One of the greatest hobbies that I have been fortunate enough to have participated in from a young age was playing the beautiful sport of basketball. After years of on-court experience, I've found myself dribbling my way through Teacher's College reflecting on some of the valuable lessons basketball has taught me. I hope these lessons can assist other educators in the classroom.
Building Relationships & Team Morale is Essential
Dean Smith, the great late coach of the UNC Tar Heels once said, "The most important thing is team morale." How many times have we seen these great superteams combust because of a lack of team chemistry and cohesiveness? Team morale is essential for basketball teams to succeed. Classroom morale can serve the same purpose. As educators, it is very important to build relationships with your students. It is also good for our students to build relationships and trust with each other. The classroom needs to be inclusive and supportive of one another. In addition to that, we should be mindful of the classroom dynamics and how students are feeling often. If we know our students and where they are mentally, emotionally, physically, etc., we can better understand the classroom needs and increase the morale of our students. If our classroom morale is low, nothing will seem to go right.
Encouragement, Belief, and Support
There's nothing more freeing than playing for a coach that believes in you. The best games that I have played were when I was encouraged and supported frequently by my coaches and teammates. After a few missed shots, your confidence can take a major hit and you can become more passive for the rest of the game. This is the same in the classroom. What if a student is struggling a lot with a certain subject? Or, what if a student hasn't gotten good grades after a few tests. These moments could be crippling for a students' confidence and ability. This is why encouragement, belief, and support from a teacher can go a very long way. Do you remember the teacher that made an impact in your life? Was it what your teacher said to you? Was it how they made you feel? Was it how they supported you? Whatever the case may be, I am sure that their positive energy and their willingness to always be there to support you made a life lasting impression. Children need someone to believe in them. They may not have role models in their life that encourage or support them in the ways that they need to be supported. You could be that teacher.
Progress and Development is NOT Linear
Basketball is an interesting sport in that inconsistencies from game to game happen. Improvement might not look linear from year to year as well. Sometimes your shot is not falling in, sometimes your opponent is running circles around you. Whatever the case may be, it does not necessarily mean you are not progressing. The same is true in the classroom. Students will make mistakes and their development as learners is ongoing. It is imperative that we are patient with our students. There will be times when our assessments need to be re-adjusted or our lesson plans need to be re-worked. This is all part of the process. As educators, it is very important to instill a growth mindset in our students. It is very easy to get caught up in the small details. We should always strive to be better everyday, and little progress is still progress nonetheless. Every play doesn't need to be a slam dunk.
Communication and Feedback is Key
The key to success on the court usually begins with communication. The best teams I have played with have not been the most athletic or talented. In my opinion, they were the best teams because our communication was great. It was like poetry in motion. Everyone was on the same page and communicated to each other what we expected of each other. If there were any mistakes made, constructive criticism and feedback was welcomed. This should be the same in our classrooms. As teachers, it is important for us to communicate the expectations and goals clearly. It is also important for teachers to give good and timely constructive feedback for our students. If we can communicate clearly and effectively with our peers, our students, and our students' families about everything that pertains to their situation, we will be more successful as a teacher.
Mindfulness is Important
Basketball is just as much a mental game as it is a physical game. Mental health has been in the spotlight more in the sports world, being championed by NBA stars such as Demar Derozan and Kevin Love. Our students' mental health is important as well. This is why including mindfulness exercises such as breathing, mental breaks, and meditations would be greatly beneficial. As teachers, it is important for us to prioritize mindfulness in our daily lives because teaching is such a busy, stress inducing, and tiring job. As teachers, we should be promoting health and well-being frequently and instill the importance of it in our students as well.
Kevin Love details his battles with mental illness | ESPN
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