Taking a new look at 201 Lab

This semester, I had the honor of being a teachers assistant in PED 201 Lab, for Dr. Walkuski. This semester was a bit different from the time I went because we were now located at Dryden Elementary School, as opposed to St. Mary's. I found these new facilities to me amazing! The playground was spacious, fun, and really cool! I even enjoyed playing around on it. They also had 2 different gyms. The main gym downstairs was very big. It had a divider in the center as well. They also had an additional slightly smaller gym upstairs, which became the gym to use once basketball season started up. Of coarse the facilities and location was not the only different aspect of this experience, I was now at the different side of the spectrum  of learning.

This time around I was assisting the students, as opposed to experiencing the interaction with the children. It was very different to me the first time or so during Lab. I was so used to playing with the kids, that I had to constantly remind myself that I was there for a different reason this time. Each TA was given a different group to help during the duration of the course. I found this to be very effective because it allowed for a connection between me and my students, and allowed them to be comfortable to come to me with questions, etc. There were many new things I also noticed going to Dryden. I was able to think of new ways to modify games, make them more fun and exciting, as well as include the most amount of kids. So I feel that since last time in 201, I have grown as a teacher candidate, and am better prepared to think on my feet. I really enjoyed watching my group grow. The very first day they were very timid. Weren't quite sure how to interact, had no games lined up for the kids, and there was basically just one student who took the leadership position while everyone else just followed along. By the end of the experience they were all a lot more comfortable and prepared. I enjoyed watching them grow; and it made me think about how much I have grown since my first day at St. Mary's.

Overall it was a very worthwhile experience, and I believe it helped me along in my journey to becoming a physical education teacher.