Entry 3

School Placement: Carlisle School

Cooperating Teacher: Mancino Craighead

Grade(s)/Subject(s) of Placement: 6-12 (Sports Medicine, AP Statistics, PE (6-12))

Date: 8/27/14

Summary of Today’s Activities:

Sports Medicine - (2nd and 4th, long periods)

Chapter 1 in Sports Medicine consists of the holistic, multidisciplinary approach to Sports Medicine and can be quite boring to the student. In order to stay in lines with our schools approach to learning, student engagement, I constructed a mini - collaborative project where the students had to research career fields in sports medicine and exercise physiology using technology. At the conclusion of the project, the students found that the price of obtaining their degree almost wasn't worth the salary (which is a whole other discussion in itself). But at the end of the lesson, each class were able to contribute to a meaningful discussion about the pros/cons of each career. At the end of class, I reminded them about their project due Friday, so I didn't assign an extra assignment.

AP Statistics -(6th, long period)

Today's lesson was focused around data and where you can find good data. I constructed the lesson around my lecture but with student driven responses. I gave every member in the class a survey to fill out, so I can use their responses as examples for the entire course. This summer, I was fortunate enough to go to AP Statistics training where I obtained many great resources and knowledge. It was here, that I learned that students can relate to the information more if it is something they are connected too. So throughout class, we used many real world examples as well as their interest survey questions to respond to specific data questions. At the end of class, I assigned a few homework problems (just enough to make them think but not get overwhelmed). 

Middle PE - (7th )

Every other Wednesday I teach opposite middle school PE classes. The normal schedule: Monday/Thursday, Tuesday/Friday with alternating Wednesdays. Today I 'm teaching the Monday-Thursday class, but I'm still focused on completing all physical fitness tests. Even during testing, the students have to complete an invigorating daily exercise routine. I try to teach them that physical activity needs to be routine, but not with the same routine. I like to mix up exercises every now and then to allow them to be diverse in their activities as they come to learn their bodies. 

Reflection about Today’s Activities:

Back to the discussion held in both of my Sports Medicine classes about trying to earn a professional degree. It was hard for me as a teacher to remain very positive about the future education of my students during this time. After doing the research, it was found that some of the careers my students were interested in and very capable of doing would cost them around $400K. This price tag is sending very mixed signals to our future members of society. These capable students that could potentially lead fields of studies that could contribute to our society are scared away because of not being able to afford it. The message now to these kids - why spend that money and live in a constant state of debt when I can do a comfortable job for a fraction of the price. There is very little motivation for our American students to want to achieve and really contribute because of our current economic condition. I'm certainly not an economist but I do understand the ripple effect and how this can trickle on down to students who may not even be born today. This conversation really stuck in my head all day since we are a college prep school; what are we preparing our students really to do?