James Zlatanov can't seem to post on the blog, so he asked me to put this entry up for him:
A big part of the reason I want to become a teacher is to get involved with the school's sports program. Most particularly I want to coach basketball. I have wanted to be a basketball coach since I figured out I could not be a basketball player. The question I ask myself on the verge of becoming a teacher is will coaching help me become a better or worse teacher?
Currently in BC all coaching is voluntary. I would have to dedicate many hours to coaching outside of class. How will this affect me as a teacher? Well as Mrs. Hamm said in our class preparation is the key to success in the classroom especially as a new teacher. Coaching will obviously take up much of my preparation time. However, this time will be well spent. Not only will I be involved in something I love but I will be able to have even more time with students in a teaching situation. I believe that coaching will help me gain a better understanding of students and develop teaching techniques which can and will relate to the class room.
In the BC Sports School report on line I came across an interview with Pit Medows Secondary School Sr. Boys Basketball coach Rich Goulet where he states some of his observations and advise to teacher coaches. To follow will be some of the interview Q&A. I will also post the link to the BC Sports School report website if anyone is interested.
What do you believe would resonate with the teacher coach of today in terms of recognition: “The system in place in public education is hardly flattering to teacher-coaches. I spent 10 years coaching at a Catholic high school. My position was an important one and the school rewarded me with a teaching schedule and spares that matched the many hours of endeavor I put in. When I arrived at the public school, it was similar though never equal. Ten years later in 1989 that all disappeared and we became “volunteers”. That tag does not motivate many teachers to spend the time it takes to run quality programs. I believe that today’s teacher coach want to be recognized as doing something important for his/her school and being appropriately rewarded for it. We lose way too many coaches because it is just not important in the system as it is set up now.”
What is the biggest challenge you face as a teacher coach: “The biggest challenge is doing an incredible amount of work, spending an incredible amount of time without help and at the same time facing the scrutiny of everyone and their dog. There has to be an easier way so that coaching appeals to our young teachers.”
What advice would you give to new teacher/coaches: “My greatest advice is not to coach or run their life the way I did and do. The young teacher needs to balance their life. Coaches with families need to be able to spend the time with the approval and involvement of their families. Most teacher-coaches coach because they love kids and they love their sport. Balance is the key.” Describe your love for sports growing up: “I never started playing organized sports until I was 15 and that was limited. I really started playing on organized teams when I was in Gr. 11 at STM. I played basketball in the winter and box lacrosse in the summer. My love
for those two sports was so immense that I practiced them on my own around the clock (but still had a great allegiance to being an A Student)
http://www.bcschoolsports.ca/pages/publications/bcss_report.php
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1 comment:
First of all James my man I know that you'll be a great coach and a great teacher so don't sweat it. I have the exact same sort of fear that I'll go insane trying to balance planning as well as coaching and living my life in general. But if you really think about it were more than likely to be TOC's or part-timers (unless you have connections or bump someone off, haha)for our firts couple of years as teachers so we will have had some experience. My fear is that I won't be a good coach. I pick up sports pretty easily and I enjoy doing a lot of them however, I worry that I won't be able to teach them well. It is pretty silly but just because you can do a lay up, set up a free kick in soccer or up a 2-2-2 formation in lacrosse doesn't mean you can instruct it. I guess that it rally comes down to geting experience and taking extra time with other coaches to get the technical stuff down before hand and then instruct it.
But coming back to the recognition part of your post I agree with the article that these volunteer coaches do want some recognition. This is because what they do after class or during their planning time is so important to students and integral to their development socially (and larger community oriented) as well as physically.
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