One of the most fun and beneficial experiences within the Physical Education Teaching and Coaching Program is practicum. Practicum means practicing teaching through real-life experience. Within the program, you have the opportunity to teach at each grade level: elementary, middle, and high school. Last semester, I had the chance to teach elementary school students.
Being able to be in the elementary school to teach and interact with the students was so beneficial while also being a lot of fun. I feel like I learned more while interacting and teaching the students than I did in the classroom during lectures. However, I was able to take what I had learned throughout the semester and apply it to real students.
Another reason why practicum is so beneficial is because you are constantly learning and adjusting. After each lesson, you can reflect and make changes to better perfect your lesson. Not only is practicum a beneficial learning experience as I am becoming a teacher, but it is also so fun to create relationships with the kids and have a better idea of what my career is going to look like after BYU. It is so fun to watch kids grow and learn from your own hard work. Contact a student ambassador to learn more about how education students learn and serve in the classroom.