1. Teaching Diverse Students

Artifact: 

• Sensory Integration Essay

Rationale:  

This is an essay that I wrote about the impacts of sensory integration/processing on movement. I myself have dealt with these issues for close to my entire life, and I know other do too, and I thought it would be a great opportunity to get to understand the ailment a little better. This will only help me serve my students in the best way that I am capable of. 

When doing research for this essay, I made sure to focus on what any physical and/or social limitations would be for students who gave sensory integration issues. The gym can be an area of overload for some students, so I need to be prepared to help those students through any difficulties they may be having. On the flip side, this doesn't mean I can ignore those who may be on the other side of the spectrum, those who may be underactive in terms of their sensory system.

I learned that the sense of touch, vision, and hearing are the 3 main components of sensory integration in PE. There gym is large, there is a lot of different equipment, there are more students than any classroom in the building, and the activities can be stressful - this is why teachers need to help those with sensory integration issues, so they can guide students who are struggling through the class period and through the day.

Artifact: 

• POWER PE Syllabus and Equipment

Rationale:

This is the syllabus that was used by one my the classes taught during my student teaching. This course had a wide range of students and skill levels, which were evident on a daily basis. The class was set up in a way that allowed every student to partake in meaningful movement, regardless of any disability or restriction. 

With some students able to perform everything, some who struggle, some who are in a wheelchair, and some who have mental disabilities, the activities that are chosen need to be widely varied and appropriate. The important thing is that every one of these students perform movements that are meaningful to them. This will create a positive mindset when it comes to moving and it will gives them tools to move for after school. 

I learned that there can never really be enough activities ready in this type of environment. Making sure that there are opportunities for all students to be active is the most important part of a class like this. When I was at my placement, I found that the students really appreciated the variety and did use a lot of the different equipment available.