You may be wondering why the picture in my header has me wearing a superman hat “flying” off into the sky.  Allow me to explain.  This has everything to do with my teaching and coaching philosophies.  How so?

Superman is known as one of DC comics “Big three”, the other two are Batman and Wonderwoman.  Each of these characters has a trait that defines who they are and how people view them.  Batman is known as the embodiment of justice and Wonderwoman is known for always seeking the truth.  So what about Superman?  Well he is known for bringing hope to people.  If you read almost any issue of Superman, whenever he isn’t around, and the other superheroes are fighting a losing battle, they will say something like, “He’s the only one that can save us now.”  The citizens of the world also remain hopeful just by hearing news of Superman’s feats all around the world.

What I strive to do in my classroom is to build an environment of hope.  During my 10 week practicum, I noticed that I refused to let any students fail by not handing in assignments.  I would constently badger them to hand in missed assignments so that their mark would go up.  I made sure students with IEPs got as much one-on-one assistance as possible.  I did not want my students to feel like missing an assignment meant that there was no redemption for their marks.  I feel like by the end of my practicum, I had achieved my goal.  One student who was missing 3-4 homework assignments, handed all in on her own accord during the last week of my practicum.  Also, two of my students, who were sitting below 50% for the whole term, well they didn’t receive a passing mark by the time I left, but on the last unit test that I gave them to write, both received marks in the 60% range.  These are two students who were getting 30-40% in their previous unit tests.

Aside from bringing hope, Superman is known as a mentor to younger heroes and helping them see the best in them.  He inspires the likes of Superboy who not only looks up to Superman, but also tries his best to hold on against villains in the absence of Superman.  In this same way, when I coach I want to mentor my players not only to get better as players, but to also to see their benefit on the team.  I want them to build enough confidence that even in my absence they would still have the drive to work together and do their best.