Educational Philosophy Reflection Paper

As I reflected on the topic of the educational philosophy I wondered when I first realized I had a preferred learning style and what may have shaped those thoughts and that preference in learning. I can honestly say that it all seems to stem from my first experiences with athletic training, physical therapy, and my transfer to the University of Mary. As an athletic training undergraduate student at the University of Mary, I entered this program with great excitement and nervousness as I just transferred from Winona State. I was excited because I was going to have the opportunity to learn from one of the smartest men in the field when it comes to gait analysis, Myron Cullen. I had the opportunity of going to physical therapy when I was in high school and witnessed firsthand how these professionals, like Myron, interacted with their patients. This is when I knew I wanted to become an athletic trainer and I was excited to hear that Myron was teaching at Mary when I decided to transfer. Every class that Myron taught I felt engaged and challenged. He is a brilliant man and many times the information was way above my head and so I needed to ask questions and do my own studying to find out what specifically he was talking about in class. I believe this assisted me in the lifelong learning passion that I have today. I believe that his passion for the topic influenced my affinity for the topic and the understanding of the mechanics of specific movements. I wonder if I had this