Reflection on Teacher Preparation Observation at Hamden Middle School

At Hamden Middle School we observed a 7th grade class participating in a physical

education class taught by Mr. Cebula. During the class we observed the students were doing a
practice run for their 1 mile run test they had coming up. At the beginning of the class Mr.
Cebula explained the importance of what they were doing and the requirements.
Before we were brought into the gym Mr. Cebula took us into a room to talk to us about
the students and what he does on a daily basis. He then brought us into the gym where some of
the class were already waiting. There were a couple classes in the gym at the same time because
they break off after warmup with their teacher. The students gathered near their teacher in the
gym to get prepared for the warmup activity. The teachers names are on the walls of the gym and
that is where the students meet. During the first part all of the classes were combined for a warm
up activity that included running around and tagging with noodles. The teachers passed around
the noodles to random students and then they went around and tagged other students. After the
warm up the classes split up into their grades and teachers they had. Mr. Cebulas class gathered
on the floor and sat in a group to listen. The students listened very well to Mr. Cebulas lesson
and asked questions. He discussed what the students were going to be doing for the mile run and
how it helps benefit them. After their lesson they started the practice for a 1/2 mile run to get
them prepared for the mile run they had coming up soon.
I thought this class was great and really enjoyed watching the students interact with one
another. It was great to see them ask questions and be really involved with understanding what
Mr. Cebula had to say. From just observing that one day he seemed like a great teacher and the
students really seem to enjoy having him too. I definitely thought it was a great experience for
myself because it was different than what I am used to with being a Human Performance major.

It definitely made me think twice about what I want to pursue but after further consideration and
other observation hours else where I was able to decide. I do enjoy being and working with
children but I do not think this would be the right area for me. I always disliked physical
education growing up so I would not see myself teaching it.
Overall, I definitely thought stepping out of my own comfort zone and seeing a class in
action helped me get a different experience for something new.

Reflection on NEACSM Conference

In November I attended the NEACSM conference in Providence, Rhode Island with the
Exercise Physiology Club. The experience I had at this 2 day event was the best experience that I
had. I went to 11 different sessions and each one definitely made an impact on my decision for
Human Performance but also made me think more in depth of what kind of physical therapy I
want to pursue.
The first day was definitely my favorite because most of the sessions I attended really
were geared towards my interests. The very first session I went to was about NASCAR and Indy
Car drivers. The speakers discussed the studies they did and how each one pertained to the pit
crew and the driver. One of the speakers, Dr.Ferguson discussed his 6 year long study on how
they tried to improve the performance on the NASCAR Sprint Cup pit crew. An interesting
statement made by Ferguson, You can train an athlete to be a mechanic but, you cant train a
mechanic to be an athlete. He went on to explain that the overall performance of the pit crew
can really effect the outcome of how the drivers place in the championship. The second speaker
in that session then discussed the drivers performance based on the effects from the car. The
third speaker was my favorite because he is an Indy Car driver and his story is truly inspiring.
Charlie Kimball was the speaker and he is known for being the first Indy Car driver to be
diagnosed with diabetes. He talked about how and when he was diagnosed and the effect it has
had on him throughout his career as a driver. The second session I went to was called How to
Speak Veteran. This session was very powerful because of the meaning it had behind it and the
overall topic. Rob Foley was a speaker who is a retired Navy Seal and discussed his difficulties
and what happened to him during his time of service. He lives with many injuries but the most
profound one is that of PTSD and how he deals with it everyday. Ben Grasso, an MD also
discussed why it is important to learn about Veteran Speak and how to help combat veterans with

PTSD and other forms of psychological problems that they may have. All of the sessions I was
able to take away something from each one and really help me decide what I want to do in the
Physical Therapy field.
If I learned one thing from going to this conference it was definitely that you should not
give up trying to do what you love most. The speakers that were there and the sessions I went to
were truly inspiring. Many of them have been working on studies and finding solutions for so
many things and for people. Being able to help people in a different way and achieve their goals
is definitely what I intend to do and by being immersed in so many different types and areas
really opened my eyes. One of the last sessions I attended on Friday afternoon was about
Parkinsons patients and how incorporating more exercise into their daily living can help with
the overall symptoms they may experience day to day. This was a very interesting session
because I really understood the material that the speaker discussed because I have taken some
psych courses that focused on a lot of the things he mentioned. Parkinsons disease is a very
debilitating and progressive brain disorder that greatly affects ones life severely. The speaker
Paul Gallo discussed the benefits of exercise for Parkinsons patients and how there is a gap in
current research. Although, with his study the recommendations for an average healthy adult can
be applied to patients with Parkinsons disease. I learned a lot in this session that I was able to
apply in my daily life because I sometimes work with patients with Parkinsons.
This conference really made an impact on my decisions for where I want to go with
Physical Therapy. I thoroughly enjoyed the entire experience and I already can not wait to go
next year. My goal next year is to be a part of the college bowl team because the questions were
challenging and I think I could be a good asset on a team.

Reflection on Physical Therapy Observation

I currently work at Masonicare in Wallingford as a CNA on one of the rehabilitation units
in the building. I have been there for 3 years and really enjoy it. I have learned so many new

things and the experiences I have gained have greatly effected my career choice in physical
therapy.
I was able to do observation hours in the physical therapy gym with one of the physical
therapists that see many of the patients that I take care of on my unit. Karen has been in the
physical therapy field for over 25 years and really enjoys working in geriatrics. During my time
with Karen I was able to observe 3 different sessions. Each one was similar with the exercises
incorporated but I was able to get something out of each one. The first session I was in involved
a patient that was getting electro stimulation therapy to their knees and legs. This was going to be
able to help in giving the muscles more stimulation to be able to stand and continue with the rest
of the exercises. This was going to be applied for the next couple sessions the patient would have
for the rest of the week to be able to work up to standing. The rest of the session included the
patient doing leg lifts with ankle weights and marches. The second session the same exercises
were applied but no electro stimulation was used. She then transferred the patient from the
wheelchair with a four wheeled rolling walker to the bed with a gait belt. The purpose of this
patients therapy was to help strengthen the muscles and walking but also to ween them off
oxygen because at home it was not used. The third session was also a great one because it helped
show that there can be difficult patients out there as well. This particular patient at first did not
want to do their therapies but finally realized it was the right thing for their wellbeing. Karen
used a ball to play toss with the patient. The last activity was playing a form of badminton with a
balloon. The patient really enjoyed the session and it was great to see because the patient started
out not wanting to do therapy at all and ended up having a good time.
This observation was a great learning experience for me because I was able to really get
in the area of what I want to be doing. I necessarily do not want to work in geriatrics but it is

definitely an option. I enjoy working in it now but I do not think I want to pursue it for physical
therapy. I really enjoyed watching the different types of exercises used and the different types of
equipment that the gym is filled with. I definitely felt that I was in my place when observing and
can not wait to begin my career.

Reflection on Human Performance Career Perspective

I went to the Edge Fitness in Meriden to interview a Personal Trainer. His name was
Heath Smith and is the head personal trainer. I chose to write about this experience because it
was an option I was considering.

Heaths story was interesting because he discussed that he was overweight his entire life
and he did not want to stay that way so he made the decision that it was time for a change. He
lost 85 pounds total and used his motivation to want to help others the same way he helped
himself. I thought this was something to be proud of because it takes a lot of time and effort to
get there and then wanting to help people after that is a great quality. One of the things I learned
from talking to Heath was the most challenging part of personal training. He said that it is very
difficult to get people to recognize that there is a difference between the way they look and the
knowledge that they need to gain along the way. I thought that this was very interesting because I
know many people struggle with the physical aspects of working towards fitness goals but did
not realize that so many people struggle with gaining more knowledge and recognizing that that
is more important than anything.
One of the biggest things I learned from Heath was that if this is something anyone wants
to pursue than you should try it out first and see if it is really something for you. He said that he
knows so many people that have other degrees or exercise science degrees and go into personal
training that do not like it. He said there is a big difference between the two and it should be
thoroughly considered before just jumping right in. I definitely took this into consideration
because it was something I was looking into. I will most likely in the near future do some
observation to see if it really will help me in my career for physical therapy because it has always
been something I have wanted to do.

Reflection on School Health Career Perspective

I chose to talk about my experience from my school health interview because I thought
the information I obtained was very interesting. I went to my old high school, Francis T
Maloney, in Meriden and interviewed Amy Gilchrist. She is a school health teacher and also
teaches physical education.
The most interesting part of the interview was when Amy discussed her likes and dislikes
about teaching school health. She stated that the classes she teaches are not leveled very well.

Meaning, many of the students are not all up to the same standard of learning and this is a major
problem for her curriculum because most of it is basic knowledge. For example, I was very
surprised to learn that many students today do not know their food groups. Amy said nutrition is
one of the topics taught in the class and should be taught on a different level or throughout high
school years because there is just so much information that needs to be taught. So many of the
students are lacking in so many areas because many of the things are either brand new to
students or only know very little about the subject. I think this is a major problem because the
younger kids of this generation need to work harder to get what they want. It should be a priority
that the curriculum for school health is branched out throughout the entire 4 years in high school
because of all the vast amount of topics covered into one semester of freshman year.
I think school health would be something I would consider because I enjoy teaching kids
and being in that setting. Considering school health would also entail considering physical
education and I do not think I would want to do that but it is definitely something to look into
and keep my options open.