My field placement was a lot of things. It was challenging, eye opening, and rewarding. My cooperating teacher was wonderful, and I learned so much from being with her. I was placed in the gym most of the time because that is what my cooperating teacher’s specialty is. Since my cooperating teacher was a specialized gym/health teacher my field placement was not what I was expecting. I was expecting to be placed in a classroom where I would become familiar with the students and different subject areas. I found it hard at times to feel connected to the students because each week the classes changed.
At first it was overwhelming to learn so many new names and diverse classroom needs. Over the weeks, however, I did become more comfortable interacting with various students and teachers. Being able to see so many different grades was a great opportunity. I realized that my teaching area is not just geared towards the younger grades but that the older grades can be of interest too. The students were always excited to see new faces in their gym class and I was asked numerous times to be paired up with them for activities. The connections I made with students was surprising because I went into my placement feeling limited in my ability to get to know the students.
My field experience was rewarding because I was able to learn valuable knowledge about teaching physical education that I would not have gotten if I was placed in a regular classroom setting. I learned different games for different age groups and games that included all students. My cooperating teacher also gave me the opportunity to observe other classrooms. I was able to go and observe classrooms ranging from kindergarten to grade 5. I found this very valuable and I was able to ask numerous teachers about their teaching philosophies, assessment tools, and resources.
Leaving my field placement today was emotional. I never thought I would miss gym class so much, but I do. The connections I made with students and staff will be something I will take with me into the future. I am honoured for the time and effort my cooperating teacher and many other staff put into making my field placement so valuable. One big thing I learned through this experience is the value of support. I felt continually supported by the staff and students to pursue my career as an educator and because of that I am so very grateful.