Did you enjoy journaling? Explain your answer.
I admit I haven’t really done journaling like this or any before so given this was really my first time, yes it was enjoyable. Often times we do activities, take them for what they’re worth in the moment, and then file them away as a memory to probably be forgotten. This journaling experience made me reflect on the various activities that we took part in throughout the semester and then before they became a memory, document my thoughts using this journaling assignment. The final part that was neat was the fact that we didn’t just do this as a personal journal for ourselves, but we did it as a blog for others to see.
Did you think about things you may not have otherwise? What were they?
Yes, as I said, often times we do assignment, call them done, and just move onto the next thing. Through the journal assignment questions, I was made to think about things that I probably wouldn’t have otherwise. Some examples were: with the EDGE experience I had to answer what I found out about myself during the experience and discovered that I followed instructions well, but needed to work on voicing my own opinion more which I think I’ve done; with both the EDGE and geocaching assignments, I hadn’t really thought about how I would interact with team members in a education-type setting as opposed to working with a team in sports which I’m very familiar – I learned that I worked well in those team settings as well. Finally for all the times that I’ve spent outdoors in a park or at a lake, so many times I never really took the time to really enjoy how much there really was in the surroundings.
What profession do you hope to pursue once you graduate?
I hope to become a physical education teacher and teach high school sports, preferably football. In addition, I’m going to be taking a course offered at GMU to become a personal trainer, so in addition to teaching hopefully I’ll be able to do some personalized training on the side.
How has taking this course affected your thinking about outdoor education?
The course has affected my thinking about outdoor education in that I have often taken the outdoors for granted. I’ve walked through the woods, fished at a lake, and have just enjoyed spending outdoors in general. However, now that I’m planning to become a teacher, I’m looking at those same experiences as opportunities to teach. The outdoor is not just a place to go to do something, but also a place to go and learn. I hope that in my future teaching career, I’ll be able to use some of the lessons learned during this class.
