EDU 6150 Course Reflection

I did not realize how much I learned in General Inquiry, Teaching and Assessment Methods (EDU 6150) until today.  Today I attended my first teacher training with my mentor and I was able to apply everything I have learned throughout this course.  At this meeting, teachers were reviewing the new PE standards and from writing the content standards paper in this class,  I was already completely familiar with them.  The second activity at this meeting was using those new standards to write a lesson plan.  Again, from this course and the lesson design assignment, I knew all of the terms and how to complete the lesson plan.  I was even able to take the lead and help my group with current knowledge that I learned in this course. 

When reflecting using the internship performance criteria, standard 4.4 as seen below, I would put myself in the basic category.  Before this course I would have put myself in the unsatisfactory category and completely clueless.  Designing coherent instruction in the area of lesson and unit structure will take lots of practice to master but I am grateful for the experience and feedback I received in this course.  Being someone who is changing careers, I am not just completing assignments to get a grade; I truly want to learn and the format of the lesson design assignment allowed me to improve and grow versus just receiving a grade.  The growth I have seen in the past two months has given me a confidence going into student teaching.  I feel ready and prepared to begin applying my knowledge, as well as continuing to learn, so I can become the best health and PE teacher I can be. 

4. Content Knowledge: The teacher uses content area knowledge, learning standards, appropriate pedagogy and resources to design and deliver curricula and instruction to impact student learning.

4.4 Component 1e: Designing Coherent Instruction in the area of Lesson and Unit Structure
1 Unsatisfactory	2 Basic	3 Proficient	4 Distinguished
The lesson or unit has no clearly defined structure, or the structure is chaotic. Activities do not follow an organized progression, and time allocations are unrealistic.	The lesson or unit has a recognizable structure, although the structure is not uniformly maintained throughout. Progression of activities is uneven, with most time allocations reasonable.	The lesson or unit has a clearly defined structure around which activities are organized. Progression of activities is even, with reasonable time allocations.	The lesson’s or unit’s structure is clear and allows for different pathways according to diverse student needs. The progression of activities is highly coherent.