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 Preparing For The Next Game

Future Learning Essay

As one game ends preparation for another game begins. Education and coaching can be like a sports game, there are successes and there are failures. Any good learner knows you must build upon your successes and learn from your failures. The way you respond to failure is the true test of a person’s character. I tend to look at failures and losses as lessons; lessons that will help me improve for our next game, my lesson or challenge in life. These lessons provide new knowledge and allow me to plan for the future. After completing the Masters in the Arts of Education program I firmly believe I experienced more success than failure.  The success includes learning new theories, methods, and tools that will improve my teaching and coaching. My ultimate goal is to become the best teacher, coach and leader possible. Maximizing my potential is easier said than done. In order to reach my full potential I must continue to be a learner. During the journey to become the best teacher and coach I can be, I hope to inspire children and young adults to do the same and reach their full potential in school, sports and life.

 

As an educator I will continue to seek out professional development opportunities. I am currently a member of the Science Teachers Association of Michigan (MSTA), National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) and Michigan Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (MAHPERD). I will continue to attend clinics and learn from other teachers and professionals. Another way I plan to reach my full potential is by simply taking notes on each lesson of what went well and what I can improve on. Building my pedagogy allows for improvement.   I am fortunate to have a colleague who is a tremendous science teacher. He is always willing to help me and the science program. He has shared with me many opportunities that will help me grow as a science teacher. We will often spend hours discussing lessons and activities in order to have a unified science program.

 

Obtaining an endorsement allowing me to teach health is something I would like to achieve in the future. I have briefly looked into programs that would allow me to earn this endorsement, however, I am focused on finishing the MAED program. I have enjoyed building an online portfolio and learned a lot about web page design and technology. I plan to create a website for one of my classes next year. In the future I hope to have websites for all of my classes along with one for our basketball program. I understand that technology is constantly changing and therefore I must be constantly learning how to use and implement technology into my teaching. I believe that attending trainings such as Michigan Association for Computer Users in Learning (MACUL) conferences will greatly improve my technology skill set.

"It's what you learn after you know it all that counts." -John Wooden

During my sports psychosocial bases of coaching class I began to develop a coaching philosophy. It is important for a coach to have standards so that athletes understand their expectations. As I continue my coaching education, I expect my philosophy to change and improve while maintaining the strong basic pillars. In my youth sports class I developed a positive youth sports program. I will use the knowledge gained from this class to improve the basketball program I run. Being at a small school allows me to run a unified program from elementary to the varsity level. With help from the girls’ coach and other volunteers we run two youth basketball programs in the winter in addition to our week long summer camp. One winter program runs four or five weeks and puts a heavy emphasis on ball handling. The students in this program (K-6) perform a choreographed performance during the halftimes of the junior varsity and varsity games. The other youth program, also K-6, runs for eight weeks and includes the fundamentals of basketball. During this program the older students participate in games against surrounding schools. The knowledge gained through the MAED program has already helped me improve both these youth basketball programs.

 

In order to reach my full potential as a coach I will continue to be a member of the Basketball Coaches Associate of Michigan (BCAM) and attend their yearly clinic. I plan to complete mini-courses provided by sport governing bodies such as the Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA). In finishing the MAED program I am looking forward to the increased amount of time I will have available to dedicate to reading. In the last two and a half years I have read over a dozen books involving coaching. Many of these books have greatly improved my coaching and leadership abilities.  I look forward to reading the many books I still have on my list. During the time spent in the MAED program I have also joined the twitter world and will continue to gain knowledge and tools provided by other coaches and professionals. I would love to spend some time at summer camps provided by universities and other certified coaches. I believe this would be a great opportunity to learn from others coaches who have vast experiences in coaching. Overall I want to build a strong program with these core values: teamwork, family, work ethic, commitment and striving for excellence on the court, in the classroom and in life.

 

My time with the MAED program is coming to an end, but my time as a learner will never stop. I feel I have a solid plan to improve my coaching and teaching abilities. I know some things will change and I will have to reevaluate my plan but I am prepared make adjustments in order to reach my potential. The combination of the numerous resources provided through the MAED program along with the multiple associations I am a part of will allow me to further educate myself in the fields of teaching and coaching. I will continue to build upon my successes and learn from my failures while always striving for excellence.

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