Virtus and Abuse

After completing the Virtus training with Sister Harriet Hamilton, I left with more knowledge of sexual abuse than I thought possible in a school setting.  I've realized that as a teacher, and state mandated reporter, it is possible to make a difference if you suspect suspicious behavior.  By noting that maybe an adult is getting a little close or a little to friendly around a child, and reporting this activity to your superiors, you could prevent an act of sexual abuse and a save a child or children from something that will traumatize them for life.  If unsettling behavior is not reported, that potential perpetrator will remain to have access to children and have the opportunity to cause harm.  I am glad I was able to partake in this workshop and learn things that will definitely benefit my professional career and knowledge of the horrors of the real world.

Lab 1 Reflection

Today, at St. Mary's, I felt everything ran much smoother and was a little bit more comfortable and relaxing.  I was shocked to find that many of the children that were there the previous week quickly recalled who i was and wanted to jump straight into playing games and having fun.  Due to the small number of children in the group I was working with, we resorted to playing a small game of soccer which really got the children moving.  I feel as though playing simple, traditional games as such, are good to bring back into play rather than some new games where the children may be confused.  I also believe that playing something most everyone was familiar with was beneficial so that next time, when more children are around, everyone can learn a new game/games at the same time together.


lab 1

"Learn through the physical"

When referring to learning through the physical, I believe that students can learn a lot.  Learning through the physical is more or less learning through play and experience.  Anyone can talk about what to do during a sports game but you can learn so much more actually exploring that sports game yourself.  Through learning through the physical, learning can occur through the three domains, psychomotor, affective, and cognitive. This can quickly be summed up into how you train your sensory coordination skills,  your social skills while interacting with others, and becoming all around more knowledgeable about the sport, topic or activity you are working on and partaking in.   Through learning through the physical, one of the most important thing someone can take from it would be from the affective domain.  By participating in physical activity and play, your behavior towards other while on the field, court, stadium, etc, will be improved as you learn how to handle situations and work together with the people around you.  Learning through the physical is one of the best ways to learn, for it expands your knowledge to the fullest extent and allows for growth in all three domains.

Day 1

Being unsure of what our lab experience would be like, I found my first day working with the kids and getting a feel for the environment was a success.  I got a good feeling when entering, seeing all the children running around with smiles on their face, and when i stepped into the gym i instantly felt welcomed.  The most memorable part of my day was probably in the Pre-K room where i found myself on the ground playing with trucks and animals with a child named Lucas.  While playing I was able to ask him how many animals or people he would put in the bus, allowing him to use some basic cognitive skill while having a good time.  I'm looking forward to our actual first day at the school when we meet the primary students we will be working with and getting to know.

Creating a Blog

I have never created a blog before, but am excited to actually get to reflect about my days working with the elementary school children.  It is definitely a good way to go through your time spent at St. Mary's and get to look at all the positives and even the negatives of that time.  Over break I, every Sunday, would watch Toddlers and Preschoolers for an hour and a half.  Knowing that we are going to be working with children as young as preschool, that time will without a doubt help me to work with those younger children.