255 Spring 2010 Starting Quickly out of the Gates!

Welcome to RockstarPE where we help you to define your teaching style and philosophy. Together with the help of our TA's, we will help make your lessons exciting and engaging to maximize student interest and learning opportunities.  It will take a lot of effort and self-discovery on your part to succeed in this class and I know you are up to the challenge - otherwise you wouldn't still be in class. 

I welcome you and encourage you to take a hold of your own education and define who you want to be and what you stand for as a future physical educator / teacher candidate (TC). If you don't know what you stand for, you'll fall for anything.

Here is the Blog Introduction Playlist

Here is the Lesson Introduction Playlist

Find your videos and watch them a couple of times.  Get the embed codes for your videos and place them into a blog post and reflect on what you watched.  Pay particular attention to your voice (volume, clarity, pronunciation, vocal pitch / inflection, etc.), your body language (hands, eyes, shoulders, head, feet, etc.) as well as what you said.  Was the intent of your message communicated clearly?  Was it easy to understand? Were your directions clear and intelligible?  What would you want to say next the next time you teach?

Check out this Vocal Awareness Tipsheet. Very useful and important for you to understand as an educator and effective communicator.

Vocal Awareness

By Arthur Joseph

Vocal Power Empowers You

Ten Tips For Enhancing Vocal Presence

1. Identify how you want to be perceived (create a “persona” statement – “persona” means through the sound.) This will help you choose the best way to reflect an idealized you. 
2. Don’t “present” who you are – “Be” who you are. In other words, be less concerned of what others think of you and more concerned with what you believe about your Self. 
3. Remember the adage, “breath is fuel”. You have to put gas in the tank of your car before driving anywhere; you have to breathe efficiently if you want to speak effectively. 
4. To find your optimal pitch level (“the hub of your voice,” your core sound,) – gently descend on the sound of hmm. Where hmm ends where you speak from. 
5. Sing a lot. Singing is freeing. It is also an emotionally and spiritually healthy thing to do. Singing is a creative way to enhance your vocal range, power, and color. 
6. Realize that any professional encounter – from the casual in-office meeting to a business call to a prepared talk should all be considered “performances.” They are opportunities to put your best foot forward, so whenever possible, rehearse them. 
7. Take conscious ownership of every verbal encounter. Don’t feel as though someone is not interested in what you have to say or that someone is too busy which would then make you hurry the conversation. Take your time. 
8. Only 8% of all verbal communication is retained be the listener’s unconscious mind through the words themselves; 37% is conveyed through the sound of the voice; 55% is body language. Be aware of eye contact, monitor nervous habits, use good posture (stand in stature.) 
9. Whenever possible, tape record yourself and listen “without judgment.” A great deal can be learned from objective listening. 
10. Create rituals. A daily structure to help you achieve your desired professional and communication goals. Begin your day by thoughtfully practicing them and strategizing how to integrate them into your personal and professional life.