Concluding+thoughts



**" We do not quit playing because we grow old... we grow old because we quit playing" (Anonymous)**        What are we learning? And how is it contributing to our wellbeing? Are my teaching approaches and strategies enabling students to have a positive experience? Do I cater for all abilities? (as teachers would in other curriculum areas), Are there opportunities for high levels of participation? Do my current teaching practices in Physical Activity foster a positive attitude towards physical education? How is it relating to the HPE NZC? These types of questions could also be applied to programmes such as ‘Jump Jam’, Sport sessions provided by outside educators (such as SPARC), and even to time allocated to ‘fitness’.
 * ** Future focus, how this internship has grounded my beliefs/teaching philosophy. ** ||
 * __ The following questions should be considered by any educator delivering PE __

As Gilchrist (2011) considers “It is equally imprtant, if not more so, that children develop a lifelong love for sport, the motivation to practise and compete, as well as an awareness of their strengths and weaknesses” (p.47). One conversation with the specialist really made me re-consider her role within the school, she said she ‘had once thought her role was to make them all experts in sport, and now she considers her role to simply give them a positive experience in PE and as a time to develop their skills and get a taster of the different sports. Anything extra is a bonus. The following statement by Gillchrist (2011) supports how the specialist teaches ‘structured sports are beneficial when introduced and practiced appropriately with an emphasis on fun, skill development and equal opportunity for participation” which from my perspective is great. The positive experiences that I have had within the internship setting have definitely strengthened my sense of philosophy.

My teaching philosophy and considers the curriculum, students, how I see myself currently (as a developing teacher) and how I see my fulfilling a professional role educating in the future. I consider this teaching philosophy to be strongly grounded yet flexible as I am open to new ideas and other points of view. Being a critical observer has been useful, as quite often even if the content is repetitive, the way in which students respond changes every time. It was always useful to discuss what and why the specialist chose to do things a particular way, as what and how she taught held a personal relevance to her, as it does for me when I am teaching. My view of physical education has been shaped by many influential people, such as my parents and educators (primary, secondary and tertiary). I believe physical education is about educating and offering opportunities for others to practically experience movement and the benefits of making healthy lifestyle choices. As children/students arrive at school each with their own individual experiences, there may be circumstances they may not have had a lot of physical activity opportunities in their lives or active role models, therefore it is crucial that they are offered experiences school context through health and physical education to enable them to develop their own view based on their involvement. ||     

