Field Experience

On, Dec. 7, 2007 I visited St.Benadict Catholic School. It was a really great experience. St. Bens goes from k-8 and their is only one P.E. teacher there, will just call her Mrs. T. Mrs. T has to come up with diferent curriculum and gradding system for nine different grade levels. It is challenging but she loves it. She sat me and another class member down and just talked to us for almost two hours about where she went to school, how she got a job, the challenges of teaching so many grade levels in the same day, different kinds of students you will encounter, different kinds of parents you will encounter,lesson plans, and ways to keep all of your students in all of your classes occupied for the entire class. She also gave me at least six books and a few great web sites for P.E. and health. She explained the differences in how catholic schools are run and public schools are run.
I got to observe her teach kindergarten, first, fifth, and seventh grade classes today (Each grade only has P.E. once a week for 40 minutes). It was fasinating to see the different activities she came up if, how she got everyone involved, and how she even got me involved in the class activities and teaching her class. Teachers and experiences like that make you realize how much you actually want to be a teacher.

Middletown Board of Ed. Meeting.

On November 20, 2007 I went to the MIddletown Township Board of Ed. Meeting. At the start of the meeting the audience was 75% students and 25% adults. There are 11 board members, 8:women, 3:men. 1 man wasn't present at this meeting.

(the sequence of events)

• The Pledge was said
• 2 representatives (one from each high school) came up to the podium and talked about their schools extra curricular activities for the next few month's like dances, sporting events, plays, bottle cappers.
• The 2 principles (one from each high school) and an advisor took the podium and handed out civics awards that students from both high schools had won.
• There were 30+ awards handed out.
• MHSS Principal Kelly announced and gave out awards to MHSS girls soccer team.
• After that many students left.
• MHSN Principal Cartier handed out an academic award to a student.
• Then the same principal handed out awards to the girls gymnastic team.
• A MHSN student got a singing award.
• Another student got an award for running a marathon.
• MHSN received an award for their field hockey team.
• All students where dismissed from the meeting.
• There was an open mic to any town member that wanted to say soemthing.
• One person came up and asked why two janitors got fired.
• The board then explanned why.
• closed open mic.
• Moved to the treasury and secretary report about Oct. 2007
• A Bill Lists was approved.
• The approval of Budget transfer was approved.
• The upcomming plays at both high schools were talked about.
• Mentioned that someone donated $25,000 to the library.
• Announced Thanksgiving football game.
• Talked about State Test Assessment
• Voted on weither or not they would except a foriegn exchange student. It was approved.
• Voted for 15 items on a town bill.
• Then there was confussion and argueing between two board members because they were holding two different policies in their hands, so they were argueing about nothing.
• Voted to put agenda items online.
• Presentation of the 06-07 finace report.
• 19 new policies were announced to the board for review. One of the policies talked about the presence of HIV and AIDS and how to spread awareness.
• The board then debatted as to wether parents should be notifiedor that students life illness shold be kept private.
• Talked about school drug and alcohol policies.

It was very interesting to see what goes on at a board meeting first hand.

Thanksgiving Football Game at Middletown High School South 2007

Middletown North vs. Middletown South

On Thanksgiving I went over to Middletown High School South to watch the 2007 Thanksgiving game where Middletown South plays there cross town rivals in the annual turkey day football game. You forget how big your town is until you see a good portion of it assembles in one place. What a great experince. Everyone there seemed to be happy. You saw families walking in together just beeming with holiday spirit. I saw thousands of high school students interacting and having a good time, Moms where talking about how they had to leave early to finish cooking or where crying that it was there son or daughters last Homecoming game in high school, Dads where talking about where there sons where going to go next year or what the players of the past have done on Thaksgiving. I saw old friends reunited after having gone away to college and I saw Middletown South destroy North 35-7. I myself saw some teachers and friends I haven't seen in a while. It was as holiday as holiday gets.

Community Service

For the past 12 years I have been a volunteer karate teacher at Amato's Karate and Weapons Academy. I volunteer every Saturday from 11am - 1pm. What an amazing experience every single week is. I am constantly having students come in from different age groups, ability levels, races, religions, and economic backgrounds. I have taught students with down syndrome and have taught kids who are "naturals". I have taught students who live in area's where the only time they were aloud to go outside was to go to karate and I have taught students who's parents make six figure salaries a year. Regardless these students backgrounds we are all brought together by one thing, and that is karate. Regardless what these students do or don't have to put up with outside of the dojo all goes away once they come to class.
One of best parts about this experience has been finding new ways, every week, to reach all of my students in some way.I want them to leave my leave with a smile on their face or feel as though they have accomplished something. This isn't always easy, but it is what makes it rewarding and was what made me want to become a physical education teacher.
Through my thousands of different experiences and dealings with so many different kinds of students I believe that I have been and will continue to be a very affective educator of physical things.