Background
I am a Utah Native but have lived in Argentina, Texas, Virginia, Illinois, Ohio and now Idaho. I enjoy the great outdoors and love to fish and ski. I currently teach at the University of Idaho in both the WWAMI Medical Education program and the Athletic Training program which is within the department of Health Physical Education Recreation and Dance.
Over the years I have been involved as a Coordinator for Sports Medicine, Head Athletic Trainer, Clinical Education Coordinator, and Graduate Program Director for a post-professional athletic training program. All of these experiences were easy compared to being the Dad to 5 boys and one girl. That is right 6 kids! Obviously, I can't take any credit, my wife is the Saint that really does all the work.
I am often asked at the beginning of the year what type of teacher am I , this is a difficult question to answer. Think about it what if I asked the student what type of student they were. "I'm a great student !" one would exclaim but the GPA of that student might say other wise. The same could be true in teaching. On the other hand a teacher could be considered great in one class and mediocre in another. Is it the content of the course that dictates this? I taught Pharmacology once and had quite different reactions from the students in my Therapeutic Rehabilitation class that I taught. Let's face it most students don't get excited about Pharmacology (even though I was).
I have to ask myself if the student is really trying to ask me if I am an "easy teacher." OK, we both know that learning requires sincere effort and is not easy to most people. I would probably not be considered as an easy teacher.
I would hope that each student would really investigate what they really want. My job as a teacher is to be prepared, be excited about the content, help the student in their learning process, and try and make the whole process fun. To gain further insight on what type of teacher I aspire to be more like I encourage you to read the following article How Agassiz Taught Me to See.
What is an Athletic Trainer?
For those of you that don't know what an athletic trainer is you should reed this! First off the title athletic trainer is not a good descriptor of what they do. Most people confuse "Personal Trainer" with Athletic Trainer. There is a world of difference between the two. While personal trainers may not have any education or credential and work to keep people fit, Athletic Trainers are health care professionals that are Board certified and have licensure in their respective states and do more than fitness programs. Check out the following definition:
An athletic trainer is an allied health care provider capable of performing immediate and emergency injury management, injury assessment, and rehabilitation. Athletic trainers work closely with other members of the allied health team including Physicians , Physician Assistants , occupational therapist , physical therapists , and others. Half of athletic trainers are employed in athletic settings including middle school , high school , college/university, professional, and recreational sports. However, with the emergence of the athletic trainer as a fully-fledged member of the allied health community, the other half work in clinical, industrial, and hospital settings as well. Although each US state sets its own scope for practicing as an athletic trainer, standardized education ensures the athletic trainer has knowledge in several areas:
- Injury prevention and risk management through developing training and conditioning programs, ensuring a safe playing environment, selecting, fitting, and maintaining protective equipment, explaining the importance of nutrition and using medications appropriately.
- Recognition, evaluation, and assessment of injuries through conducting physical examinations, understanding the pathology of injury and illness, referring to medical care and support services. Immediate care of injury and illness.
- Treatment, rehabilitation, and reconditioning through design of rehabilitation programs, supervising rehabilitation programs, incorporating therapeutic modalities, and offering psychosocial intervention.
- Organization and administration through record keeping, ordering equipment and supplies, supervising personnel, and establishing policies for operation of an athletic training program. And finally professional development and responsibilities through acting as an educator and counselor.