Stephan Wolford

Weekly Journal
Adapted Practicum
I work with 3rd grade students at Westview Elementary School in Platteville Wisconsin. I am
there from noon until 1:00 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
I work with Trae from 12:00- 12:20 pm. Then I work with Cassen from 12:20-12:40 p.m. Finally
I work with Virgil and Ivy from 12:40-1:00 p.m.
9/17
Each day is a progression and we are able to add more to our repertoire. On the first day I had the
students walk at 3.2-3.4 mph. at an incline between 2 and 3. They did this for approximately 19
minutes followed by a minute cool down. During the walk I told each student that we would set
our goal to walk one mile. Each student was able to eclipse a mile. During this time we were able
to learn about each other. I enjoyed the opportunity to learn my students likes and dislikes. I also
was able to develop a trust and mutual respect with them. Trae was not able to meet today.
I learned that teaching elementary students could be a possibility for me. Obviously I will teach
wherever I am able to find a job, but I have always been pretty set on wanting to teach high
school physical education. I learned that every student responds differently to the same
instruction. We talk all the time about how every student learns different, but it goes beyond that
concept. Every student hears what you say differently and responds differently. This means you
have to be very descriptive when working with young students. I also learned that elementary
students can be very impressionable. After just one day of working with one of my students he
could not wait for the next session, little did I know this until the second session.
I thoroughly enjoyed my first day. It actually went by really fast and the pace of each session was
very smooth. I believe that this will be one of my favorite parts of the semester. I would like to
see some statistics or a study on how impactful this program is.
9/19
Trae was not available to meet again, so I worked with Cassen then Ivy and finally Virgil. Again
we worked on developing a rapport and identifying each students current abilities. Each student
was able to walk at 3.4 mph. and an incline of 3.5 for the entire 19 minutes followed by a minute
cool down. Each student again went over a mile. Every time the students eclipsed a mile we
celebrated their achievement.
I learned that I can possess a huge influence on each student and how they view physical
education and their fitness. I also learned that my attitude towards the program and how I portray
my time with the students has a serious impact on my students attitude. This is evident in what I
referenced during my prior journal entry. Upon arriving on Friday I was informed that Virgil was
at a medical appointment. Virgil had made it very clear to the teacher and his mom that he

needed to be back to school before 1:00 pm., so that he wouldnt miss his treadmill time with me.
The story is not over there however.
I would like to find ways to involve interdisciplinary studies. I have mentioned to the students
about doing math flash cards as they are walking. I believe my one challenge or question is how
can I make every day or session with my students seem new and refreshing, rather than aww...
we have to walk for 20 minutes again.
9/22
This was the first day that I was able to work with all of my students. I had Trae begin where the
others had with just the walking. I talked to him and tried to form an understanding of Trae and
what he liked to do. I worked with the other students on a few different tasks. I had Cassen
practice sliding in either direction, walking backwards, 360 degree turns, and doing manipulative
skills while walking at the same time. This forced Cassen to focus on the necessary connections
in order to complete the backwards walking and the other actions at the same time. We played
catch with various objects of different size and weight. He also worked on hitting a ball with a
paddle, and catching a ball in a cup. I completed the same tasks with Virgil and Ivey. All three
did very well, but each excelled in different areas. Cassen was able to complete most of the tasks
very well, but he requires more attention to his focus and keeping his attention. Ivey did very
well at catching the ball in the cup and tasks that required hand eye coordination. Virgil had
some slight difficulties with the hand eye coordination activities, but did very well with the rest
of the activities.
I have been processing and working through my prior feelings of not wanting to teach
elementary students. I am finding that I am having a lot of fun working with my students and my
methods of teaching and treating them must be successful, because they are excited to see me
and work with me each day. Going back to the story with Virgil I found out the next time that I
was there that Virgil had skipped lunch just to make sure that he would be able to make his
treadmill time with me that day. When I heard this I was amazed. After just a few days I had such
an impact.
I learned that you have to confident in yourself as a teacher. This is important because in order
for the students to listen to you and believe what you are saying they have to feel that from you. I
struggle with this issue in the beginning sometimes, because I question whether what I am
teaching is going to work. I realize that I just have to come in confident and create that excited,
positive atmosphere and the rest will take care of itself.
I have found that each of my students comes from a different home life and has different
experiences. In talking to them they have each opened up about some of these things. I am
interested in learning more about them as individuals.
9/24
I was able to work with all of my students again. I had Trae do walking again, but I stopped him
a few minutes short in order to spend some time working on catching and other manipulatives.

He spent about 16 minutes walking on the treadmill. I did the same activities as the prior day
with the other students for the most part. I did shorten their walk time to 8 minutes. They also
spent 2 minutes jogging, and then they practiced the other locomotor and manipulative skills a
little more thoroughly than they had before. I had Ivey and Cassen work together to practice
throwing the medicine ball back and forth to each other while they were sliding on the treadmill.
I had Virgil by himself, but I was able to do the same activities with him.
I learned that young children form very quick and serious bonds with adults in their life. Each
time that I am present my students light up when they see me and they always have something
that they cant wait to tell me. Im not sure if it is possible to have this same impact on high
school students or not, but it is a great motivator. As I was walking Virgil back to class he turned
around and hugged me. I was caught off guard, but it had a great impact on my attitude as I left
the school.
I have learned that it is not very hard to develop a plan or lesson around one or two students. I
like the opportunity to focus on specific individualized lessons. I know that it becomes much
trickier trying to teach a lesson to a group of students while trying to encompass each students
individual learning abilities and differences. I believe that this is something that comes with time.
9/26
I did not work with my students (Family issues)
9/29
I had an appointment at 1:00 p.m., so I grouped Trae and Virgil together and then had Cassen and
Ivey together. Each time that I have made any kind of adjustment like this I have consulted with
the teachers. I do recognize that some of the students struggle to focus more when they are not
on their own or work with certain students. I had both groups of students walk for 8 minutes at a
range from 3.4-3.6 mph. and an incline somewhere around 3.0-3.5. This was followed by a 2
minute jog at about 5.0 mph. Then we reviewed most of the same locomotor and manipulative
activities that we have been working on.
My students definitely let me know that I was not there on Friday. I know how much they look
forward to their treadmill time. I had to apologize to each of them. I felt guilty about missing the
time with them on the previous Friday.
I realize that as a teacher you have to be able to consistently be there for your students and create
that feeling when you are there. They need to know that this is where you want to be and you are
sincere about their learning. They need to see that the topic that you are teaching is important to
you and you have to make them understand why it should be important to them.
I would like to find a way to bring my best for my students and my impact on them even when I
m not having my best day.
10/1

I did not work with my students (Safe Zone Training)

10/3
I did not work with my students (early dismissal)
10/6
I worked with each of the students one on one because Trey was not there. Each student walked
for 8 minutes at a range from 3.4-3.6 mph. and an incline of 3.0-3.5. Then they jogged for 2
minutes at approximately 5.0 mph. The students then practiced sliding, backwards walking, and
turning in 360 degrees to track and catch objects. During the sliding they practiced throwing and
catching. During the backwards walking they practiced hitting a ball with a paddle. I threw the
ball to them and they hit it back to me and then they practiced trying to get consecutive
successful hits. I told each student to try for 6 consecutive hits. The students also tried to catch a
ball in a cup. When the students were practicing turning and tracking objects I used a scarf at
first and then progressed to a ball.
I really like working one on one with students. I feel like it is easy to develop a lesson plan or
activity that focuses directly on the student that Im working with. I have also learned that I
would be comfortable teaching at any level, which is not what I would have said prior to the last
two semesters.
I learned that my students benefit a great deal from what I have been doing with them. When I
am a teacher, I will have to find creative and new ways to help my students in any way possible.
The treadmill program is a very interesting and beneficial method to assist the students and their
teachers. The students are able to focus better in class and the teachers dont have to struggle
with the students inattentiveness and misbehavior due to their high energy levels.
10/8
I did not work with my students (School Play)
10/10
I worked with Trey and Virgil together. Then I had Ivey and Cassen together. Both groups
walked for 4 minutes at a range from 3.4 -3.6 and an incline of 3.0-3.5, then ran for 2 minutes at
5.0-5.2 at a 0 incline. Afterwards they worked on their locomotor and manipulative skills. I
attempted to use free time as a reward for good behavior. The students were given about 2
minutes of free time at the end of the lesson to do what activities they wanted.
I have become aware of my students trying to feel out how much they can get away with. I
believe that I may need to address their behavior and focus through the use of a behavior chart. I
will mention this to my students during the next lesson.

I have been feeling like I need to change up my lesson a bit, but it has been hard because we
have missed many of our most recent sessions. I need to find other ideas to incorporate new
activities. I believe that this will help to reduce student misbehavior.
10/13
I taught my first lesson today. The lesson was very similar to the activities that I had been doing.
The students walked for 4 minutes at 3.6 mph. and 3.5 incline. Then they ran at 5.0 mph. and a 0
incline for 2 min. After that we worked on sliding, walking backwards, and spinning in circles. I
have made it a point to have Trey and Cassen work on their own, and have Virgil and Ivey work
together. Due to time constraints and other circumstances, I had used other groupings, but I can
definitely see a difference in behavior when Trey or Cassen are paired with another student. The
lesson went very well. The students knew what to expect for the most part. I spoke to the
students about their behavior and informed them that we would be using a behavior chart from
then on.
I learned that I have to follow through with my statements. When a student is not following
directions and I give them a warning, I need to be ready to follow through with the behavior plan
actions. I feel like I spend too much time asking them to cooperate instead of establishing clear
expectations.
I learned that it is important to establish a solid classroom management plan from the beginning,
because it lets your students know what you expect and if it is done properly then there is no
confusion.
10/15
I had the students walk for 4 minutes at 3.6 mph. and an incline of 3.5, followed by 2 minutes of
running at 5.0 mph. The students have really developed over the past couple of weeks. Initially
some of the skills such as passing and catching the objects while sliding gave them some trouble.
Now the students are able to complete the task with no problem. We also used the dumbbells to
incorporate a few different lifts while walking on the treadmill. I had been wanting to do this for
some time, but with all of the off days and the lesson plan it got pushed back.
I enjoy watching the students progress each session. It really makes me excited to see them
complete tasks that were giving them trouble just a week or two ago. It is a very rewarding
feeling to know that I helped them to develop those skills.
The behavior charts were a huge success. Not only did it help the students to listen and follow
directions, but it is something that they are excited to assess at the end of class. Each one of them
is interested in their behavior for the day, and they talk to each other about what they got.
Throughout the lesson they are constantly monitoring their own behavior.
I will be looking into checking out equipment from the HHP office and be looking on the internet
to find new activities.

10/17
I gave the students the option to walk for 6 minutes or walk for 4 minutes and then run for 2.
Trey was happy to walk the entire 6 minutes. I have had some trouble with keeping him
motivated to try the entire time. Since using the behavior chart he has been much better. Virgil
and Cassen both chose to walk for 4 minutes and then run for 2 minutes. Ivey initially chose to
walk for 6 minutes, but she changed her mind and ran as well. We worked on some of the same
manipulative activities as before and also incorporated some new ones.
I was concerned when I got to the school, because the second grade class had been at the
university for wellness days and they were all in the lunchroom eating while I was working with
my students. I was prepared for a rough day, but all of the students did an excellent job of
focusing on the activities with minimal reminders. Trey had made a statement about being
watched, but he was great. I think they enjoyed the attention. Most of the 2nd grade students were
watching and clapping. I learned that I shouldnt jump to conclusions so quickly.
I can really see the students feeding off of the positive encouragement and the atmosphere that
we have. At the beginning of every class I let the students know what to expect for the day and at
the end we finish with a high five. During the activities I try to encourage each one and celebrate
their accomplishments. Obviously this would be harder to do in a class of thirty students. I have
noticed that Virgil really beats himself up when he drops a pass. I have been trying to keep him
positive. A positive environment like the one I have at the elementary school can go a long way
in encouraging students to participate and enjoy the activities.
10/20
I worked with all of my students. I gave all of them the same option as the prior day regarding
the walking and running time. Trey, Cassen and Ivey chose to walk for the entire 6 minutes.
Virgil chose to run for the 2 minute period. I had some difficulties with Trey and his behavior. I
am not sure what is happening in his class time or life right now, but he seems very unhappy
each day. We have started turning and tracking to catch multiple objects. The students had free
time to use as they liked. Cassen chose to use the Frisbee boomerang. Trey likes to use the Velcro
paddle set with the tennis ball. Virgil chose to work on his ball and cup skills, and Ivey chose the
Frisbee boomerang as well.
I learned that I tend to want to be a people pleaser. This can be a good thing, but it can also be a
problem if it is controlling your lesson plans and classroom environment. I need to focus on the
important aspects that I need the students to learn, and realize that the students may not always
like the activity, but that I am teaching it for an important reason.
I learned that I may be giving the students too many options in regards to choices. I need to be
more assertive and it is alright to tell the students what they need to do. Younger students need
more guidance and less ambiguity. There is a time and place for giving students the freedom to
make decisions, but it is not acceptable all the time.
10/22

I worked with Trey, Cassen and Ivey. Virgil was not present. The students did 15 minutes of
continuous walking at approximately 3.4-3.6 mph. While they were walking we covered the
spelling words for the week. The students were initially unhappy that they wouldnt be doing
their regular activities, but they all did an excellent job. I learned after the fact that Trey had
different spelling words than the rest of the students. I had recognized that he was really
struggling with the spelling words that were provided. Both Cassen and Ivey did very well.
I learned that it is important to really get to know your students. It is hard to do in this situation,
because I am not working with the students every day. It is also different because I am a
volunteer at the elementary school and not a full-time teacher there. This makes sharing
information and student background a little trickier. I thought that I knew most of my students
fairly well but, I am realizing that there are a lot of things that I dont know. I feel like I need to
work harder to develop a better understanding of each of my students current educational levels
and backgrounds.
I learned firsthand that all students are not on the same level in each subject. I did not know that
Trey had special spelling words specifically for him. I knew that he was in speech in an isolated
setting, but I didnt realize that he was so far behind his peers. Trey was not even able to identify
the first few letters in many of the words that we covered. This means that my instruction and
communication with Trey may need to be modified to meet his current level.
10/24
I did not work with my students (Fall Break)
10/27
I worked with all of my students. I did not have the spelling words for Cassen, Virgil or Ivey. I
was able to get Treys spelling words. Each of the students walked for 4 minutes and ran for 2
minutes. I used a new concept with Trey and told him that we would lower the speed on the
treadmill each time that he correctly spelled a word. This seemed to motivate him to focus and
correctly spell the words. It was his first time seeing the words for the week so he still had some
slight difficulties. I heard some complaints from the students regarding them not having the
option to pass on the running.
I had been very reserved about teaching elementary school in the past, because I thought that it
was like working in organized chaos. My feelings have changed in the past year. I enjoy working
with students at this level. They are very excited and easy to shape. I like having the opportunity
to make a positive impact on so many young lives.
I am becoming more familiar with elementary level students, because I have been doing most of
my teaching at this level in the past year. I am more interested in teaching elementary students
then I have ever been. Each level has its benefits and areas of difficulties. When teaching at the
elementary level the most important thing is classroom management. The students will
continually test you. It may start as subtle challenges, but if you do not address it then they will
progress to bigger challenges.

10/29
I taught my second lesson. All of my students were there. I worked with Trey first, then Virgil
and Ivey and finally Cassen. The students walked for 4 minutes and then ran for 2 minutes at the
previously stated speeds and inclines. While they were doing this we went over their spelling
words. When the students got the word correct I reduced the speed by .02. Then we moved on to
sliding and catching, striking, throwing and catching multiple balls while walking backwards and
turning to track and catch scarves.
I learned that I still have a lot to learn about teaching. I need to start identifying my philosophies
and building my personal teaching abilities outside of the classrooms. When I am teaching that is
my classroom and those are my students, it is my responsibility to get them to be successful.
Each student needs things to be successful and I need to identify and provide that support.
It sounds repetitive but classroom management is my one area where I need to continue to
improve. I need to be willing to address the distractions during the lesson when they are subtle
and just beginning. This will allow me to save time throughout the lesson trying to address
unwanted behavior. I am working on creating my classroom management plan for
elementary/middle school right now. My primary focus will be to identify theories that I believe
will work the best in my classroom/gymnasium. I also learned that I should not progress through
the lesson just for the sake of completing what I have planned. It is important for teachers to
identify when a student is struggling with an activity or concept. The teacher should recognize
this and should not move on until the student is able to grasp the concept.
10/31 I did not work with my students (Wellness Days)
11/3 I did not work with my students
11/5
I worked with all of my students. I was very happy with the progress that they have been making
and their behaviors over the course of the last couple of weeks so I gave them a free day. The
students were allowed to pick what they wanted to do for the entire time. They all chose to use
the lacrosse sticks and practice throwing and catching with them. This was a new concept to
them, so I demonstrated the proper hand placement on the sticks and how to catch and throw the
ball the correct way. The students really enjoyed learning new skills. After they practiced their
lacrosse skills for about 10 minutes, they each selected a different activity. Virgil chose to work
on his ball and cup skills. Ivey used the ball with the tail on it and I worked with her on throwing
and catching it. Cassen used the Frisbee boomerang and I worked with him on throwing and
catching. Trey chose to play with the Velcro paddle set.
I learned that I can relax and be in control at the same time. I am usually in a zone, so to speak,
when I teach. I am constantly trying to remember to cover everything in my lesson and get the
students through the progressions. It was nice to feel free to engage the students without
worrying about whether or not I was covering everything. After I get started with my lesson and

the students are engaged I relax a little and start to become automatic with my teaching. I need to
learn to develop this same mind set during the initial instruction and prior to getting the students
active. I believe that this will come with time and comfort level.
I learned that it is necessary to give the students a break once in a while. I believe that this free
day allowed the students to relax and have fun without having to focus on completing all of the
various tasks that we would normally go through. The students were actively engaged and still
working on a variety of skills, but they enjoyed having the ability to select the activities and
develop the skill areas where they had an interest.
11/7
I worked with all of my students. The students had an early release, so I had to work with them
in sets of two. They ran and walked for a combined 4 minutes. Then we practiced catching
multiple balls. The tennis ball was bounced and the foam ball was thrown overhand. The students
have progressed with this skill very well. Each of them was able to complete the cycle several
times. After that we worked on turning and tracking to catch scarves in the correct hand. This has
been a challenging task for the students, so I went back to a single scarf and made sure that they
were correctly identifying which hand that they were catching the scarves in. When the students
were able to correctly demonstrate that skill, then we attempted multiple scarves.
I am still very excited to go to the treadmill program for each class. I love teaching, and seeing
the students work through the progressions. Even when I am not having a good day, it gets better
when I know that I get to teach that day.
I find it difficult to teach when I have less than 20 minutes to complete a lesson. I feel like it is
impossible to really cover much. I hope that Im not in a situation like that when I teach at a
school. I enjoy having more than 30 minutes, because it allows me to cover multiple concepts
and build progressions. I feel like the students benefit more from the increased time.
11/10
I worked with all of my students. I worked with Trey first, then Virgil and Ivey and finally
Cassen. The students walked for 4 minutes and then ran for 2 minutes at the previously stated
speeds and inclines. While they were doing this, we went over their spelling words. When the
students got the word correct I reduced the speed by .02. Then we practiced catching multiple
balls. The tennis ball was bounced and the foam ball was thrown overhand. After that we worked
on turning and tracking to catch scarves in the correct hand. This activity has been the most
challenging one to develop with the students. They have trouble identifying the correct hand to
catch the scarves with.
I know that my expectations cannot be the same for every student. While it is important to get the
students to their appropriate developmental levels, each student is very different and will perform
according to their ability level. I have really begun to notice a difference in each student and their
development. Each student is excelling or struggle in different areas. I have had a difficult time

with trying to get each student to the same level, and Im recently realizing that this is a struggle
because each student will never perform the same.
I learned that the students will excel or meet whatever expectations that I have for them based on
how I manage them. Each time that the students have to walk or run now they begin to complain
and ask about the activities. In the beginning of the program, I had the students walking or
running the entire time. As they have become accustomed to the 6 minutes of walking and/or
running, whenever the idea of walking or running longer comes up they voice displeasure. I
asked them about this and they said they didnt know any different in the beginning, so they went
along with walking the entire time.
11/12 I did not work with my students (Early Release)
11/14
I didnt get to record my third lesson for the students. I had to change things up because I was
talking to Mr. Woodworth into my normal time. I had all of the students work on their spelling
words as they walked and ran. I adjusted the treadmill by .02 individually with each student as
they either spelled the words correctly or incorrectly. Trey went down each time he spelled a
word correctly and up when he misspelled a word. Virgil likes to go up as he spells the words
correctly and done when he misspells a word. Ivey has the same system as Trey, and Cassen has
the same system as Virgil. After this we worked on dribbling a soccer ball under control while
walking at 2.6 mph. Then we practiced hitting birdies with the paddles. Next we practiced
throwing and catching multiple balls at different times. We used a soft Nerf ball for overhand
throws, and a tennis ball for a bounce pass. Finally we worked on turning and tracking to catch
the different colored handkerchiefs. The students are starting to develop very well with activity.
I learned that most of my students do not have a great home life. Each of them has several factors
that affect them individually. It can be difficult to know who your students are and what they are
going through without getting to know them on a personal level. Mr. Woodworth and I talked
about each of the students and their backgrounds. This concept goes beyond teaching, and is
something that I constantly have to remind myself when I come across someone who acts
different or has a different perspective on things.
As a teacher I learned that my students need support and to feel like someone is listening to
them. This is not a new concept, but with students who have a difficult home life, it becomes
even more important. I know this very well because I grew up in an environment that did not
always make me feel safe and respected. I believe that this experience has made me more
sympathetic to what students like mine go through. I am trying to remember this each time that I
work with students.
11/17/14
I taught my third lesson to my students. The students worked on their spelling words as they ran
and walked. I adjusted the treadmill by .02 individually with each student as they either spelled
the words correctly or incorrectly. Trey went down each time he spelled a word correctly and up

when he misspelled a word. Virgil likes to go up as he spells the words correctly and done when
he misspells a word. Ivey has the same system as Trey, and Cassen has the same system as Virgil.
Each student also practiced dribbling a soccer ball while at 2.6 mph. on the treadmill. After that
we practiced hitting birdies with paddles while walking backwards, and catching and throwing
various balls simultaneously. We used a soft Nerf ball for overhand throws, and a tennis ball for a
bounce pass. Then we practiced catching and throwing with Lacrosse sticks. Finally we worked
on turning and tracking to catch the different colored handkerchiefs.
I learned that it can be very difficult to establish certain programs and support systems with some
students parents. In talking to Mr. Woodworth, I realized how hard it is to get parents approval
for very simple matters. I have been attempting to do another type of assessment (TGMD-2) on
one of my students from the treadmill program, and I have learned that many parents are not
open to having their student singled out and tested. This will be one of the things that I have to
advocate for when I am a teacher. I believe that with the proper lines of communication and a
thorough understanding of the process that more parents would be willing to allow their children
to have these valuable assessments done. As a future parent, I know that I would never refuse the
opportunity to have my son or daughter assessed. If it is done properly, assessment is a great tool
in identifying the students current ability level and developing a plan for improvement.
My classroom management skills are getting better every day. Recently I have been building
classroom management plans for several classes at various age levels. I have started to
implement my classroom management philosophies into my teaching experiences at the
elementary level, and I have seen noticeable differences in my students behavior and the
classroom structure. Everything is much smoother and the students know what to expect. When
the students have behavioral issues they are given a reminder using their behavior chart. At the
end of the lesson we cover their behavior for the day and they are asked to identify why they got
the face that they got for that day.
11/19/14
I gave the students a free day to do whatever they wanted. Trey chose to hit the birdie back and
forth with me for about five minutes. He has really developed his ability to hit objects with
control. Then we played catch with the Velcro ball set. This transitioned to us throwing and
catching multiple balls. Virgil and Ivey are more difficult to work with together when they have
free time, because they each want to do different things. Virgil began by practicing his ball and
cup skills. Ivey chose to play catch with the ball that has a tail on it. Then they both practiced
their striking skills with the birdie and paddle. I was surprised that they both chose to run for a
few minutes after that. Virgil finished with throwing and catching multiple balls at the same time,
and Ivey chose to practice her 365 degree rotation and sliding. Cassen chose to play catch with
the Velcro ball set. Then we played catch with the Frisbee boomerang, and finally he worked on
his catching and throwing skills with the Lacrosse stick.
When I am done with this semester, I will miss working with the students on the treadmills. I
enjoy finding new and challenging activities for them each class. I also enjoy watching them
become proficient in activities that they struggled with in the beginning. When I get to my
school, I will attempt to develop a similar program to assist students at my school.

The students have begun to self-manage and even manage each others behavior in the class.
They have made a significant transformation in their behaviors and actions since the beginning
of the program. I know that my participation in this program is one of the reasons for these
developments. When I consider how this helps the students to be more successful in their other
classroom activities, I am really proud of the work that I am doing.
11/21/14
Trey was not at school today. I worked with Virgil, Ivey, and Cassen. The students ran and
walked for 7 minutes, and then they were given free time to do whatever activities that they
wanted. During the running and walking we worked on math flash cards. I adjusted their speed
by .02 each time that they answered correctly/incorrectly. Virgil worked on throwing and
catching with the Velcro ball set. He also worked on throwing and catching with the lacrosse
stick. He was able to catch 5 in a row. Ivey chose to play catch with the Frisbee boomerang. She
also worked on throwing and catching with multiple balls. Cassen worked on hitting the birdie
with the paddle and catching and throwing with the ball that has a tail.
I am interested in the treadmill exercise and the effects on the brain. I would like to find out if
any studies have been done to show the positive/negative effects on processing while
walking/running at various speeds. I think that would provide some very interesting results.
I realized that Trey misses a lot of time from school. I am not sure what the reason is each time,
but it must be very difficult for him to keep up with his school work and remain up to speed with
the rest of the class when he is gone so often. As a future teacher, I am not sure how to handle
this situation.

11/21/14
I did the TGMD-2 assessment with Ava for AP. Ava is a young girl who has a low level of ASD.
She is highly functioning and very bright. She does however come off as very shy initially. I
spoke to her mom about Ava, and had her fill out the initial survey chart. Then I ran Ava through
the TGMD-2. After the test I tallied up the results and reported them back to her mom.
11/24/14
I had each of the students run and walk the entire time. We did intervals of walking at 3.6 mph.
and running at 5.2 mph. for several minutes. Trey ran at 4.8 mph. All of the students were able to
get over a mile. While the students were running, I asked them about what they were doing for
the holidays. I also asked them about their favorite hobbies and classes. We talked about their
favorite and least favorite foods as well. Virgil had a difficult day. I had to give him a yellow face
and warn him about the possibility of getting a red face.
I learned that I enjoy teaching at this level. I know that I would like to coach football at the high
school level, but that does not mean that I have to teach at that level. I am now completely open

to teaching at any level K-12. This experience has helped to teach me to keep my options open
and not be so quick to reject possibilities in the future.
I learned that the students enjoy talking about themselves and their personal lives. Each student
wanted to tell me what their most favorite everything was. Having the students share all of this
information with me helps create a bond, which allows them to feel like I have an invested
interest in them. This can go a long way in creating a positive respectful relationship. By
fostering this positive relationship with the students it makes them more likely to adhere to the
classroom rules and expectations. If the students respect you it will go a long way in creating a
successful classroom environment.
11/25/14
I worked with all of my students. The students ran and walked for 7 minutes. During the running
and walking we worked on math flash cards. I adjusted their speed by .02 each time that they
answered correctly/incorrectly. After this each of the students practiced high knees and lunging.
Then we worked on dribbling a soccer ball at 2.6 mph. Next we worked on catching the ball in
the cup and striking the birdie with the paddle. The students have shown great progress on their
hand-eye coordination throughout the semester.
I believe that my personality and mental changes in the past few years have made me better able
to work with younger students. As I get older, I feel like I have developed more patience and
mellowed out. When I was younger, I did not think that I would be as excited about the
perspective of working with young children, because of their energy level. I stated in a previous
journal submission that teaching younger level children is like trying to organize chaos. I have
come to realize recently that it is only chaotic if you allow for it to be. I have spent many hours
observing Mr. Woodworth teaching health lessons, and he has a firm control over his classroom
environment and the students behaviors.
I learned that other disciplines can be very easy to incorporate into the physical education lesson.
I have been able to use both math and spelling review for several weeks. The students enjoy the
challenge, and are interested in the adjustments made on the treadmill based on whether they
give a(n) correct/incorrect answer.
11/26/14
All of the students were present. I had each of the students work on their spelling words as they
walked and ran. I adjusted the treadmill by .02 individually with each student as they either
spelled the words correctly or incorrectly. Trey went down each time he spelled a word correctly
and up when he misspelled a word. Once he got down to 2.6, I reversed it. Virgil likes to go up as
he spells the words correctly and done when he misspells a word. After he got up to 5.2, then I
took him down. Ivey and Cassen both did the same as Virgil. Then each of the students worked
on catching and throwing multiple balls. Next they worked on turning and tracking to catch
scarves.
I learned that if I am going to teach at this level, that I need to be more open to being or acting
childish. I am a fairly serious person, and it is not something that I do very often. I am learning to

care less about how I come off while trying to come down to the students level. Having
observed Mr. Woodworth, I have learned that you can act silly or goofy and still be a serious
person. When Trae and I were there to observe the principal for our administrator shadow, we
had to do the cha-cha slide with the students during their assembly. I am not much of a dancer
and was somewhat embarrassed by having to do this.
I learned that students at this age level know far more than students did at this age level when I
was a kid. Im not sure if its the ever changing expectations and curriculum or technology that is
the reason for this, but I was not on the same level as the students are now when I was in 3rd
grade. Skill development and physical ability is still the same as far as physical education goes,
but their general education content knowledge and life knowledge is amazing.
12/1/14
Ivey was still gone from Thanksgiving. The other students were all present. I had each of the
students work on their spelling words as they walked and ran. I adjusted the treadmill by .02
individually with each student as they either spelled the words correctly or incorrectly. Mondays
are a difficult day for the students to practice their spelling words, because it is their first time
seeing them. I usually make various modifications to the students speeds because of this. After
this we practiced throwing and catching with the lacrosse stick. Next we played catch with the
ball with the tail. The students then worked on rotating 365 degrees each way, and then turning
and tracking to catch scarves.
I learned that word of mouth travels very fast amongst the students. Everything that I do with my
students on the treadmill is known by all of the other students. This goes the same for each of the
other college students and the kids that they are working with as well. I had been aware of this
for a while, but I have just recently considered it from the perspective of a teacher. This is
something that I will have to be aware of and ready to face when I am a teacher. If I am going to
do something a certain way with one student or class, then every other student and class will
eventually hear about it. As long as I can justify the reason in an intelligent way, I will be alright
with things being that way. My students will have to understand that each class and individual
situation is different.
12/3/14
I worked with all of my students. The students ran and walked for 9 minutes. During the running
and walking we worked on math flash cards. I adjusted their speed by .02 each time that they
answered correctly/incorrectly. When the students got down to 2.6, then I would take them up
until they got to 5.2 at which point they would run for 1-2 minutes. After this I gave the students
free time to work on whatever they wanted. Ivey chose to work on throwing and catching
multiple balls. Trey chose to play catch with the Velcro ball set. He also chose to use the paddle
to hit the birdie. Virgil chose to work on throwing and catching with the lacrosse stick. It can be
rather difficult to give them both my attention when working with both of them together. Then
they worked on turning and tracking to catch scarves. Cassen worked on catching and throwing
with the lacrosse stick, and then he worked on catching. Then he worked on catching throwing
multiple balls.

I learned that I need to use the students names more. Since watching my instructional
commentary video, I have realized that I often use nicknames such as bud or buddy to identify
my students. While this may work fine right now since I am working one on one, it may cause
some confusion when I am working with a whole class. I am working on trying to use the
students name and give more specific feedback.
12/5/14
I worked with all of my students. The students ran and walked for 7 minutes. During the running
and walking we worked on math flash cards. I adjusted their speed by .02 each time that they
answered correctly/incorrectly. When the students got down to 2.6, then I would take them up
until they got to 5.2 at which point they would run for 1-2 minutes. After that we played catch
with the medicine ball. Then we played catch with the Frisbee boomerang. Finally we played
catch with the ball with a tail.
I learned that each of my students have their days where they feel really good or really bad. It is
important that I find a way to motivate them to perform on their bad days. Recently I have had a
few struggles with both Virgil and Trey. Each time it has gotten to the point that I ask them if
they want to be done with the treadmill that day and go back to class. They both said no they
would like to continue. I have started to recognize when they are having bad days as soon as they
come out for treadmill. I understand that sometimes people are just going to have bad days, but I
would like to try to break the cycle for them on that day.
How the time during the treadmill goes will impact the students when they go back to the
classroom. I dont want to send the students back to class angry or upset and have them cause a
disruption in the class. I always try to have them leave the treadmill lesson on a positive note.
Even if the student was having difficulties that day, I make sure to pull them aside and discuss
the issues. Then I try to lift them up and encourage them to have a better day next time. We also
talk about mutual respect and appropriate actions or reactions.
12/8/14
No School (snow day)
Assigned Chapter Reading Questions
Chapter #2
1. What is the primary ethical issue in this case?
A- The primary ethical issue is the use of pain as a means to teach or prevent students
from undesired behavior and whether Ms. Cooper should report it to the parents,
principal, or someone else.
2. What are some of the factors that contributed to this issue?

A- Some of the factors that contributed to this issue are: Mr. Johansens use of pain
inflicting tactics, Mr. Collinss failure to find fault with the tactics, Ms. Coopers
inability to advocate for proper treatment of Linda and her safety. There also seems to
be a training or policy error here, because no one knows how to handle Linda and her
outburst appropriately.
3. From a legal standpoint, is it all right to inflict pain on a child as part of his or her
behavior intervention program? Why or why not?
A- No! To me it is never appropriate to use pain as a part of a behavior intervention
program. Clearly this is a failure on many levels. If I was Lindas parent, and I found
out that this was happening, I would remove Linda from that school and demand that
those parties involved in this issue were terminated (Mr. Johansen) and/or
reprimanded (Mr. Collins) (possibly Ms. Cooper). The actions of Mr. Johansen are
not just an ethical issue, but also a legal one (child abuse).
4. From an ethical standpoint, is it all right to inflict pain on a child as a part of his or her
behavior intervention plan? Why or why not?
A- No! It follows my same response to question 3. I am not a big fan of physical
punishment in any situation. I can understand spanking a child, but this is not that
kind of situation, and you definitely dont instill physical punishment on someone
elses child. You cannot punish someone for something that they have little or no
control over.
5. Is it worthwhile for Ms. Cooper to try to change Mr. Collinss mind about the behavior
intervention plan? If so, what might she say or do to change his mind?
A- I do not believe that this case can be resolved by simply speaking to Mr. Collins. I
would speak to him and try to help him understand, but this goes beyond a discussion.
I would let him know the legal ramifications as well as professional. I would tell him
that no one has the right to intentionally inflict pain on a student, and that anyone who
engages in those acts should not be allowed near children. I would ask him to look at
it from the perspective of a bystander and ask himself if he would stand by and allow
that behavior.