Module 2

Going into my journey as a secondary school teacher, I underwent a career change from working as a personal trainer and a strength and conditioning coach. I am also a lacrosse coach, a bodybuilding posing coach, a retired lacrosse player and a bikini competitor. I have been involved in several aspects of the world of athletics and health and wellness both personally and professionally. It is through my experiences that I have come up understand the importance of teaching HPE from the idea of health and wellness as an overall umbrella concept that embraces the whole of the student rather than just their athletic capabilities.

I really found it helpful looking deeper into the Five Fundamental Principles of H&PE and a healthy school. The principles, curriculum, teaching and learning, school and classroom leadership, student engagement, social and physical environments, home, school and community partnerships, have helped me to develop a deeper understanding of just how important the whole overall experience is for the students. Their learning and school engagement extends beyond the classroom, and it is necessary to ensure that each principle is being tended to inside and outside of the classroom. This is a concept that I had considered but not over explored with my teaching practice. Other then quick emails home regarding misbehaviour or missing work, the interactions with the parents is something that I am lacking and have discovered that it is an opportunity for me to explore as a means to help encourage the engagement of my students with taking a more active role in their education. I had seen them as a second hand in helping with discipline and encouragement to hand in outstanding work, however I had not considered enveloping them into their students learning, which is an avenue that I plan on exploring come this next school year.

I also really reflected on my own practice and, I do try to ensure that I am making my teaching as relevant to what is happening in the world...this is something that I can pay a little more attention to and ensure that I get more input and feedback from the students more to ensure that their voices are being represented in their learning as well. This connects as well to the purpose of a healthy school as reality for some students is not having food available or access to technology, so by making sure that we are working to provide the students with the technology and access to food, they will be able to focus better and be more engaged when completing and assignments or work that is required of them. They will also want to be at the school more because it is a safe place for them to come and feel welcomed.

With my background in the fitness industry, the discussion on the importance of a healthy lifestyle is something that is dear to my heart. Therefore as educators we need to make sure that we are taking a step back and ensuring that what we are teaching our students is preparing them to be active for life and fostering a desire to continue to take HPE courses and not just taking their one credit that is required to graduate come secondary school. I think that my infographic on the importance of a healthy active lifestyle portrays why it is important as physical educators to ensure that our students are able to fully engage and buy in to what we are teaching them about the benefits to their whole lives not just their physical health. A large part of this is making sure that we are aware of our boards policies and agreements within the local communities in terms of the engagement of community stakeholders in the whole school community. While looking through the programs in place within the District School Board of Niagara, I was not aware of some of the programs that I highlighted, Active School Travel and the Niagara Kids Benefit Program. After looking into these programs briefly for this course, I would like to take the time to look deeper into them and inquire as to how I can go about bringing them into the school environment more to help encourage activity and play. I believe that by getting more kids to ride bikes or scooters to school, it can encourage those students who are not typically active to get some activity into their day.

The biggest take away for me from this module was the concept of student engagement, and the various ways that we can work to encourage our students to take on a more active role in their education. My infographic on ways to help engage my students in the class highlights what I am currently doing to keep my students active and participating while in class. However, it was through my reading and reflection on our work with the inclusion of Indigenous students that I have discovered I may need a little bit more work. Because of my background with the Six Nations lacrosse community, I am not afraid to have discussions in my classes, either HPE or history, about the Indigenous background or traditions, but I do have some work to do when it comes to knowing my students more and ensuring that I am representing all of the cultures that are represented within my class and not just highlighting only Indigenous cultures. There are so many different cultures in Canada that is important to take the tine to ensure that my students feel included by finding a way to include traditions from their cultures as well.

I thoroughly enjoy passing on my passion for teaching and health and fitness/wellness that I would like to find a way to use my presentation on Creating a Healthy School to do some sort of community outreach for either the board or the school I am working at as a means to encourage the educators, students and stakeholders to help recognize how important the whole school community unit is and how we can all work to ensure that it is a healthy community. I think that this is an area that I can flourish in in terms of finding an area that I can be a leader in, especially since it is something that I am so passionate about already.