"Thank you for not laughing at us when we fail"

This year, I am teaching the Level 3 Physical Education Sports Leadership (3PESL) course. One of the assessments requires the students to plan, deliver and evaluate a beginners level coaching session. Last year, we did this assessment at the end of the year and it was quite rushed. Only 4 students in the class attempted and achieved this standard and they planned lessons for our junior classes.

This year, we have the Rosehill Satellite school on site, replacing our previous XA unit. One day I saw Rosehill using the gym for their physical education sessions and it gave me the idea to approach them and see if they would be interested in having our 3PESL students coaching/ teaching them. I know in the past that previous teachers have done this with the XA unit. This year is Rosehill's first year on our campus, and I thought it would be an awesome opportunity to integrate them into school life. Plus, there were also already some connections made with their involvement in our Whanau sports day.

They have been coming to our PE class for a couple of weeks now. This video is of one student Shanaia making a successful shot on Tuesday 26th. The students self selected one of two activities: Shooting drills for those who are confident and wanted a more fast paced activity, or another station for those who were less confident and wanted to practice catching, passing and shooting (more stationary). Shanaia chose this station as well as about 6 others. They all took turns and were trying their best the whole time. Whether they got it in or not, they were positive and supportive of others.

At the end of the lesson, I always give our Rosehill students an opportunity to put their hand up and say something if they wish. After this lesson, Shanaia put her hand up and thanked us all for allowing them to join us for our PE lessons, which was nice. However, the thing that Shanaia said that struck me the most was "and thank you for not laughing at us when we fail". This really warmed my heart and made me realise that this is far more than just a PE lesson for them. At times, teaching can feel like I am just here to tick a box and meet a target, and the true essence of meaningful teaching gets lost amidst the admin. I felt like the work we are doing is meaningful and will make a lasting impression on both the Rosehill and 3PESL students, as they are learning a lot about working with special and different needs to. It presents a major challenge to me to ensure that the lasting impression is a positive one, and that every student involved finishes this year confident and wanting to continue learning! I am really looking forward to developing this particular class learning and seeing what amazing experiences we can all be part of.