From High School PE to Middle School Core: What I've learned

I've been teaching High School Physical Education courses for much of the last 6 years. From the east coast to the west coast of Canada, and finally across the Pacific Ocean to Malaysia, I have taught 12-19 year olds how to enjoy healthy active living. The job changed considerably depending on the location, the climate, and the students, but I always had a great time!

In December 2014, an opportunity arose at my current school (Sunway International School, Malaysia) to take on a Middle School grade 7 core teaching position. It would involve taking a step away from Health and Physical Education, and delivering daily lessons in english, math, social studies and the arts. After some consideration, I decided I was interested in taking on a new challenge and accepted the position.

In January, I stepped into my classroom for the very first time and stared down at 13 timid faces. The students were all a little nervous about attending a new school, and were clearly uncertain about what kind of a teacher I was going to be - they weren't the only ones! After about 5 seconds, my leadership experience kicked in and I launched into a series of ice-breakers and orientation-type activities. Within one week, we had established our classroom rules and expectations, and the classroom began to feel like a home away from home.

One of the most interesting things for me this year was watching my 11 and 12-year old students develop and grow as individuals, and realizing the significant role that I had in shaping/guiding them. As a high school PE teacher, I saw my students once a day for about an hour - I spent a lot of time instructing and playing with my classes and would see changes in their performance and attitudes over a semester, but never really observed differences on a day-to-day basis. Middle school students are like fluid, constantly-changing beings - they try on different hairstyles and attitudes and work/study habits every week, and sometimes need help deciding whether to go left or right when they reach certain academic or social crossroads. I've spent almost as much time on character development this year as I have on curriculum and class instruction, and I'm just as proud of my students for their kind and responsible decion-making as I am for their academic achievements and improvements.

I've gained a lot of valuable experience as an educator this year. I've learned about organization and how to balance teaching 4+ subjects in a day. I've dealt with bullying and social media issues, and worked closely with parents and administration to maintain a kind classroom. I've experienced the cultures and languages of my diverse group of students, and tried to incorporate some fun and games in whenever/wherever I could.

Overall, teaching grade 7 core has been one of the most enjoyable/interesting years of my teaching experience to date, and has really expanded my range and skills as a teacher. I'm excited to see what the future holds for me!