To be a professional, you must be able to observe efficiently. Observing a class is key when it comes to working out the skills/needs of each individual or the class as a whole. ‘Observation as a skill develops with experience but crucially depends on your knowledge and understanding both of the material which pupils are exploring and of the nature of the pupils themselves’ (Whitehead, 2015:49).

Clear, in depth communication from a teacher creates better understanding for the pupil, allowing them to learn comfortably. Communication can be in the form of emails, social media, phone calls, etc. These help send important messages which will aid pupils.

…Communication is a complex process. At any stage of this process things may go wrong, making the communication less effective. For instance, the [teacher] may not express what they want to say clearly; or the room may be noisy; or the receiver may not understand the words the [teacher] is using. To be effective, teachers have to try to minimise these barriers to communication. (Prozesky, 2000:44).

It’s important as a professional to plan out lessons accordingly. Lessons should be flexible, topic-focussed, and involving (this can be achieved by playing team games, examples, and being interactive). Lessons should be planned previous to the date, and should be well thought through. Lessons should be prepared for setbacks such as absences and injuries.

Another key point about the panning of lesson organisation is that the outline of a lesson must always be flexible. The ability to extend parts of a lesson further than originally intended, or even to omit certain elements and asks when appropriate is essential. (Kyriacou, 1997:90)

It is vital for the teacher to sustain an effective learning environment. As a professional, you must be able to keep the environment in a similar state, allowing pupils to get used to the lessons, their peers, and their teacher. ‘This can be structured using the ART model… Awareness (of yourself), Relationships (between pupils and teachers), and Thoughtful planning (time-keeping, challenging, intended learning, and space management)’ (Jones, 2015:121)

Keeping children safe in PE, out of all lessons, is crucial, due to the number of ways pupils can harm themselves whilst being active and out of a classroom in the natural environment. Teachers must be aware of all laws relating to health and safety, and be able to apply these laws when prompted. Teachers must be fully trained in first aid. ‘Safe practice in physical education should be an integral feature of all aspects and in all phases of education, from the very early years of playgroup and reception through to adult, further and higher education.’ (James, 2013:2)

Being able to develop your knowledge and understanding as a PE teacher can improve the way you teach, and get points across, thus giving pupils a better understanding of what you are trying to teach them. The professional teacher is responsible for teaching a subject that they should know inside and out.