Believing...
My mission to obtain a Master's at MSU that started in 2007 is about to be fulfilled. Well, maybe I should go even further back, all the way to the summer of 1999. That summer my wife and I came to Lansing, Michigan as the refugees from former Yugoslavia. We sent our diplomas and coursework from University of Novi Sad, Serbia to be evaluated and compared to US college credits. Results came back and I was required to take two college classes before I could apply for a teacher license. However, I had to put everything aside as I worked full time job in a local hospital and coached soccer and volleyball at the high schools around Lansing, while my wife stayed at home to take care of our two daughters. Once they got older and went to Kindergarten my wife was able to find a job for herself and it was my time to go back to school. I liked going to school so much that after completing the requirements and getting teacher license I applied and got accepted into Masters of Arts in Exercise Physiology program at MSU. For one year I took classes and worked as a graduate TA at MSU teaching soccer and volleyball to the undergraduate students. However, once again I had to put everything aside before finishing the program. I was offered a teaching and coaching job at the Mohave High School in Bullhead City and in the summer of 2008 we moved to Arizona. What an adventure this was. We drove for 5 days across the United States from Lansing, Michigan to Bullhead City, Arizona.
After two years of settling down and adjusting to a new life in the hottest state, it was time, once again, to go back to school. I knew that with the fulltime teaching job and coaching soccer and volleyball, my best chance to finish masters degree was through an online program. I had a great experience at MSU during the time I was a student there, so after learning about MAED program, it was no brainer for me to go back to MSU and finish my school. What is great about the MAED program is that there are only a couple of required courses and the rest was up to me to find the classes that fit my needs and interests. As a physical education teacher and coach I am always looking for ways to improve and learn new ideas that I could implement in the gym or on the field. What a better way to grow as an educator and a coach then to choose the concentration area "Sport Leadership and Coaching".
I find it rather difficult to choose just a few classes to focus on, as all the classes helped me to achieve the goal of becoming a better educator. My first class that I took in the fall of 2010 was Promoting Positive Youth Development through Sport (KIN857). I met Dr. Gould, well respected expert in youth development, during my coaching career back in Michigan and I was impressed with his expertise. The course was designed to provide coaches, athletic administrators and directors of recreational programs or individuals who are interested in these areas with an understanding of ways to facilitate positive youth and student-athlete development through sport. We examined some of the critical issues in contemporary youth sports like an overemphasis on winning and outcomes, poor sportsmanship, increased expectations and pressure placed on young athletes, over involved parents, and sport specialization. The class required us to read two books. The first book "Game On" gave me some perspective on how the modern youth sports become hyperorganized and deadly serious. The author debunks the myths of child rearing and shows the lengths we go to and methods we use to build our children into athlete-entertainers at almost any cost. He identifies the problem and, more importantly, points us toward some solutions. The other textbooks we had to read was called "True Competition" . This book helped me to learn the differences between positive and negative competition, how to critically reflect on my coaching, and how to implement some changes in my coaching methods. Both of these books definitelly helped me to facilitate positive youth development through my programs.
The achievement in this class that I am very proud of is my final project. We had to do a project that would positivelly impact youth in the area where we live. Bullhead City, AZ is also know as "snow-birds" place or retirement town and most of the activities were geared toward retires. I came up with a project of offering an instructional youth volleyball league for elementary school students and presented it to the Park and Recreation Department and the Bullhead City School District. We ran the Youth Volleyball League last spring and needless to say,it was a big hit.
Here comes the course that was the most challenging and at the same time the most rewarding course, KIN 856 Physical Bases of Coaching Athletes with Dr. Scott Reiwald. Throughout the course, I learned about the skeletal and muscular system, nutrition and supplements, injury prevention, strength and conditions, and sport medicine. The instructor did a great job of emphasizing the importance of all the materials covered in this course toward becoming a better teacher and a better coach. KIN 856 required the most serious commitment from my side and also had the most intensive reading to cover. Coaching is not as simple thing as watching a game from the sideline. As the coaches we take on various roles, but most importantly, that of a teacher. We teach players a healthy approach to developing physiologically through proper nutrition and training. Psychologically, it is important to expose the players to a mature attitude towards winning. We expect the players to learn from their losses and stand tall in times of defeat. Additionally, we teach the players to be mentally prepared for every contest as well as within their academic studies. This demands them to understand game situations and strategies, and how to mantain a high level of concentration. Coach's role as a motivator is extremely important. Socially, we expect players to interact and establish good relationships with individuals within the school enviroment as well as within the community. We teach and encourage the players to attain a positive attitude in their own abilities and to gain respect and trust towards other team members. With so many roles that we as coaches take, coaching can't be simple thing, right? We also learned how to implement proper warm-ups related to the sports we coach, workout routines and nutritional recovery plans and sport related injury prevention excercise.
One of the assignments in this course required me to build a network of proffesionals who could assist me with my athletes. We had to find people from various proffesions like excerise physiologist, biomechanics, and orthopedics medical doctor. My first thought was that I will never be able to find some of those proffesionals in the Bullhead City area. It took me about a month to find and contact all those proffesionals, most of them from this area, but few of them from Phoenix and Lake Havasu area. The network list is always on my clipboard and it already came handy during the volleyball season as I had an injured player who needed medical attention. I also created and implemented strength and conditioning routine to prevent injuries in soccer practices and I could see immediate result as we have had less injuries.
Most of my undergraduate and graduate classes were/ are sport and physical activities related. After all I am PE teacher and coach and most of those classes are supposed to be sport related. However, I felt that I need a short break and last summer I took CEP 883, Psychology of Classroom Discipline. This was an elective class for me, but I thought that with improved classroom management, my teaching would be more effective. For those who teach 40-45 kids in a gymnasium setting, Iam sure you know what I am talking about. In this course we used two excellent books, CHAMPS, A Proactive and Positive Approach to Classroom Management by R. Sprick and Comprehensive Classroom Management by Jones & Jones. The course focused on creating classrooms as "communities of support" , increasing student motivation and learning by implementing instructional methods that meet students' academic needs, creating positive teacher-student and peer relationship, and fostering positive, prosocial student behavior. Although, the books are mostly about the classroom discipline I was able to modify most of the ideas to fit a gymnasium setting.
Teacher-student relationship and developing standards for classroom behavior are some of the "big ideas" that struck me hardest during this course. Academic achievement and students' behavior are influenced by the quality of the teacher-student relationship. Teachers can establish better relationship with their students by understanding their students and the social factors that influence their students' lives. Getting to know each individual students can be challenging sometimes, especially with the larger numbers of students I have in PE classes, but it sends a strong message that I care for them as an individual. I implemented this idea and everyday I put aside 4-5 minutes to spend with a different student. Sometimes we play basketball 1 vs. 1, jogg a lap, talk about hobbies or plans for upcoming holidays, and it does wonder for the learning enviroment.
Among schools in which classroom and schoolwide behavior expectations are taught, practiced, and retaught when students fail to follow these clear guidelines, there is significant reduction in classroom disruption and office refferals for behaviors that violate the rights of others. Students' behaviors need to be approached in a manner similar to academic skills. The teachers must begin the school year by teaching the classroom rules and procedures, carefully monitoring students' behaviors, informing students of mistakes, and reteaching rules or procedures that students are frequently failing to follow. As a high school teacher, I thought that the older the students are, the more the students should know how to behave in the classroom. Why should I have to teach them something that they should already know? This course and two texbooks we used in it made me to reflect on my teaching of classroom rules and procedures and behavior expectations. I realized that I was going over the rules, procedures and expectations too fast and that I need to spend more time at the beggining of school year to create learning enviroment with less disruptions and behavioral problems. No two teachers have exactly the same set of expectations for their classrooms. I needed to work with my students to ensure that they understand and can demonstrate the rules and procedures. So, at the beggining of this semester my students and I discussed why it it is important to develop standards, created a list of standards and rules, and practiced, practiced and practiced till everybody had a clear understanding of the rules and procedures. Now, few months later I rarely have to deal with the classroom behavior problems as all the students are familiar with the standards.
As I stated previously, all the courses helped me to become a better educator. I walk away from this experience not just with the diploma but also with the better understanding of technology, new ideas and strategies to implement in the classroom and on the field or the court. I already implemented some of the new ideas in my teaching and coaching practice that resulted in a better outcome and more efficient teaching and coaching. It was not always easy as the workload in some of the classes was really demanding and with the fulltime job and coaching sometimes very stressful but well worth it. Probably, the greatest benefits I am taking from this program is that I as an educator will never stop learning and seeking the best practice, and not to be afraid of changes. If we do not change, we do not learn, and if we do not learn, we do not teach our students the best and most efficient practice.
"Education is light, lack of it darkness"
Russian Proverb
After two years of settling down and adjusting to a new life in the hottest state, it was time, once again, to go back to school. I knew that with the fulltime teaching job and coaching soccer and volleyball, my best chance to finish masters degree was through an online program. I had a great experience at MSU during the time I was a student there, so after learning about MAED program, it was no brainer for me to go back to MSU and finish my school. What is great about the MAED program is that there are only a couple of required courses and the rest was up to me to find the classes that fit my needs and interests. As a physical education teacher and coach I am always looking for ways to improve and learn new ideas that I could implement in the gym or on the field. What a better way to grow as an educator and a coach then to choose the concentration area "Sport Leadership and Coaching".
I find it rather difficult to choose just a few classes to focus on, as all the classes helped me to achieve the goal of becoming a better educator. My first class that I took in the fall of 2010 was Promoting Positive Youth Development through Sport (KIN857). I met Dr. Gould, well respected expert in youth development, during my coaching career back in Michigan and I was impressed with his expertise. The course was designed to provide coaches, athletic administrators and directors of recreational programs or individuals who are interested in these areas with an understanding of ways to facilitate positive youth and student-athlete development through sport. We examined some of the critical issues in contemporary youth sports like an overemphasis on winning and outcomes, poor sportsmanship, increased expectations and pressure placed on young athletes, over involved parents, and sport specialization. The class required us to read two books. The first book "Game On" gave me some perspective on how the modern youth sports become hyperorganized and deadly serious. The author debunks the myths of child rearing and shows the lengths we go to and methods we use to build our children into athlete-entertainers at almost any cost. He identifies the problem and, more importantly, points us toward some solutions. The other textbooks we had to read was called "True Competition" . This book helped me to learn the differences between positive and negative competition, how to critically reflect on my coaching, and how to implement some changes in my coaching methods. Both of these books definitelly helped me to facilitate positive youth development through my programs.
The achievement in this class that I am very proud of is my final project. We had to do a project that would positivelly impact youth in the area where we live. Bullhead City, AZ is also know as "snow-birds" place or retirement town and most of the activities were geared toward retires. I came up with a project of offering an instructional youth volleyball league for elementary school students and presented it to the Park and Recreation Department and the Bullhead City School District. We ran the Youth Volleyball League last spring and needless to say,it was a big hit.
Here comes the course that was the most challenging and at the same time the most rewarding course, KIN 856 Physical Bases of Coaching Athletes with Dr. Scott Reiwald. Throughout the course, I learned about the skeletal and muscular system, nutrition and supplements, injury prevention, strength and conditions, and sport medicine. The instructor did a great job of emphasizing the importance of all the materials covered in this course toward becoming a better teacher and a better coach. KIN 856 required the most serious commitment from my side and also had the most intensive reading to cover. Coaching is not as simple thing as watching a game from the sideline. As the coaches we take on various roles, but most importantly, that of a teacher. We teach players a healthy approach to developing physiologically through proper nutrition and training. Psychologically, it is important to expose the players to a mature attitude towards winning. We expect the players to learn from their losses and stand tall in times of defeat. Additionally, we teach the players to be mentally prepared for every contest as well as within their academic studies. This demands them to understand game situations and strategies, and how to mantain a high level of concentration. Coach's role as a motivator is extremely important. Socially, we expect players to interact and establish good relationships with individuals within the school enviroment as well as within the community. We teach and encourage the players to attain a positive attitude in their own abilities and to gain respect and trust towards other team members. With so many roles that we as coaches take, coaching can't be simple thing, right? We also learned how to implement proper warm-ups related to the sports we coach, workout routines and nutritional recovery plans and sport related injury prevention excercise.
One of the assignments in this course required me to build a network of proffesionals who could assist me with my athletes. We had to find people from various proffesions like excerise physiologist, biomechanics, and orthopedics medical doctor. My first thought was that I will never be able to find some of those proffesionals in the Bullhead City area. It took me about a month to find and contact all those proffesionals, most of them from this area, but few of them from Phoenix and Lake Havasu area. The network list is always on my clipboard and it already came handy during the volleyball season as I had an injured player who needed medical attention. I also created and implemented strength and conditioning routine to prevent injuries in soccer practices and I could see immediate result as we have had less injuries.
Most of my undergraduate and graduate classes were/ are sport and physical activities related. After all I am PE teacher and coach and most of those classes are supposed to be sport related. However, I felt that I need a short break and last summer I took CEP 883, Psychology of Classroom Discipline. This was an elective class for me, but I thought that with improved classroom management, my teaching would be more effective. For those who teach 40-45 kids in a gymnasium setting, Iam sure you know what I am talking about. In this course we used two excellent books, CHAMPS, A Proactive and Positive Approach to Classroom Management by R. Sprick and Comprehensive Classroom Management by Jones & Jones. The course focused on creating classrooms as "communities of support" , increasing student motivation and learning by implementing instructional methods that meet students' academic needs, creating positive teacher-student and peer relationship, and fostering positive, prosocial student behavior. Although, the books are mostly about the classroom discipline I was able to modify most of the ideas to fit a gymnasium setting.
Teacher-student relationship and developing standards for classroom behavior are some of the "big ideas" that struck me hardest during this course. Academic achievement and students' behavior are influenced by the quality of the teacher-student relationship. Teachers can establish better relationship with their students by understanding their students and the social factors that influence their students' lives. Getting to know each individual students can be challenging sometimes, especially with the larger numbers of students I have in PE classes, but it sends a strong message that I care for them as an individual. I implemented this idea and everyday I put aside 4-5 minutes to spend with a different student. Sometimes we play basketball 1 vs. 1, jogg a lap, talk about hobbies or plans for upcoming holidays, and it does wonder for the learning enviroment.
Among schools in which classroom and schoolwide behavior expectations are taught, practiced, and retaught when students fail to follow these clear guidelines, there is significant reduction in classroom disruption and office refferals for behaviors that violate the rights of others. Students' behaviors need to be approached in a manner similar to academic skills. The teachers must begin the school year by teaching the classroom rules and procedures, carefully monitoring students' behaviors, informing students of mistakes, and reteaching rules or procedures that students are frequently failing to follow. As a high school teacher, I thought that the older the students are, the more the students should know how to behave in the classroom. Why should I have to teach them something that they should already know? This course and two texbooks we used in it made me to reflect on my teaching of classroom rules and procedures and behavior expectations. I realized that I was going over the rules, procedures and expectations too fast and that I need to spend more time at the beggining of school year to create learning enviroment with less disruptions and behavioral problems. No two teachers have exactly the same set of expectations for their classrooms. I needed to work with my students to ensure that they understand and can demonstrate the rules and procedures. So, at the beggining of this semester my students and I discussed why it it is important to develop standards, created a list of standards and rules, and practiced, practiced and practiced till everybody had a clear understanding of the rules and procedures. Now, few months later I rarely have to deal with the classroom behavior problems as all the students are familiar with the standards.
As I stated previously, all the courses helped me to become a better educator. I walk away from this experience not just with the diploma but also with the better understanding of technology, new ideas and strategies to implement in the classroom and on the field or the court. I already implemented some of the new ideas in my teaching and coaching practice that resulted in a better outcome and more efficient teaching and coaching. It was not always easy as the workload in some of the classes was really demanding and with the fulltime job and coaching sometimes very stressful but well worth it. Probably, the greatest benefits I am taking from this program is that I as an educator will never stop learning and seeking the best practice, and not to be afraid of changes. If we do not change, we do not learn, and if we do not learn, we do not teach our students the best and most efficient practice.
"Education is light, lack of it darkness"
Russian Proverb