Proposition 2

Second, “Teachers know the subjects they teach and how to teach those subjects to students” (NBPTS, 2019). It should go without saying that a teacher should be an expert in the field they’re teaching to their students, but it also means that teachers pledge themselves to continue to learn more about their field, and the best practices in how to teach them. In my line of work as a physical instructor, I’m constantly looking for ways to further break down skills like vaulting, backflips, etc. to make the skill more accessible to my students. It’s also important to note that depending on whom you’re teaching, your teaching style may need to be different; younger children respond much better to games that emphasize one or two broader elements of movement, whereas older children and adults can connect the dots, and respond better to step by step progression drills.

To demonstrate my mastery of Parkour and how to teach, here's an example of the current Parkour/ Ninja Curriculum that I plan to implement in our new gym space:

Rationale:

As a Parkour Instructor, it's not good enough that you're a proficient athlete with an understanding of the movements themselves: a Parkour instructor must be able to relay those concepts to their students, and help them understand completely foreign concepts of moving in ways they may have never tried to move their bodies before. Sometimes our methods are unorthodox, but they get results. Parkour opens the window to maximizing the potential of the human body, using techniques that take one's momentum and transfers it into a diverse array of physical actions.

In this curriculum, not only is my knowledge of Parkour demonstrated, but also demonstrates my insights as to how to prepare my students for the activity and what assessments I use to make sure that they've mastered said skill.

Reflection:

At the heart of parkour is the philosophy of play, and reconnecting with one's inner child, so games are used a lot to challenge my students and clients in diverse, creative ways. It allows them to apply their skills critically, and give purpose to the skills that they have learned. All the skills in Parkour build off of one another; students need the perspective to flipped in order to maximize their mastery of said skill.