Brad Vickers Teaching Philosophy

~Teaching Philosophy ~

As a teacher, I have the responsibility to serve my students, the university, and the field of physical education. To ensure that I meet these responsibilities I must be prepared to teach a diverse student population and encourage discussions relating to the subject matter. These discussions will increase the transfer of knowledge into “real-life” situationsas I encourage students to actively participate in lectures and presentations that promote learning. I also endeavor to perform research relating to physical education thereby adding additional information to the current body of knowledge.

My basic philosophy of teaching is rooted deep within the aspect that students attend my class to gain information that they can use outside of the classroom while the superficial components of my philosophy (teaching strategy) may change depending on the students and their particular motivational needs. Each class has its own personality and therefore the students in these classes have a variety of expectations and skills that will empower them to take advantage of the learning environment. These variations in teaching strategies depend upon specific factors that motivate the class as a whole to learn and will ultimately increase the students' interest in physical education while amplifying their insatiable thirst for more knowledge. Therefore, the students will gradually transfer the aspect of knowledge acquisition from a means to earn an acceptable grade to a more internal desire for self improvement. This desire will better equip the graduating students to be more effective leaders in their specific area of study with a continued effort to increase their knowledge and skills in that area.

In order to challenge my students, I must be well equipped with a comprehensive knowledge base of physical education and never cease to add to that body of knowledge. This can be accomplished through my ability to secure funding from external sources for research that will enable me to add additional insight and information to the field of study. I am also careful to not become complacent with my teaching strategies. It is therefore essential that I reflect upon my daily routines, which will allow me to benefit from my successes, and learn from my mistakes. This allows me to continually search for areas to improve and implement those improvements to enhance the learning experiences of my students. I must remain aware of the fact that we live in a changing society and the variety of implications these changes has on physical education must be understood in order to maintain our relevance within that society. With the increasing emphasis our society places on activity and sport, it is necessary that my students discover various aspects of physical education and learn how to effectively implement those aspects to ensure physical activity at all levels.

Essentially, I have the unique opportunity to empower individuals to discover their potential and the ability to equip them with the knowledge and skills necessary to reach that potential.

	Brad Vickers Doctoral Candidate, Physical Education and Sports Studies *Masters of Education in HPER, Delta State Univseristy; 2000* *Bachelor of Science in Biology, Delta State University; 1998* Email: vick55@uga.edu Curriculum Vitae UGA Sport Instruction Research Lab
~Teaching Philosophy ~ As a teacher, I have the responsibility to serve my students, the university, and the field of physical education. To ensure that I meet these responsibilities I must be prepared to teach a diverse student population and encourage discussions relating to the subject matter. These discussions will increase the transfer of knowledge into “real-life” situationsas I encourage students to actively participate in lectures and presentations that promote learning. I also endeavor to perform research relating to physical education thereby adding additional information to the current body of knowledge. My basic philosophy of teaching is rooted deep within the aspect that students attend my class to gain information that they can use outside of the classroom while the superficial components of my philosophy (teaching strategy) may change depending on the students and their particular motivational needs. Each class has its own personality and therefore the students in these classes have a variety of expectations and skills that will empower them to take advantage of the learning environment. These variations in teaching strategies depend upon specific factors that motivate the class as a whole to learn and will ultimately increase the students' interest in physical education while amplifying their insatiable thirst for more knowledge. Therefore, the students will gradually transfer the aspect of knowledge acquisition from a means to earn an acceptable grade to a more internal desire for self improvement. This desire will better equip the graduating students to be more effective leaders in their specific area of study with a continued effort to increase their knowledge and skills in that area. In order to challenge my students, I must be well equipped with a comprehensive knowledge base of physical education and never cease to add to that body of knowledge. This can be accomplished through my ability to secure funding from external sources for research that will enable me to add additional insight and information to the field of study. I am also careful to not become complacent with my teaching strategies. It is therefore essential that I reflect upon my daily routines, which will allow me to benefit from my successes, and learn from my mistakes. This allows me to continually search for areas to improve and implement those improvements to enhance the learning experiences of my students. I must remain aware of the fact that we live in a changing society and the variety of implications these changes has on physical education must be understood in order to maintain our relevance within that society. With the increasing emphasis our society places on activity and sport, it is necessary that my students discover various aspects of physical education and learn how to effectively implement those aspects to ensure physical activity at all levels. Essentially, I have the unique opportunity to empower individuals to discover their potential and the ability to equip them with the knowledge and skills necessary to reach that potential.