Objective+33


 * Objective 33: Find a situation in which you feel out of place and write about your feelings related to the experience.**

Students and parents from Washington-Lee elementary, Stonewall Jackson elementary, and Virginia Middle School were present at the camp. || I have been a basketball coach at the high school level for over eight years but this was my first experience as an official. Two other aspects of this objective helped in raising my anxiety. The participants in this tournament were a younger age group than what I am used to working with and the players were all girls. Another issue that I had to overcome was the lack of familiarity with the other officials that were helping with the tournament. My initial thought of being out of place caused a feeling of uneasiness that did not go way for most of the first game. Once I was able to call a few fouls and get into the flow of the game my fears began to dissipate. Dealing with the complaints of the coaches and yelling from the parents was a difficult task though out the tournament. This objective provided the opportunity to see the game of basketball from a completely different viewpoint of the minority. I learned a lot about myself after experiencing the duties of a referee. I realized that I need to be more patient and understanding as a coach and a teacher. I witnessed a lot of negative emotions with the screaming and yelling of the parents and coaches which influenced the behaviors of their children. I also came away from this experience with confidence that I can handle situations that involve conflict resolution. There were numerous situations during the day that involved discussing events with angry coaches and providing an explanation to defuse the situation. Living in a diverse social order means you that have to be understanding of all the people involved with the situation. As a referee I had to work with parents, coaches, and other officials that I didn't always agree with but I was willing to listen and consider their side of the argument. As an administrator it's important to be sympathetic to the issues that students, parents, faculty, and staff are facing on a daily basis. Diversity in public schools can cause certain groups to feel excluded. To create a positive school environment everyone must feel welcome and important. As a minority at the basketball tournament it felt good to communicate with other officials and know that you had support. ||
 * Date || Time started || Time ended || Number of hours || Description of activities ||
 * 01/08/12 ||= 1:00 ||= 6:00 ||= 5 || Officiated a 4th and 5th grade AAU basketball tournament at Abingdon High School. ||
 * 05/21/12 ||= 10:00 ||= 12:00 ||= 2 || Compiled information and recorded the reflection. ||
 * 06/03/13 - 06/07/13 ||= 8:00 ||= 4:00 ||= 40 || Volunteered at a youth basketball camp and officiated basketball games at Virginia Middle School.
 * Reflections and learning |||||||| Fear, uncertainty, and worry were a few of the many emotions that I experienced when I volunteered to referee an AAU basketball tournament.
 * Reading(s) |||||||| Strike, K. A. (2007). //Ethical leadership in schools: Creating community in an environment of accountability//. Thousand Oaks: Corwin Press. ||