Learning To Be a Teacher

Last Monday, we did video critiquing, yoga, and role-playing in our PT138 class. First, I critiqued my video of teaching a breathing technique called ACBT to my high school friend. It was actually hard to teach this complicated technique. The characteristics of the learner are important in teaching. Luckily, my friend was easy to teach and very cooperative. In the future, I will be more considerate to the learner. I will also follow-up with the learner if he/she still know how to do the task to know if she really learned the task.

Next, our class was taught Ashtanga yoga by Prof. Mia Rotor. It was a fun experience. I got to be the learner in this activity. It was fast-paced because the allotted time was only an hour. Still, it was easy to follow the positions because Prof. Mia demonstrated them and gave verbal cues at the same time. The environment was also conducive to learning because it was quiet and there was enough space to move. In the future, I will keep in mind the structure of the environment so it’ll be easier for me to teach and for the learner to do the task.

Last but not the least, our class had a role-playing activity. Elyssa Legarda and I were assigned to be the physical therapist of Amanda Susulin, a Chinese patient with 24% TBSA burn on her upper extremity.  We taught Gec Castro, her caregiver, stretching exercises. I was shocked when they talked to us with a Chinese accent. It is really important to be sensitive to the culture and needs of the patient. This is why treatment should be individualized because each patient is different. In the future, I will consider the patient’s needs and feelings.