Teaching Philosophy

As a physical educator, I must teach skills to help my students live healthy and active
lives. It is essential to have the fundamental movement concepts and skill themes learned at a
young age so that when sports are introduced to the individual, they can learn how to combine
skills effectively and add the cognitive portion of sports. For students to be successful in physical
education, they must have a concept of movement and skills. Students must go through physical
education and gain the ability to be lifelong movers and live a healthy life. I am preparing my
students to be physically active throughout their lives. I plan on teaching them lifetime activities
that allow them to be active throughout their lives.
My curriculum will be led by my students. What I mean by this is that they will have the
choice of how they decide to be lifelong movers. This will be done by introducing as many
lifetime activities as possible and properly teaching the skills needed to succeed. I also plan on
providing opportunities in their communities to practice their skills. This will also allow my
students to see how easy it can be to be physically active outside of school. My goal as a physical
education teacher is to help my students gain the knowledge and skills to be healthy and
physically active members of society.
I plan to be the type of teacher who facilitates learning rather than controlling it. I want
my class to manage their learning and how they learn the skills. I firmly believe in generic levels
of skill proficiency (GLSP). This is so because the GLSP provides a way to assess the skill
abilities of the students in the class in terms of their levels as a basis for planning appropriate
activities and lessons (Graham, 2019). Incorporating GLSP will allow me to provide the best
lesson tailored to my students. The GLSP will let me see my students' level for specific skills and
where they land on the progression spiral. The progression Spiral provides an exact location of
where the student is with their movement and skill development. It includes information on how
and what the student needs to progress up the spiral. Using these methods helps me tailor my
lessons toward my students' needs and goals. I can provide modifications for students that might
need the task to be easier or harder. These methods are appropriate for physical education
because it escapes the criticism that physical education favors athletic students and moves it
toward the notion that it is meant to help students develop their skills meaningfully. My teaching
will be tailored toward my students rather than the traditional way of teaching skills by age or
grade level.
 Assessment can be the most valuable part of physical education for students. Assessment
is more than giving a grade to a student on a specific skill. It should be about the progress and
effort put into the skill acquisition and what they can do now compared to before. This can look
very different for many students. My student’s goals are met when they show effort in
progressing their skills. This can be demonstrated through practicing outside of class time or
asking questions about form or tactics. When a student shows personal interest in getting better
at a skill, I know they are learning and actively pursuing their goals. Assessments can show
students where they are on their progression continuum and help them realize what they need to
improve. Assessments can also be used to show that the students have achieved their goals and
can show how they got to meet their goals. Assessment should be a priority for my students, not
because it is a grade but rather a way to check their progress and use it as a tool for
improvement. I believe that assessment should go beyond a grade and have a personal
connection to the students.
My students’ race, class, gender, and other factors are significant to who they are and
how they learn. I must acknowledge their differences and highlight their uniqueness in a
culturally appropriate way. I believe this because I want to create an inclusive and equal
representation of each student is an excellent way to do that. I think that students should be
exposed to different people’s cultures, religions, beliefs, and hardships not to sympathize but
rather to realize that a person goes deeper than what is on the surface.
When specific holidays or events arise, I teach what dances or activities are traditions. An
example can be for Cinco De Mayo and what the holiday means and what the traditional dances
are done. This will allow my students to experience what other cultures do during holidays they
might not celebrate. This creates a positive environment where students are comfortable being
themselves and expressing what makes them unique.