philippines that mimes the movements of a longnecked, long-legged bird native to that country. Another example would be to promote
and reiterate Affective National Standards such as: Students will cooperate with other
regardless of personal differences (e.g. gender, ethnicity, disability) and dance with many
partners during mixers and the partner dances. Dance in the Physical Education is very
important to facilitate equality in the classroom. By learning to accept and respect their
peers no matter their dissimilarity, teachers will be able to address differences.
I believe the very best teaching practice is promoting a quality educational
experience. Qualities that I feel create an effective teacher include enthusiasm, content
knowledge, passion and understanding. Attitude is contagious. If teachers are positive
and encouraging, students will be much more likely to succeed. It is my focus that every
single student comes to school excited to learn as well as have fun and leave my
classroom feeling good about themselves and what they learned that day.
I believe teachers can create safe and effective learning communities by setting
practical standards for each and every student. Even though Physical Education has
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under-utilized written material, in order to be effective, portfolios need to be incorporated
into the classroom. This way, students would be responsible for keeping track of their
daily progressions in certain activities. The aspect of addressing safety in PE is a bit
different than in the other classrooms. PE can be dangerous if students are left
unattended. By enforcing strict rules of proper equipment, many safety hazards can be
eliminated. During my field experience, I have observed many classes that were left
unattended. Kids would horse around on the gym mats as I would cringe as to what
could possible happen to them if an accident happened. I would look around for one of
the teachers to enter the gym before something severe happen. As a teacher, I will make
sure I am present from the beginning till the end of class to ensure the wellbeing of my
students.
By taking all these skills and beliefs and putting them into an effective
curriculum, Physical Education will provided students with the skills and knowledge that
will allow them to lead healthy, active lifestyles. Physical Education is necessary for the
improvement of every student’s overall health and wellness. Life-long fitness leads to a
healthier society. We need to educate children early on and when they are willing and
eager to absorb information, the younger the better.
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Standards:
In writing my philosophy paper I was able to demonstrate an understanding of
how children learn and develop, and provided learning opportunities that support their
intellectual, social and personal development which fulfills Standard #2 of the INTASC
Principles. I met this standard by including how I wanted to ensure a positive classroom
environment which allows for development of not only the child’s mind but their body as
well. Also, I provided examples of how I understand students differ in their approaches
to learning and created instructional opportunities that are adapted to diverse learners
which implement standard #3. I executed this standard by incorporating affective
objectives which stress personal differences between students and the ability to cooperate
with each other no matter their diversity.
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