Final Reflection

When I started this journey towards getting my Honours Specialist in Health and Physical Education, I had kept my expectations open to what I was going to experience as I was mostly just grateful that as a newer teacher I have been fortunate enough to have the opportunity to take this course so early in my career. And I have to say that it has been a really great experience getting feedback from my peers and from Lara as an indicator in areas that I can work towards improving and areas that I did not recognize as areas that I could/should consider in my teaching practices, such as environmental considerations. 

There are many things that my mind has been opened too, like a better understanding of why TGfU are so beneficial and the implementation of the 21st Century Competencies. These are both areas that I had heard about and am 'kind' of implementing in my practices, but that are areas that I recognize are more beneficial then I had originally though and now I do recognize the importance of them. 

In original philosophy of teaching, it was important to me to work towards encouraging my students to recognize and understand the importance of living a healthy active lifestyle and to instil in them and to create a desire to want to be healthy and active for life. This is a personal philosophy that I have for myself, to be active and healthy for life so it is my hope that I can display that passion for the students and it will resonate to them to want to develop their own passion as well. I also had personal goal towards the development of both extracurricular and intramural lacrosse programs. It was through my time in the lacrosse community that I developed so many of the values and life skills that I still use in my personal and professional life. Therefore, I want to extend the same opportunity to the students as I recognize and understand that because of the large travel requirement for the sport and the cost of equipment that it is not equitable for everyone to play, so I want to make sure that the opportunities are there for the students to have that I was extended. 

Working through these modules has not adjusted my philosophy, but I believe that they have helped to deepen my belief that I will reach more of the students through what I hold as valuable in my teaching practices. Reading through the 21st Century Competencies and the information on school connectedness, leadership, learning communities and the creation of the resources that I could use as professional development for my peers that I feel like I am on the right track to be a leader and an ambassador for living a healthy active life and to encourage the students to desire that lifestyle for themselves.

Overall this has been a really helpful course by providing me with some really good resources that I can use towards continuing to improve my teaching practices and it has provided some insights on the areas that I can continue to improve on, and some areas that I believe that I am on the right track to making an impact in my students lives.