We asked students and graduates studying Physical Education Teacher Education (PETE) to tell us something they learned this week in class, practicum, or in their classroom. Here is what they said:
Taralyn Paulsen- BYU PETE student
"One thing I learned in one of my PETE classes this week was how to teach a skill that I am not an expert at myself. We are in a volleyball unit right now, and I have only ever played volleyball for fun. I am only 5'4" and I cannot jump very high. This makes some of the volleyball skills very difficult for me to execute or demonstrate. For example, I am not able to demonstrate blocking/spiking well on a regular volleyball net. This being said, I learned about ways that I can overcome these challenges and still successfully teach my students about blocking/spiking. Two of the ways we talked about were to utilize videos on the internet and use students in your class who have had lots of experience with volleyball and who can demonstrate the skill well. From this experience I learned that being a successful physical education teacher does not mean that you are an expert in every unit that you teach. Being a successful physical education teacher, or a successful teacher in any subject for that matter, is being humble enough to ask for help and utilize the strengths of others for the benefit of your students."
Zach Beddoes- BYU PETE Professor
"One of my favorite aspects of being a teacher educator in PETE is the opportunity to watch my students work with young people in the schools. Often, my students are extremely nervous. This is reasonable as they have a lot to think about—new methodologies, learning names, working the camera and mic, etc. In short, they generally begin thinking about what ‘they, themselves’ must do. However, after a remarkably short period of time, these perspective teachers begin responding to the needs of the students. They transition from obsessing about how they look on camera, or what they feel they did or didn’t do in their instruction, to asking questions like, 'what does this student need to be successful within a given task?' As they move in their progression from inward looking (and reflection is a big part of what we do in PETE), to outward looking, many of the teaching competencies take care of themselves. This week I was reminded of this notion as a college professor. As I worry excessively about myself, I lose power in instruction, but as I focus on the developmental needs of my students and how to help them succeed, my teaching is much more enjoyable and hopefully impactful."
To learn more about Physical Education Teacher Education or the other majors of the McKay School, schedule a meeting with a student ambassador here!