Assignment 2: What Makes An Effective PHE Educator

What Makes an Effective PHE Educator

From this EDCP320 course, I have learned a much more comprehensive perspective of what it means to be a good Physical and Health Education (PHE) educator. Aside from the foremost importance of physical safety, proper supervision, space and equipment (Robinson & Randall, 2014), a good PHE educator comprises of four main characteristics: 1) Being encouraging and supportive, 2) Having the ability to incorporate inclusion into the lesson plan for children with disabilities, 3) Being physical and health literate, 4) Being able to provide a safe, respectful, and welcoming environment for diverse students (race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, socio-economic status/SES, religion, and gender identity).
Often,

in PHE classes, the “weak” or “less athletic” students are marginalized and PHE teachers are guilty of prioritizing competition and exalting the most athletic students as opposed to being encouraging and supportive towards everyone. Physical education is much more than athletic ability and we should not neglect its other valuable aspects, such as promoting a sense of community, encouraging teamwork and hard work, providing students with the opportunity to improve, to test their limits, and to get out of their comfort zones. Research shows that teachers who continually foster and maintain a positive relationship with their students by being fair, proactive, consistent, and firm, have the most success managing their students’ behavior (Robinson & Randall, 2014). Good physical educators also recognize individual variations in learning (different pace and styles) depending on past experiences, background, family contexts, location, upbringing, and cultural and social identity (Petherick, 2016). Being able to view physical education as an opportunity for students to grow and being sensitive to their various learning styles help create an encouraging and supportive PHE environment.
In order to incorporate inclusion in PHE, planning ahead is very crucial.

It should not be a last-minute modification of the original instruction because “inclusion without appropriate supports is not considered inclusion at all” (Block, 2007; Goodwin et al., 2003; Reid 2003a, 2003b as cited in Robinson & Randall, 2014, p. 147). A good PHE educator is aware and caters to the students who are behind, left out, or struggling and will discover the child’s strengths and accommodate or modify the game so that the child’s strengths are demonstrated. For instance, if a child has Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and there are 4 stations to rotate through, the rule can be changed so that students must go to each station at least once, but can go through the stations as many times as they like (Hardin, 2000) and so the child with ADHD can demonstrate endurance. Also, as discussed in class, students could be asked to either walk or run to the wall on their own time or varying speeds so that the “slowest” student does not always end up last. Another way is to provide the disabled student a special and admirable role in certain sports. For instance, if a student has a paralyzed arm, that student could be the goalkeeper in

soccer.
Another important characteristic of a good PHE educator is being physical and health literate. Physical literacy does not only focus on the ability to participate actively in a wide variety of physical activities but also considers the “holistic physical, mental [cognitive] and emotional development…the motivation, confidence, physical competence, knowledge and understanding to maintain physical activity throughout the lifecourse” (Whitehead, 2010, p. 5 as cited in Robinson & Randall, 2014, p. 228) and to have the value and desire to take responsibility to engage in physical activities (Sport for Life, 2015). Health literacy also includes environmental (human environment and relationships), intellectual, occupational, social, and spiritual factors (Robinson & Randall, 2014). A physical educator should have a good balance of these areas of health and the theoretical knowledge and practical skills in how to use these aspects in order to guide students. To be health literate means the ability to gather and use health information wisely and effectively, to be informed, to have the ability to care for oneself, to help families and communities, and to have the capacity to “promote, maintain and improve health in a variety of settings across a lifetime” (British Columbia, n.d., para. 2).
Lastly, in the class of a good PHE educator, students will never be forced to wear PHE attire (on land and in water) that makes them uncomfortable due to their gender identity or religion. There will be exceptions in these cases regarding “proper attire” so all students feel safe, comfortable, and included. Good PHE teachers will never assume that everyone knows a game or instant activity because this type of attitude is highly Eurocentric. Racist, homophobic, or any offensive terms used by students will never be tolerated and are always addressed by the teacher. It is the teacher’s job to assure the victims of bullying that they have their support. A silent teacher is a bystander and a bystander acts as an enforcer or promoter of bullying. Choosing to be silent is saying a lot. Silence is complicity and means agreement and this will stick in a kid’s mind. Also, boys and girls will be treated equally without having or expecting boys to do physically tougher activities compared to girls. Students will not be forced to do activities that are against their culture or religion but will be provided with alternative and equally effective activities.
Therefore, being a good PHE educator is much more than being a physically athletic and skilled professional trainer. It is someone who cares for students’ overall well-being, not just physical health, but mental, emotional, and spiritual as well which are just as important. A teacher who truly cares about his or her students will try to be well rounded and incorporate all four main aspects that make a strong and effective PHE educator.