Last full week of March

As April begins to appear on the calendar, I couldn’t help but be amazed at how fast this coop semester is going by. I reported to work last Monday and was immediately greeted at the door by Andrius who is in charge of the Physical Education program at the YMCA which works in collaboration with the Josiah Quincy Upper and high school. Andrius pulled me aside and told me that he had spoken to Karen, the Wang YMCA Executive Director, and they both approved of my presence in PE and felt as though I could handle my own group. Needless to say I was ecstatic; I had been bouncing between groups getting to know the kids before with a goal in mind to someday soon have my own group. I was chosen to take over Albert’s group; Albert is the facilities director and also keeps an active role with the kids in PE. The transition worked out rather smoothly as Albert was also struggling when it came to balancing time in PE with his other duties around the facility. After being introduced to my group, we did a few laps and stretched out a bit before heading into a big game of floor hockey. The kids seem to respond to me very well because I share the same excitement that they have for PE class. When I was their age it was by far my favorite thing about school so improving their overall experience was a goal of mine since the very first day I arrived at the Wang. Before my arrival the kids would normally run around and have “free gym” which obviously they enjoy doing. I felt as though they would benefit from a more structured, organized menu of activities that everyone could participate in. After weeks of floor hockey and kickball the excitement of the kids has grown significantly. One of the main aspects of my approach that separates me from the other instructors is my willingness to participate. I enjoy being active and playing with the kids to encourage them to be more active through my actions rather than words. When they see me on the court playing and making extra passes to my teammates they understand better. We have another class arriving now! See you next week.