What I learned this week: Physical Education Teaching and Coaching

Kamora Shelton Johnson

McKay Student Ambassador

Physical Education

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This semester, I am in High School practicum. Practicum is a class we take where we actually get to go into the schools and practice teaching a few lessons. This week, I learned two valuable things: 1. The importance of Practicum. 2. How to carve a pumpkin.

The Importance of Practicum

On Monday, I taught a High School PE class. It was an 85 minute class period, which was the longest period of time I have taught so far. The unit for the week was badminton, which I honestly knew nothing about. The combination of a long class period and a new sport caused me a lot of stress and worry. “How am I going to keep the students engaged for that long?” “How do I even teach badminton?” “Will I look like a fraud because I don’t actually know the sport?”

Once I started teaching, I quickly realized that I needed to adjust my lesson plan. There were more students than I expected, and a few groups didn’t want to participate. Thankfully, I was able to use some of the classroom management strategies I’ve learned in my previous PE courses to regain control of the class. One of the most effective techniques I used was proximity. Simply standing closer to the groups that weren’t playing motivated them to start participating and practicing their hits.

The purpose and usefulness of practicum fully hit me during this experience. I understood that doing is actually the best way to learn how to teach. You can learn your strengths and weaknesses and you get some real experience on how kids will react to the activities and lessons you plan. I learned through trial and error where to gather students for instruction, what explanations they understood best, and which ones were confusing. By talking with the students, I could get their honest perspective on what they enjoyed about the class and what they wished was different.

Looking back, I think all of my worries and fears were a pretty normal experience. Practicum can be intimidating. You might feel unqualified or unsure about lesson planning, timing, or classroom managment. There are lots of challenges that can appear, but the best part is, it is all practice. BYU offers practicum experiences not because we're expected to be perfect teachers already, but because they know we need opportunities to practice and grow. So if you are worried about your upcoming lesson, just remember that this is a learning opportunity and if you let it, it can be a valuable and rewarding experience.

This week reminded me how important classroom management is and how much you can learn just by being in the gym or classroom, adapting in real time, and reflecting afterward. Practicum might feel scary or overwhelming at first, but it’s the best way to build confidence, find your teaching style, and learn how students respond to your lessons.

How to carve a pumpkin

How does this relate to PE, you might ask? Well, it doesn't, but the PE program loves getting together and doing things outside of school. We do this to build a community where everyone feels like they are welcome and that they belong. For our activity this week, we split up into groups and had a pumpkin carving competiton. It was tons of fun!

If you are thinking about joining the Physical Education Teaching/Coaching major, you will be welcomed with open arms! Schedule an appointment with a student ambassador here to learn more about the major and different ways you can get involved.