Day 7

Today I was back at the sports complex. It was another great day there. I really like this program and think that the people who are in charge of it do a great job choosing activities that get the students up and moving and that the students also enjoy. When I first got there we got right into my favorite activity, the around the world run. I ran with one specific student who is about 9 and has some anger and behavioral issues. One thing that I noticed about him right away was that he does not like to be told what to do. For example, when he stopped to walk, he would not start running again until he was ready, no matter what I said. I found that it was easier to let him have some control and just be there with him as more of a friend than a teacher. This is a benefit of being a mentor rather than a school teacher because I was allowed to do this and I could tell that he liked that a lot more. Once I started falling his lead instead of trying to lead myself, he loosened up some and started to laugh and have fun with me. This was a very good feeling and the exact reaction that I was hoping for. Although as a teacher you need to keep a fine line between friend and teacher with your students, this experience taught me that it is okay to give students a little freedom sometimes as long as they are not taking advantage of it. This lesson is one that I will use in my classes in the future as a physical educator.