Four years had gone by extremely fast and all of a sudden I was sitting in my student teaching orientation class at Arkansas Polytechnic College along with a sizable group of physical education teacher candidates anticipating our assignments for the semester. This was it. I had completed all my coursework required and now it was time to finalize that experience by stepping into the real world of education. What was in store for me?
Pictured below is the 1972 - 1973 Physical Education Majors and Minors Club (PEMM).
Insight Into Student Teaching
Student teaching is a vital part of the teaching education process and allows future teachers to apply their knowledge in a real-world classroom setting.
During student teaching, prospective teachers gain experience in classroom management, lesson planning, and curriculum development, while developing a rapport with students, faculty, and administrators. Before beginning the student teaching experience, students/prospective teachers attend an orientation to receive guidelines and expectations and be assigned a supervising teacher and school where they will spend the next nine weeks. This orientation provides students with the information they need to succeed during their teaching experience.
My Experience
I was assigned to student teach at the Junior High School in Morrilton, Arkansas. Bear with me as I dust off the cobwebs in my brain and try to remember my experience. I recall a very old squarish brick building with an arched entry and windows and steps leading up to the front door. I didn't see a gym. On the first day, I was led down some stairs to the bottom floor, and in the basement to my surprise there it was; a band-box gym about 3/4 the size of a regulation gym. Picture this... a basketball court with enough space around it to seat players and coaches and a minimal amount of fan seating. I imagine a game being played and those seated around the court sticking their feet out trying to trip the players. I wonder how many referees suffered bruises and broken bones. There were radiators along the wall behind where the players would have been seated. Boards were missing from the floor and I was told they were removed to allow water to drain after heavy rain dripped through the ceiling or seeped through the walls. I seem to remember a door that led out to the back of the building to a large field where PE classes were conducted.
I had to teach PE with a minimal amount of equipment including dodgeballs, basketballs, and kickballs... you know, the usual things for the time. I made sure the kids were always actively working on skills that would keep them physically fit and possibly develop lifetime habits. Teaching PE wasn't easy in that environment, but, all in all, everything went smoothly without any hiccups. I learned a lot from my unforgettable but enjoyable experience and I was relieved when it was over.
History of the Building
I didn't know at the time about the amazing history of the building where I would be spending the next nine weeks. I recently learned that in 1889 residents of Morrilton, Arkansas put forth the idea of building a college.
The Male and Female College aka the "Normal School" shown in the image below was completed in March 1890 with school starting that September.
The school shut down shortly after in 1891 and the property was acquired in the late 1890s by the Morrilton School District. It became a high school in 1920 and then a junior high in 1966. The building was last used as a school in 1976. I assume that building is still in Morrilton.
Life's Lessons
After four years of college, and nine weeks of student teaching, I was ready to "get to it" using the knowledge, skills, and confidence I had gained to enter the world for which I had been preparing. That is what I did for 32 years and I hope that I passed along some of what I learned to others. It recently dawned on me while taking my trek down memory lane that I share a part in the history of the Normal School. Yes, I'm sitting here relishing that thought.
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