“Don’t give up, Don’t ever give up”

Tonight was the last night of regular season play for intramural broomball. This is my first season playing and it has been quite a ride. Some of my friends and myself decided that it would be an exciting and new experience to play broomball because it is something that none of us had ever tried before. We got a team together and all us playing are athletic and have had experience playing many different sports. Yet broomball is unlike any sport any of us had ever played before. Trying to play a game very similar to hockey on ice while wearing sneakers is a lot harder than I originally thought it would be. It is extremely hard for me to get traction under my feet and the first game we played back in January was extremely frustrating for me. I was falling every other minute and every time someone passed the ball to me I would fall too. But as the season went on I found myself becoming more and more comfortable with being on the ice and using the broomball sticks. If someone asked me after the first game if I like the game of broomball, my immediate answer would have been “No, I hate it”. This was most likely because I was not very good and get discouraged when I do not succeed. But I stuck with it and I personally feel that although I am still not the strongest player, I have improved tremendously and each time I play I am growing to love the sport more and more. Everyone looks ridiculous when they fall so I needed to realize that I was being too hard on myself. It is impossible to excel in something the first time you do it and thus it is important to never give up. This statement about sticking with it can be applied to my own life in another way as well. I know that I will face many obstacles in my teaching career and I know that it will be important to keep my head up and never give up on something I feel so passionate about. My varsity soccer coach in high school used to have a single phrase that he so passionately believed in and would say too us many times each day- “Don’t give up, Don’t ever give up”. This is a short yet powerful line that I try to live my life by.

Water Aerobics for 356 Lab!

Yesterday I had lab for PED 356 in the pool with my student from BOCES. She is so full of energy but has some trouble focusing on one certain activities for a given amount of time. We will work on an activity for about 4-5 minutes before she gets bored and begins losing focus. When she gets bored she starts to misbehave and swims off away from me. She does somersaults under water and refuses to work on the activities I plan for her to improve her swimming skills.  Thus when I planned for my lesson this week, I  decided to take a break from trying to simply teach her the different strokes and make her learn different cognitive cues. I wanted to think of something that would be new and different from just working on the basic swim strokes, but that would still get her to work on her cardiovascular endurance and get her MVPA for the day. I came up with the idea of putting music on and doing some different water aerobics activities. I already knew some of her favorite songs so I made a CD to use while we were in the pool. My student absolutely loved having the music on during the class time and I definitely think that it kept her motivated to work hard and stay focused on the different exercises we were doing. One of my peers and the BOCES student she is working with decided to join us for our water aerobics activity and thus we worked on the affective goals of working cooperatively with classmates. As for the water aerobics routine, I came up with some of the moves myself and then also used the website http://wateraerobicexercises.org/  to get some other ideas. I was so impressed to see how well bot of the BOCES students did with the water aerobics exercises. They were definitely getting their heart rates up and having a lot of fun at the same time. I was excited to see that I am starting to connect more with my student and am choosing activities that suit her needs. .

Adapted Sports

Today in my Adapted Physical Education and Sports class we discussed some of the different opportunities to play competitive sports for people who have vision impairments. The first sport that we learned about was called “Beep Baseball”. This game is very similar to baseball with a few adjustments. The ball makes loud beeping noises once the pitcher pitches it so the batter knows when to swing. There are only two bases and the bases also make the loud beeping noises so that the batter knows when to run once he/she has swung and hit the ball. It seems like a really awesome game!

Another game that we learned about is “goal ball”. This sport was actually designed by people who have vision impairments and specifically designed to be played by people with vision impairments. The game consists of two teams. Each team is defending their goal. The game is traditionally played with three people on each team, who are trying to score the ball in their opponent’s goal. The key to the game is that the ball has little things inside it that jingle so the players know where the ball is at all times. The game gets very competitive and intense. It is played in the Paralympics and there are World Championships played each year. When I went to the New York State AHPERD Conference I went to an adapted physical education presentation and we got to play goal ball. We played with blindfolds on and it was actually quite difficult! It was a lot of fun though and interesting to experience what it would be like to play a sport with a visual impairment.

Intramural Sports!

I think that SUNY Cortland has an excellent intramurals sports program. There are a ton of different sports that are offered to students. And better yet, these programs are absolutely free of charge. Playing intramural sports is a great way to get physical activity and have a lot of fun at the same time. I know that I personally love playing intramural sports because it is a time for me to take a break from all the work and studying I am doing to spend some time with my friends.

Some of the sports that I have played during my time here at SUNY Cortland include co-ed volleyball, broomball, floor hockey, and girls flag football. I form teams with some of my good friends. I can say that many of my close friends here at Cortland are also physical education majors and love physical activity and just playing as much as I do. We can get really competitive sometimes when the game is on the line. We play to win of course and have a lot of fun doing so.

Last semester myself and some of my girlfriends signed up to play in the girl’s floor hockey league. There ended up only being one other girl’s team who signed up so they gave us the opportunity to either withdraw or we could play in the boys league. My team was all so excited to play so we decided to join the boy’s league and at least give it a shot. We ended up having a blast and I honestly think we all improved greatly from playing against the boys.

I am currently on a broomball team with some of my friends and it is my first time every playing. It is a lot harder than it looks but I am having a lot of fun playing even if I am having a lot of trouble staying on my feet! I’m also looking forward to starting to play volleyball soon!

A True Inspiration

I came across this picture on one Facebook. One of my friends actually posted it after she saw it. One Facebook you are able to “like” the photo and each “like” is supposed to give more support to the little boy in the photo. The Facebook page does not give much information about the little boy and what his story is. But in this case I think that this one picture speaks a thousand words. The young boy who doesn’t appear to be any more than three or four years old is missing both legs and is wearing prosthetics. He is running some sort of race on a track. But what really catches my eyes in this picture is the huge smile on the little boys face. The grin is absolutely adorable and shows what an inspiration the little boy really is. Although I do not know his story, I can tell by his expression that he is a fighter and is truly dedicated to overcoming whatever stands in his way in life. While obesity is plaguing our country and many, many individuals are not getting the necessary daily amount of physical activity, this little boy in this photo is out there beating all odds against him.  

This photo really did brighten up my mood for the day and brought a smile to my face!

Naperville Physical Education

Today in class, Professor Yang started to tell us a little but about Naperville High School. This high school is among the top in the nation for physical education. I found a video on YouTube that was actually a short excerpt that was broadcasted on PBS. The physical education program at Naperville is quite different than any other physical education program I have seen. Naperville High School focuses almost completely on fitness in its physical education classes. Rather than playing the usual team sports that every other school does, the students at this school get their physical activity from working out in a facility very similar to any gym or fitness club one would be a member of. In my opinion, this is a great way for kids to get their physical activity. They do not even have to pay the gym membership fees! The students seem really motivated and enthusiastic about this program and it even shows in their increased academic performance.

The video of the physical education curriculum at Naperville showed some other lifetime fitness components that were part of its program. For example, students could take kick boxing, dance, and yoga as some alternative options to working out in the gym. I personally never really had any of these opportunities in my physical education class. I would have loved all those different options!

While I do think that it is great that the physical education coordinator and other physical education teachers really stress lifetime fitness, I do also think that it is important to incorporate some types of sports in physical education programs. The short 8 minute video did not clearly state if sports were also incorporated. I think that variety is key in physical education and thus some students may become bored with simply working out in the gym for each physical education class. It is important to find the right balance. I am interested to see if lifetime fitness accounts for the entire physical education curriculum at Naperville High School.

First EDU 355 Field Experience!

Today was my first day of my EDU 355 field experience. I was assigned to work with the students at Cortland Christian Academy. The field experience that I will be having will be a little different than my peers that are going to different schools. The Cortland Christian Academy is a very small private school with about 115 students total in grades pre-k through 12^th grade. The graduating class this year only has 11 students! Because it is such a small school, the school does not have certified physical education teachers. The teacher that I observed today was actually an English and accounting teacher. She had very minimal knowledge on physical education because it was not her main area of focus as a teacher.

The first day of the field experience is dedicated to observing the classes and getting to see what the children are like. We got to check out the equipment that would be available to us to use in the future when we teach. For the first period that we were at St. Mary’s, we observed a class that was a mix between kindergarteners and first graders. As a warm-up, the teacher played “Simon says” with the students. Then she had the students play “red rover” for about 15 minutes. Once the students were tagged, they were out for the rest of the activity and were just sitting down. After this, the class of 18 was divided into 2 groups. They did a relay race of dribbling a basketball down to the other side of the gym and then back. There was A LOT of standing around and very minimal activity because only 2 students were moving at once. At the end of the class for the last couple of minutes, the teacher had the students run laps around the gym to “tire them out”.

The second period that we observed was a class of about 20 students that were 2^nd and 3^rd graders combined. The teacher did a “Simon says” warm up again. She then had the students play dodge ball for the next 25 minutes. To end the class, the teacher again had the students run laps around the gym for the last 2-3 minutes.

Starting next week, my partner and I will take over completely. We will be in charge of teaching for the rest of our time at the Cortland Christian Academy. The staff at the school seemed absolutely thrilled to have us working with them. I am really looking forward to bring a little more structure to the classes I will be working with. I know that I have learned a lot of innovative and fun things to do with young children and I am super excited to share these activities with the children. While most of my peers who are also in EDU 355 will do more observing and less teaching, I am excited to take more charge. The teacher told my partner and I that the classes are ours now. I am definitely looking forward to getting started next week and showing the students at the school what PE is really about!

American Identity? Melting Pot...or Tossed Salad?

image from foodnetwork.com

I have been continuing with reading Chapter 3 in our textbook on the diversity of students. One section of the chapter that caught my eye in particular was the section on the metaphors concerning the U.S identity. Cultural, racial, and ethnic differences are one of the most uncomfortable things for many people to talk about. Tension arises when people of different backgrounds talk about these subjects with one another. The United States is a very culturally diverse society, yet the topic of a multicultural society is not one that is really spoken of amongst the different races.

Back when there was a huge influx of immigrants in the early 1900’s, the United States became known as a “Melting Pot”. This name came from the fact that all the different cultures just “melted” together into one culture which was the American culture. This “melting pot” was a reality for most immigrants who were assimilated into the American way of life. Thus “melting metaphor” really entails the immigrants forgetting where they came from and their old culture so that they can be fully immersed in the American culture.

Another metaphor was that the United States was a “tossed salad” rather than a “melting pot”. Thus “tossed salad” consisted of many different vegetables tossed together. Rather than all melting together into one big “American” culture, the “tossed salad” metaphor advocates that that immigrants maintained parts of their culture. The differences amongst the different cultures should be embraced and it is not right to make immigrants forget their native language and way of life.

Meeting the Needs of our Diverse Students

Chapter 3 of our textbook goes into detail about teaching to fit the needs of diverse studetns. According to the textbook, by the year 2030 about half the students in school will be from non-European ethnic grouos, Some of the biggest minority ethnic groups include hispanics, black (non-hispanics), and a small percentage of Asian/Pacific Islanders. A very surprising number to me was the fact that 20% of all school age children speak a language other than English at home. The schools that I attended growing up were not very ethnically diverse at all and I think that is why the statistic surprised me. As a future physical educator I know that it will be important to reach out to all of my students, including the ethnically diverse students. Some of my students may not be fluent in English and thus I know I will need to find a way to communicate them so they understand directions and feel comfortable in class.

The textbook went into describing some statistics to explain how schools have a long way to go before it can be proven that the needs of the diverse students are being met. For example, statistics continue to show that Hispanic, Native American, and African American students continue to score lower on standardized tests. The number of minority students who do not graduate from high school is also higher. Yet despite these statistics, many people believe that the public schooling opportunities for all U.S children are equal. So this thus leads us to question why the high school drop-out rate is higher for minorities? While it may not be the schools to blame, many people believe that the schools have the power to make adjustments and make sure each and every child reaches their full potential.

Sugar...as toxic as tobacco and alcohol?

I just read the article posted by Professor Yang entitled “Sugar Should Be Regulated As Toxin, Researchers Say” which was published on LiveScience.com. The article immediately caught my attention when I saw it on twitter because I myself have health issues which require me to closely watch the sugars I intake. I do not think that a lot of people realize just how bad sugars are for the body. Sugars that are naturally found in places like fruit are of course not found to be harmful to the body because they also contain fiber and do not contained added sugar. Yet sugars that are man-made like table sugar and high fructose corn syrup are metabolized in a much different way than natural sugars. Obesity is such an enormous problem in our country these days and I think that people definitely need to start monitoring the sugars they intake more closely. According to the article, correlations have been found linking the excess intake of processed sugars to many health issues including liver failure, diabetes, and heart disease. Some researchers feel so adamantly about encouraging people to reduce sugar intake that they are proposing putting a tax on foods containing “added” sugar. I think that it is also important for school cafeterias to take a closer look that the foods containing added sugar. One quote from the article that was particularly strong in my opinion was  “added sugar — or, more specifically, sucrose, an even mix of glucose and fructose found in high-fructose corn syrup and in table sugar made from sugar cane and sugar beets — has been as detrimental to society as alcohol and tobacco”. This can be proven in the amount of deaths that are occurring because of heart disease and diabetes. I think that people need to start taking a closer look into the nutrition facts on what they are eating. Consuming less sugar and high-fructose corn syrup will make a huge impact on people becoming healthier individuals.

My Favorite Workout: Step Aerobics!

Step Aerobics has always been one of my favorite workouts to do. At home I am a member of Gold’s Gym and love to take the classes there on weeknights when they have them. I was a dancer from the age of 3 until I was in high school and thus I would say that I have a pretty good sense of rhythm. I love the step aerobics workout because music is incorporated as well as a great cardiovascular workout. It is really quite enjoyable and can be a lot more fun than just running mile after mile on the treadmill. I always feel satisfied after a step aerobics workout and know i got in my physical activity for the day.

The step aerobics instructor at the gym I go to has gotten to know me more since I always attend her classes when I am home. Last time I saw her over winter break she suggested that I take the course to become certified in teaching step aerobics! I loved her idea and when I go home this summer I definitely plan on getting my certification to teach.

For Lab D back when I was in EDU 255 I taught step aerobics. My class was full of boys except for myself and one other girl and these boys did not seem thrilled at all to be doing a lesson on step aerobics. Step aerobics has fooled many people into thinking that it is only for girls. Well by the end of the 20 minute class I think I had changed the opinion of every single boy in the class. They were all tired and sweating and shocked that they could get such a good workout in 20 minutes. Imagine if they took a whole 60 minute class!

I think that it is very important that people realize how many great health benefits that come along with step aerobics. One is always working at an upbeat tempo and burning tons of calories. I came across a website FITDAY that really explains the cardiovascular benefits of doing step aerobics. I cannot wait to do step aerobics in my physical education class and know that I will be able to back myself up with evidence to support why step aerobics is such a great way to get physical activity and to have children reach the MVPA goals each day.

My Favorite PE iPhone Apps

I have to admit that switching over from my blackberry to an iPhone at the beginning of January was a very smart phone. The millions of Apps that are available are absolutely incredible. I recently searched for some physical education apps.

One of the first apps I downloaded was called “Play” and was free. It was a pretty neat app and included warm-ups, stretches, games, as well as cool downs. What made the app even more reliable and authentic was the fact that it incorporated NASPE standards into the various activities. I found that the “Play” app was definitely more geared torwards elementary physical education and almost all of the activities would not be appropriate for middle school or high school. As a future physical educator, I know that I will always be looking for new and innovative ways to improve my teaching and this app really had some fun little activities.

Another app that I recently purchased for $0.99 is called “Fitness Tests”. This is an awesome app for physical educators because allows one to reference over 30 physical tests. The tests range from cardio and aerobic tests to flexibility tests. The app gives information as to how to structure the test and administer it. It also gives norm results. Some of the tests included in the app include the mile run, the 300meter shuttle run test, leg press and bench press, timed sit-ups and push-ups, the vertical jump test, and an agility test just to name a few. In the future I know it will be extremely convenient to have access to all of these tests in one convenient location on my iPhone. 

Another app that I also purchased was iMuscle. This is a really neat app that allows you to select an individual muscle on the human body. Once a muscle is selected, the app will give you exercises to strengthen the individual muscle.

I came across this website http://pe4lifeblog.blogspot.com/2011/09/ipadiphoneipod-touch-apps-for-use-in.html. This is actually someone’s blog who has compiled a list of some of the best physical education apps. It’s really neat and I would definitely recommend checking it out!

Virtual Bike Exergaming

Taking a little tour of the exergame lab in Park Center this morning sparked my interest to read the article posted by Professor Yang about the “virtual” bike systems. The article was entitled “On Your “Virtual” Bike! Exercise and Exergames Bring Benefits” and came from the Alzheimer’s Research Forum. One component of the article that immediately grabbed my attention was the fact that while a person is using one of these virtual bikes, they are not only getting physical exercise but also working the brain. Thinking about the game while exercising increases cognitive functioning and often draws attention away from the actual physical movements. This is a great break through for all age groups. If kids are going to play video games for fun, why not make them exercise while riding the bike at the same time? The elderly population does not get nearly enough exercise. Because riding the bike is low impact, it is the perfect way for older adults to exercise and they will stay motivated to want to do the physical activity because a game is incorporated. It is of low risk and those who are older do not need to worry about over-doing it because they can pedal at their own pace.  I found the statement “In addition, the benefit of the simultaneous physical and mental exercise was greater than the expected additive effects of the two separately” in the article to be especially interesting. Incorporating cognitive and mental aspects into physical education and physical activity will definitely help prove the importance of physical education class. Although these types of systems may be expensive I definitely will look into investing into using technology in my classroom when I get a job as a physical education teacher.

I have never really been a fan of riding the bike for exercise and would much rather run on the treadmill or use the elliptical. But back in the fall I pulled a muscle in my hip/groin area and it was very painful to run for about a month. Thus I found that biking was a way I could still exercise. I began using the bikes at Tomik Gym that had the video game systems incorporated and ended up finding this activity to actually be quite enjoyable. I found myself riding the bike for longer and longer because I wanted to beat a level on the Dragon Hunters game I loved. It was really awesome to be exercising and not really thinking about it because I was more focused on the game. Now when I get bored of just running day after day I switch it up and ride the bike so that I can play the video games and get a break from mentally pushing myself to keep running.

First Adapted Physical Education Lab

This semester I am taking PED 356, which is Adapted Physical Education and Sport. Because I have a concentration in adapted physical education, I have already taken some classes that focus on children with disabilities and the different ways to adapt teaching to meet these needs. Although I have a good amount of knowledge on the subject and content, sitting in a classroom learning about the disabilities is much different than actually working one on one with a student with a disability. I was assigned a student who is classified as having a severe emotional disorder and I was assigned to work with her in the pool. I would say that I am a good swimmer but I do not have any experience actually teaching someone else how to swim. I was a little nervous but I spent a lot of time preparing a lesson plan for my first day. I can honestly say that the first day went really well and the student I worked with was a ton of fun! Our assignment for the first day was to assess our students on their skills so we could get a better idea of where they are at. I tried to incorporate the skill testing into games so that my student had fun and was learning at the same time. She did a great job and I was extremely excited to see that she is a good swimmer. She is full of energy and always kept me on my toes. Because she is so full of energy I know it will be important to come prepared with many games and tasks for her to work on. I am glad I got the first day jitters over with and now I focus on turning my student in to a better swimmer while she has fun at the same time! I am definitely looking forward to lab again this upcoming week.

Multiple Intelligences

A man named Howard Gardner is very famous for his work done in exploring what the true definition of intelligence really is. He believed that IQ tests focused too much on mathematical skills and language. Thus he broadened the definition of intelligence to include “the capacity to solve problems or to fashion products that are valued in one or more cultural settings. He designed intelligence to be of 8 different natures, including:

-          Logical-mathematical- “number-reasoning smart”

-          Linguistic- “word smart”

-          Body-kinesthetic- “body smart”

-          Musical- “music smart”

-          Spatial- “picture smart”

-          Interpersonal- “people smart”

-          Intrapersonal- “self-smart”

-          Naturalist- “environment-smart”

It is most definitely possible for a person to be stronger in a couple of the different types of intelligence and weaker in others. Some people are better athletes than others. Some people find school work and studying to be easier than others. Some people are amazing musicians while some people cannot even read musical notes.

As a future educator, I think that it is very important to be aware of and meet the needs of all of my students. I know that it will be important to incorporate interpersonal interactions among students as well as encourage my students to really take a closer look at themselves personally. It will be important to do a variety of different lessons so that all the different intelligences can be incorporated.

I know personally that I have never been “music smart”. I am an awful singer and cannot even really read music notes. I would not be classified to have musical intelligence. On the other hand, I have always excelled in school and would be said to have logical-mathematical intelligence. I would also say that I have body-kinesthetic intelligence as well as interpersonal and intrapersonal intelligences.

No Towel = No Gym

Today I observed something at the gym that bothered me quite a bit. As I was working out on the elliptical I observed the girl working at the front desk deny 9 people from entering the gym. The reason she would not let them come into the gym to work out was because they had not brought their towel with them. Thus they had to go all the way back to their dorm or house to get a towel. I understand that it is gym policy that everyone must bring a towel with them when they workout but this rule has never been enforced in the past. I also understand that the gym probably wants to start making people oblige to the rule but I think that the students should be given a little warning first. For example, the people at the gym could warn the students that after a certain date, they will not be allowed into the gym without a towel. They can continue to give friendly reminders that it is okay if they forget their towel the first time but the next time they will not be given access to the gym without a towel. I know that towels are extremely important for hygienic reasons but I do not think that people should be denied the right to work out at the gym because they do not have a towel. There is disinfectant spray and paper towels available all around the gym to wipe down the machines after using them. I am not saying that I do not think that people should still bring their towels, but I do think that if they happen to be in a rush and forget their towel once in a while they should still be allowed into the gym to workout. There have been times that I have a jam packed day and only have a little block of time to go to the gym. I certainly would not want to be denied these times for not having a towel. I just felt that the situation at the gym today had a negative impact on allowing people to exercise and I was quite disappointed to see this.

APEM!!!

I was appointed to be the president of APEM (alliance of physical education majors) this semester. For the past three semesters I was the treasurer of the club and it was truly a rewarding experience. It was most definitely a lot of work and at times it was quite stressful to be in charge of all of the money and having to hand into forms to SGA on time. But I am an extremely well organized person so it seemed like a good fit for me. After last semester I was one of the only remaining officers as many of the officers moved on to student teaching. Thus I took on the responsibility of being the president this semester. Although I was a little bit nervous to take on such a large leadership responsibility, I was also very excited!

Tonight was our first meeting and I was very excited to see the turnout. There were many more people there than I expected and everyone seemed excited for the start of the semester. I was excited to share with all the members all of the exciting things we have planned for the semester. I think that the event that I am most excited about is probably our trip to the national AAHPERD conference in Boston in March. This will be an excellent opportunity for professional growth. I have really enjoyed attending the New York State AHPERD Conference for the past 3 years and thus I am excited to continue my education journey to the huge national conference.

I know that being president of APEM this semester is going to require a lot of time, energy, and commitment. Yet I know that it will be an excellent leadership opportunity for me and I am excited to see what exciting things this semester will bring.

The Most Inspirational Coach I Have Ever Had

I have had many coaches for various sports throughout my life. Some coaches were better than others and had more of an impact on my life. I will never forget my travel soccer coach named Coach Quentin. He also happened to be a physical educator in another school district and served as a mentor to me when I was deciding on my career path and decided to follow my dream of being a physical education teacher. Coach Quentin was my soccer coach for 8 years of my life and I believe that working with him for that long definitely left a lasting impact on my life. One of my favorite parts of being on his team was the fact that he would always read an inspirational quote to us before each and every game. This quote challenged us to be the best athlete that we could be and that we needed to leave everything on the field. I think that the fact that he was also a physical educator and not just a coach made a lasting impression on me. While some athletes dread going to practice, I was always excited to see what fun and exciting things that he had planned for the day. He always found the perfect balance between drills and working on skill as well as incorporating game-like situations and fun, competitive games. I will never forget one particular tournament we went to. We lost our first three games and needed to win the next one to stay in the tournament. We all knew that we did not want to head home and Coach Quentin gave us the best pep talk that I think I have ever had. He told us that he knew we were fighters and that we had the talent to beat each team that was at the tournament if we put our heart and minds to it. We ended up making a remarkable come back and coming in first place overall in the tournament. I will never forget what it felt like to win that tournament and feel that all our hard work had really paid off. I hope that one day I will be an extraordinary coach and teacher just like Coach Quentin was.

Chapter 1 Questions Continued

2. What are the satisfactions—and complaints—of today's teachers?

I would have to say after considering the advantages and disadvantages of being a teacher in my previous blog post that most teachers are content with their jobs. When one decides to become a teacher, it usually means that they have a passion for working with children. Thus they fill the satisfaction of working with children and having a great impact of their lives. Their workday may be long and may carry into their life at home at times, but overall teachers are satisfied with the fact that they have weekends and summers off. The number one complaint of teachers is most likely the low starting salary and their salaries in general are considered low. They may feel like their pay is inadequate for the amount of time and work they put into their job.

3. Can we consider teaching to be a profession?

Teaching is most definitely considered a profession. The definition of a profession, according to Merriam Webster Dictionary, is “a calling requiring specialized knowledge and often long and intensive academic preparation”. Teachers spend 4 years as undergraduates getting their bachelor’s degrees and then must move on to get their master’s degree as well. I would most definitely consider this “intensive academic preparation”. Along the way, teacher candidates also take numerous certification exams. The knowledge that teachers must acquire is usually not just common, every-day knowledge but rather is a result of careful specialization in a particular area of study. Sometimes I believe that teachers are not given the credit that they deserve.

Chapter 1: What are the Advantages and Disadvantages to being a Teacher?

I think that it is important to consider both the advantages and disadvantages of being a teacher. For me, the advantages have most definitely outweighed the disadvantages and thus I knew from the start that I have a passion for the kids and physically educating them. I know that teaching is the right profession for me and cannot wait to have students of my own. Here are some of the advantages and disadvantages I have considered.

Advantages:

-          Working with children each day

-          Really changing the lives of my students

-          Routine schedule each day

-          Weekends, holidays, and summers are off from school

-          Teachers are constantly learning each and every day

-          Working with other teachers and thus developing relationships with other professionals

-          Ability to share your personal knowledge with others

-          Although starting salaries are not very high, teachers work their way up to a higher and higher salary

-          Having a job as a teachers usually comes with other benefits such as health insurance

-          When a teacher has a family and kids, the job is convenient because the school days are synched together

-          The union is a resource that strives to better

Disadvantages:

-          Starting salary is quite low

-          Work doesn’t really end when the school day is over- teachers are at the school early, leave late and often must do work at home to make sure they are fully prepared

-          Teaching a large number of students at once

-          Some schools with smaller budgets do not have great physical education equipment