Sample Philosophy

NOTE: Your paper needs to be double spaced and no longer than 2 pages!

As a physical education and health educator, I strongly believe in the numerous benefits associated with regular physical activity. Since habits, both positive and negative, are established during childhood and adolescent years, it is essential to promote healthy lifestyles in our youth. The habits youth develop will greatly influence their future. With cardiovascular disease, diabetes, etc., becoming more prevalent in society, we must do everything we can to prevent these diseases. Exercise and nutrition is the key!

Regular exercise will benefit youth in multiple ways. First, it will build and maintain strong healthy bones, muscles, and joints. Second, it will help to control body weight, build lean muscle mass, and reduce fat. Third, it will prevent or delay the development of high blood pressure and help reduce blood pressure in some adolescents with hypertension. Fourth, "social support from family and friends has been consistently and positively related to regular physical activity." (CDC)

The Center for Disease Control reported frightening statistics about America's youth and physical activity. In summarizing the Surgeon General's Report, the CDC stated the following: "Nearly half of American youths aged 12-21 years are not vigorously active on a regular basis; about 14 percent of youth people report no recent physical activity [inactivity more common among females]; only 19 percent of all high school students are physically active for 20 minutes or more, five days a week, in physical education classes" (CDC). These statistics are extremely alarming! I believe physical educators need to take responsibility and provide adequate physically active time in the classroom to prevent the harsh reality of a future society stricken by disease and death.

In my physical education classroom, it is my goal to have actively participating students who are equipped to lead healthy active lifestyles. I will achieve my goal by promoting the following:

• The Teaching of Lifetime Sports: Some students do not participate in physical fitness activities simply because they have not been taught different sports in which they feel comfortable. It is my goal to teach a broad range of activities (i.e. racquet sports, team sports, individual sports) so students are competent in many movement forms and proficient in a few (National PE Standards). Therefore, the barriers of not finding an activity they enjoy, and/or not knowing how to participate correctly, will no longer exist.
• Developmentally Appropriate Activities: It is essential to teach students tasks and skills that are developmentally appropriate! If skill are not developmentally appropriate, I believe the following will occur: students will stop being active due to boredom from ease or due to frustration from difficulty; students will get physically injured; or students will become off-task and become a distraction to the other students. Developmentally appropriate tasks are necessary for an active, positive learning environment to exist, both physically and emotionally.
• Individualized Instruction: Individualized instruction is needed for students to learn tasks appropriately and safely, and stay on task throughout the class time. To provide individualized instruction, I believe intratask variations, continual assessments, and modifications to tasks are essential!
• Positive and Congruent Feedback: In interacting with students on an individual basis, positive and congruent feedback must be implemented. The positive words and tone of the voice encourage participation in learning, while the congruent aspect gives students the ability to achieve competency and proficiency in activities.

In conclusion, I believe I, as a physical educator, can establish a safe learning environment which promotes physically active lifestyles in youth. Not only will this positively impact their present day lives, but will help prevent future problems and diseases.

C. Thomas