Landon Mitchell - Week 3 1/22-1/25

Landon Mitchell - Week 3 1/22-1/25
Week three started off pretty good with having Monday off of school. We had school from Tuesday-Friday. I was able to talk with my cooperating teachers and teach some lessons and by the end of the week I was teaching by myself. Tuesday and Wednesday were first facilitated by my cooperating teacher until I took over completely at the end of last season I was giving instruction to what is going to be happening the next day and for the rest of the week. Wednesday’s are late starts for students, in PE class we have fitness days in the main gym where the kids need to run a certain amount of time to get full participation points for that day. This week the students ran seven minutes on took a two minute rest walk, and then ran for another six minutes until they were dismissed to the locker rooms. On Thursday and Friday my cooperating teacher was in the classroom while I was instructing/demonstrating specific skills to the students for them to learn. I was given the freedom seventh hour on Thursday and Friday to completely take over where my cooperating teacher was not in the classroom whatsoever. I did speak with him in the previous periods to make sure I was covering all the material that he wanted all of the students to know. The students were receptive to my instructions minus a few that want to push the buttons or boundaries a little bit, but I was able to speak with them and they are on board with how I teach. I tried to give the students respect and hopefully they will give me the same amount that I show them. I have been trying to use my time wisely so I give the students an opportunity to change for their next class. I unfortunately was not able to get the strength and conditioning students into the weight room fast enough and they were distracted by students that were in the hallway. I can see where this could be a problem potentially in the future depending on which tunes are in the hallway that interact with my kids. I am getting more accustomed to how the students are and their behaviors which then allows me to become a better teacher because I am able to facilitate a classroom where they can learn to their fullest potential. This Wednesday I was able to sit in on a learning target and a central target conference with other teachers. Since the students started late it was a mandatory meeting for certain individuals to participate in this seminar. I was able to help my cooperating teacher apply certain state standards to a learning target they were creating for the CPR unit.Some things I learned this week were different strategies of how to present specific information to different students, whether that student was a male or female or potential he a different ethnicity or religion then me.  I was able to take a step back and almost see my instructions through the eyes of the student to help benefit their learning environment as well as make years with my teaching environment. I have witnessed some teachers and students not comprehending each other and it makes for a hostile environment and that is not good for learning nor teaching. I am constantly communicating with other teachers outside of my cooperating teacher’s to see how they are instructing or how they build relationships with their students. I believe that this way of communication with other teachers can benefit me in the long run. I not only talk to Physical education teachers but also other subjects to see how certain students are interacting with in the classroom. My cooperating teacher gave me opportunity to respond to an email regarding a student that was in my freshman PE class. The email was asking about how the student was acting in the classroom for a behavior standpoint. The student has shown nothing but respect towards me and forgot their swimsuit after the long weekend so they were not able to dress for that day. They were completely apologetic and were asking where they can make up their points so that they can increase their grade. The student is an excellent student to respond to as opposed to my cooperating teacher had to respond to another email about a student that was being very difficult and unfortunately her grade P.E.  is not a very good grade. She has consistently either for getting her clothes or not going to the doctor to get a doctors note due to an allergic reaction to chlorine. She is not only a struggling student in physical education but also her other classes. I hope I am able to help her out in anyway possible so that she does not have to retake freshman PE. This upcoming week I believe my student supervisor or college supervisor is coming to observe me later in the week and I cannot wait to see their feedback with my instruction to my students at Reavis high school. I feel that I am doing a good job instructing and facilitating a learning environment for my students but it would be good to get an outside source’s Feedback on my instructing. Some of the things that I have done in the past few weeks I know I need to pay attention to the time due to how the bell schedule runs at Reavis high school. I want to make sure that I give my students a safe environment. As the weeks go by I hope to learn more techniques on a really engaging students to maximize their learning potential and hopefully giving them a safe and fun environment to learn. I really do enjoy and understand why my school does certain tasks to show progression for the state. I believe they are doing a find job and input my name hi expectations on the students and holding them accountable to create achieving young men and women.During Wednesday’s PLC meeting I was able to help my cooperating teachers with a state standard for learning CPR. The state standard falls under PE 22. A. 4c, The state standard states students will be able to “demonstrate basic procedures and injury prevention and emergency care they can be used in the home, workplace, and community ( e.g., first aid, CPR).” Illinois PE state standards. The essential learning targets were created to help students understand the knowledge of CPR and how to implement it in a emergency situation. I will be able to implement these essential learning standards next week when I teach CPR to my sports class.https://www.isbe.net/Documents/Goals-19-24-and-Perf-Descrip.pdf

Landon Mitchell - Week 2 Blog 1/14-1/18

 1.     This week at Reavis I was able to assist my cooperating teachers with the lessons that they were teaching to their students. In my first hour class, freshmen PE, they are swimming and we went over the progression of freestyle and backstroke. The cooperating teacher as well as the other freshman PE teacher would explain the task for the students to perform and I would assist with any necessary alterations to their stroke. With my background in swimming I was able to discuss a lot of my swimming skills and knowledge so the freshman could learn easily. Some of the students caught on rather quickly to the concepts we are teaching and others struggled. I focused on the struggling students so that they could progress just as fast as the higher level or higher skilled students. During my prep I would watch my cooperating teacher teach a lesson on basketball to his second hour class, to further my knowledge and help assist him in third hour sports. During the third hour sports class Ecolab reading teacher and I went over the acronym BEEF. This acronym is a very common saying for teaching proper technique of how to shoot a basketball. The B Stands for balance the first E stands for elbow, the second E stands for elevation, and the F stands for follow through. I was able to take the lead at the very end of class and asked the students if they could recite back what the acronym that we used that day. I also wanted them to recite back what each letter means so that they could further their understanding and enhance their knowledge base on how to shoot a basketball. During my fourth hour class be quite bringing teacher took the lead on how t during my fourth hour class be quite bringing teacher took the lead on how to perform each left to be done that day and I was able to help students with technique problems or references to the correct lifting technique. Many of the students have a hard time staying on task because they had been in strength and conditioning before and it is the same class over and over again. I was informed by my cooperating teacher that all students were given a choice of what PE class they would like to be in next semester and they all chose strength and conditioning. After I was told about this information I did not feel so bad for the students that complain about lifting the same lifts every day. I was tired a little bit more about the grading book and attendance policies and procedures through a software system called power school and power teacher pro. I was assisted in taking attendance and grading students. This is very helpful in fitness class sixth and seventh hour. The attendance procedures and grading procedures are a little different than my first three classes because in fitness class students are required to bring a heart rate strap that a heart rate monitor will be attached during the class to see their heart rates on the monitors in the fitness center. The software system for the fitness center is polar company that does our reminders as well as fitness oriented equipment. The monitors in the fitness center show each students' heart rate box and how many minutes they run or use a machine and their target heart rate zone. Students are graded by having their PE uniform, heart rate strap, and how many minutes they achieve in there a target heart rate zone. Each day there is a target minute number on the board for all the students to achieve. In the last two days the students had to achieve 21 and 22 minutes in your target heart rate zone. We allow for the students to achieve this goal within a 33 minute time. It is highly advised that they obtain their target heart rate zone of 140 or higher for their time to add up. With a 33 minute time limit, this allows plenty of time for the students to achieve their goal for each day. If they do not achieve the time standard goal on the board they will be deducted five points.  For example we had two students that worked for the last five minutes of class and were confused why they did not achieve full credit for that day. We explain to them that they did not get the target goal for that day and therefore points were deducted from their grade. They achieved 15 minutes and 19 minutes in their target heart rate zones. They also did not realize the first 10 minutes of class they did not get their heart rate up high enough for the Polar system to start counting. 

2.     I learned a little this week about how to add a student into the class on Power teacher pro or power school. Those two software sites help the teachers communicate with the students and allow the students to see their attendance and grades in real time. In PE we mark down how many no dresses each student has due to the PE policy. Each student is not allow to exceed more than 5 no dresses in a single semester. If they get a 6th no dress they have failed PE. I also learned how to call down to the deans office if I am in any need with a disruptive student. I also learned what to do in an active shooter situation as well as what to do during a fire drill and so forth. Many of my questions this week were mostly about the students and how I can help them in any way. 


3.     I hope to learn some new practices of helping with classroom management. I have been going to other PE classes to see how other teacher interact with their students and putting my personality twist on it to make the students trust me a little more. I know the first week some students tried to push the envelope a little but to see if I would back down. But i did learn that humor and talking to the kids helps instead of yelling and taking off points. I feel that I have built up respect with my students and they understand my expectations. PE can be a fun place but if is miserable to a student they will try everything to keep it miserable. I hope to learn how to reach every student in some way to show them that PE is a great class to learn new things about sports, working out, fitness, or any health related activity to better their mental and physical well being. 

19.A.4b Participate daily in moderate to vigorous physical activity while performing movement patterns in a variety of activities.
Freshmen PE: Students will perform swimming skills and technique to further their knowledge during their 6 week unit. 

20.A.4a Interpret the effects of exercise/physical activity on the level of health-related and skill-related fitness.

Students will achieve the daily goal set in fitness class within a single class period. 

Landon Mitchell Blog: Week 1 Jan.8-Jan.11

Day 1 Jan.8
-Today was the first day back for all the students. Each semester each student starts a new schedule. With all the students starting a new class schedule the teachers also have a new set of kids in each class.
-1st hour, I started of the day in freshmen P.E. The freshmen class will go a semester of health and a semester of P.E. and vice versa. My cooperating teacher and I met the freshmen in the north gym and went over the expectations for the next few weeks. We lashed out how the semester will proceed and revealed the first unit as swimming for 6 weeks.
-2nd hour I have a prep period, I was able to see how my co-op. teacher interacts with his student and he went over the syllabus and exceptions semester.
-3nd hour is a soph.,jun., and sen. class that focuses on team sports. The syllabus/polices and procedures packet was handed out to all students and we went over in packet in detail. Some students raised their hands and asked about the rental service for shirt and shorts, and they also asked about why they have to make up and excused absence. It was explained by using a math quiz example: if you miss a math quiz you still need to make it up at a later date, Reavis offers a 25 min class at the end of the day if students need to make up work. In P.E. students are able to make up excused absences to receive full points. While in team sports class students will learn the rules and regulations of each sport unit, fundamentals and skills, and team play at the end of the unit. The team play will be in either a king court or tournament style play and students will be assessed during that time.
-4th hour is a soph., jun., and senior weight lifting class.  We went over the polices and procedures just like the last class. In weight training class the students are to perform the exercised that are written on the wall in the weight room each day. On Wednesday the students will be in the fitness center working on their target heart rate zone throughout the semester. After a three week period we will offer for students work out in the weight room on their own provided they send us a detailed work out regiment.
-5th hour 5A lunch 5B “home room” or study hall supervision. Students are allow to work on any material and I they do not have a thing they are allowed to use their phones.
-6th hour I switch to my other cooperating teacher for the last two periods. This class is a soph., jun., and senior fitness class. We went over the policies and procedures for the semester. I was able to introduce myself and let everyone know what I am looking forward to in the 9 weeks that I am at Reavis.
-7th hour was very similar as 6th hour. This fitness class is based solely on fitness based activities. The class will be doing most of their activities in the fitness center which is filled with 5 different types of machines: elliptical, treadmills, stair master, ski elliptical, and stationary bicycle.
- the last 30 min. of the day is classed Ram period “ for Reavis Rams”, this class allows students to make up work. For P.E. this period is used for making up classes missed or no dress points. This class I think is a great opportunity for students to catch up on work and if they do not go to any class or location for Ram period, students are allowed to leave.

Day 2 January 9th 2019
This day we had full P.E. classes and students dressed. This day I was still observing the students as my cooperating teachers taught their class. I was able to ask them questions procedures during specific situations. What happens if a student acts out? If there is an emergency am I able to leave the class with the student leader? What are the responsibilities of the student leaders? I was also able to help out with the freshmen swimming class. This class is a combined freshmen class, there are two PE teachers in the pool and two full classes.

During the last two hour of my day I was with the fitness classes. I was able to ask questions about grading and the computer system that all the teachers use for attendance, grading, etc. My co-op teachers helped me create assignments in the grade book and taught me how to score each student. I learned how to keep track of information so if a parent contacts me I can give them the comments or concerns that I had on that particular situation. My co-op teachers really believe in respecting the students and the students will give the respect back. As we spoke in our orientation, the relationships you create with the students is different then normal life. You can be friendly to the students but you are not their friend. I have been meeting as many teachers as I can but it can be difficult with all the names to remember.

19.A.5b Participate daily in moderate to vigorous physical activity while performing movement patterns in a variety of activities. I picked this state standard because of the type of activities that  I will be teaching. In fitness class we usually use heart rate monitors to see if they students are hitting their target heart rates. But all the students were not in attendance so we will wait for everyone to get their heart rate straps and so we can put them in the computer system. We focused on performing an activity assessed them on the old fashion sweat test and and breathing patterns. They needed to keep moving the entire class period and show that they were working to the best of their ability.

Day 3&4 Thursday Jan. 10th & Friday Jan. 11th
Today was a lot more fast pace than the past two days. I was able help students learn a little about swimming, basketball, fitness, and weight lifting. Students were given a task to work out in the weight room and perform the 5 exercises that were posted on the wall. Before they started working out, videos of the 5 posted work outs were shown the students so they are able to reference good technique will lifting. The videos were pre-loaded onto the laptop so my co-op teacher can click play for time purposes. There is always some kind of set up or plan for each day to allow progression throughout the unit. I keep asking simple question about what to do when I start teaching the lesson. My co-op teachers answer right away and help me with anything I need for the next 8 weeks I am at my placement. I was informed on how to use a different part of the computer system to help with absences or no dress individuals. This could be used during all my class periods that I will be teaching. This specifically will come in handy with the swimming unit. Some students sit out of the pool due to religious reasons or if they are on their menstrual cycle. There is a specific assignment for the students that cannot swim they will be out for religious reasons. They are to create a 12 slide power point about swimming, there is a rubric so the students know what is expected.

I learned how the rental system works the students, but the first 3 weeks Reavis will not be handing out rentals to the students. They are able to but a uniform at the Ram store before school and during lunch. This is a new thing that the PE department is starting so that students are bringing their uniforms everyday and not renting.

Throughout the day I was informed on how to use the computer system and what is a good time to fill out the attendance, grades, and any other comments or students. The computer system that Reavis uses allows students to see in real time their grades and comments that are imported by each teacher. The way I was taught how to input attendance and grades seem to be very effective. I could use the methods that both of my cooperating teacher taught me, input everything either right after each class or import everything during Ram period.  This will be helpful so I do not fall behind on any grading or attendance. 

I thing that has most taken me off guard is in freshman swimming. There are some swimmers that are choosing not to swim, but there are also others that are not swimming because of their menstrual cycle or out for religious values. I should not say that I am feeling uncomfortable but it is a different viewpoint Then what I have experienced in my life so far. My background is in swimming and most of the kids I coached enjoyed it so you saw them in the appropriate swimsuits for their age. But with Reavis’s demographics of having a high population of Arabic students, they are on able to swim due to religious reasons. This is tough, because I believe all students should know how to swim because it is a life skill. And whether or not the students are choosing to swim or not to swim could be hurting them in learning a life skill.