Hurdled Barriers

Many barriers in life are visual and can be hurdled or modified as to progress with day-to-day tasks.  For example, a road construction sight might have orange visual barriers and signs redirecting drivers around the site toward an open route, maintenance for an elevator or bathroom might have signs directing us to another area, or weather might impede our progress at the airport for an important flight.  A barrier or barricade is a physical structure that impedes something, anything that restrains or obstructs progress, or a limit or boundary of any kind.  The examples of barriers that I mentioned are visual and noticed by most people.  What happens when the barrier is not visual or not easily noticed? 

While recently attending a workshop session at the International Symposium of Adapted Athletics (ISAPA) entitled - Inclusion Pedagogy: Understanding Constraints to Promote Differentiated Instruction,  the presenter Thomas Moran from James Madison University enlightened me about barriers and hurdles. He presented information regarding visible barriers, and that most people have barriers, whether visible or not, and these barriers can be turned into hurdles that can be overcome.  Thomas started our group with an activity in which we listed a strength and weakness about ourselves on a piece of paper.  We crumpled up our small piece of paper and tossed them around the group.  After a few seconds of paper ‘dodge-ball’, we opened up a random piece and read the strength and weakness.  This was an insight to our peers at the session and I immediately tried to connect the piece of papers with the attendees.  It was not real easy to connect the dots and illustrated that most of us have a barrier that impedes our progress in life, whether or not the barrier is visual to others. What I would like to write about is my barrier that I wrote on that small piece of paper that prevents me from being the best teacher, parent, spouse, friend, and participant of this wonderful world in which we reside.

The barrier that I wrote on the piece of paper was (time/rigid), as I am very rigid when it comes to time and time management.  I see the roses, although I do not always stop to smell them.  I know that because of this barrier I am missing out on many great things. I am missing out on sharing and learning with others, and others are missing what I have to offer.  I get so caught up on being on time and pushing others to be on time that I do not always see what is right in front of me.

The few times I remember not rushing from class to class as a teacher, I do remember learning from the students - as I spent time listening to them - hearing a story - what they did that weekend, or what they might have learned during class.  Students are excited to share what they know, and it’s my belief that taking the time to listen to them is an important tool for education.  Teaching adapted physical activities is a great opportunity to teach to a person’s cognitive, social, and motor skills.  I become so intent on teaching the motor skills that I sometimes forget about the social and cognitive domains that can be taught through activity.  I do a good job of scheduling all of my students and making time to teach them, now I need to take time to hurdle over my barrier of time constraints and allow students the time and opportunities to convey themselves as needed so that they can best express and intake knowledge from myself and others. 

Also, I think that since I do not ask or share questions with others, or budget enough time to listen to others, I am missing out on great information.  It frightens me to think that I might come off as a ‘know-it-all’ since I do not always take the time to listen to others.  I have been very fortunate to surround myself with great people and I need to realize that they too have many great ideas, stories, and strategies; I am not only the teacher as I am also the student.  I look forward to opening up myself to others, and taking time to meet new people and learning from this wonderful world that we inhabit.  I think this poster presentation discussing a case study of students with autism is relevant to what I am trying to share with this article: Adapted physical activity for children with autism has a positive effect, although it should last for a longer period of time and focus not only on the individual skills improvement, but also on children's social adaptation and quality of life.  

ISAPA - Istanbul, Turkey - Poster Presentation

Please take the time to listen and further educate, as a little extra time can go a long way in someone's life.  I think I will start the school year with track and field exercises and focus on the hurdles, as I think it would be a wonderful opportunity to teach so many lessons.