Being an educator alone is not an easy profession or job and being a Physical Education (PE) teacher is already a tough and challenging task. Some probably say that being a PE teacher is very easy as 1, 2, 3, but it’s not. Some would say it was tiring, especially if you are an elementary PE teacher. Handling kids in physical education is different when you’re handling the high schoolers.
Being an educator means being a role model to your students because aside from parents and other family members, they are some of the most influential people in the student’s lives. Educators inculcate education to nurture the healthy development of the learners, including their bodies, mind, and spirits. And a good Physical Education teacher is a model of value formation such as teamwork, leadership, and a great sportsmanship.
The role of a PE teacher doesn’t only end with being good in teaching the students about sports and other physical abilities but also to teach every student some values regarding on how to respect themselves and the people around them. A good PE teacher should teach their students that even in sports and other physical activities it is very important to know what respect is and acts with it.
PE teachers are very hands-on in their class like giving instructions or some examples. This means that to be a good PE teacher, you must have the essential and advanced interpersonal skills so that you can demonstrate the examples well and for your learners to understand immediately.
Let’s admit that students might not be able to remember everything you said about the rules of the sports but, however, if you can demonstrate and give them a definite example, there’s a higher possibility that they would remember that even if they are outside the school.
PE teachers should must internalize their teaching styles or instruction styles to make the students understand the key concept of the lesson. It is to make sure that their students are learning. Because being a PE teacher, you must have a passion to help and teach your students the things they need to learn as well as the skills that they can use even in their daily lives, whether outside or inside the school premises. Having a passion for everything that you do makes things easier and more fun.
Aside from that, a PE teacher is responsible to widen the student’s knowledge about different sports and activities, provide them the opportunity to improve and develop not just their physical skills but also their social skills as well.
A good PE teacher must also be sensitive to his/her student’s emotional needs. Not everyone is active and good at sports. I, myself isn’t good at any sports either. PE teachers should always connect to their students emotionally to understand them more and to motivate them. They should’ve put themselves in their student’s shoes to intuitively understand when or how to convey positivity, cooperativeness, and respectfulness among their students.
This is also one way to create that kind of environment in which every student feels valued and respected by both their teachers and classmates or even with the other students. This is the kind of environment that makes learning Physical Education alive and fun.
Aside from family members, teachers are some of the most influential individuals in a child’s life. Students will remember their teachers and the core lessons imparted to them long after they grow up and start their careers. As a future Physical Education teacher, your students might not remember everything you say about flag football rules or the proper way to block a goal in floor hockey. What they will never forget, however, is the lessons in character you can teach them. These lessons are best taught by example, so strive to model the traits you wish to see in your students, such as good sportsmanship, respectfulness, empathy, and compassion.