Inspired by World Mental Health Day, this blog post recognizes that real change can begin with something as simple as helping another person feel heard. It connects topics from my health classes with small actions we can all take to make our classrooms, friendship groups, teams, and workplaces safer and more compassionate.
From AI health advice and digital companions to mental health, social media, emerging drugs, masculinity, advocacy and consent, this post identifies eight hot health topics for 2026–27
The typical physical education experience, the one that I experienced as a student, the one that I delivered in the early years of my teaching career, is often measured by standardized benchmarks: lap times, skill progressions, and fitness scores. While those have their place, focusing solely on metrics risks missing the heart of the discipline. …
Transitioning into fall has me reflecting on true self-care. Moving past the surface, I’m sharing simple, intentional ways I plan to nourish my mind, body, and soul this season.
It is through our names that we first place ourselves in the world. Our names, being the gift of others, must be made our own. Ralph Ellison I never teach the same lesson twice, and that's because every cohort of students that I meet brings unique backgrounds, hidden stories, and personal histories that shape who …
Continue reading Why Classroom Community Starts with Our Names
When we talk to teens about health, sleep often gets treated as an afterthought - or worse, a luxury you sacrifice to get ahead. But if you ask the world’s greatest athletes, they’ll tell you the exact opposite: sleep isn't something you do when your day is over, it's the foundation of how you perform …
Continue reading What the World’s Best Athletes Teach Us About Rest, Recovery, and Performance
As excited as I am to start the new school year with a new cohort of students, I have to remind myself to slow down before diving into content so that I can get to know who I'm dealing with. While teachers are learning names, asking about interests, and understanding the personalities in front of …
Let's get over the awkwardness straight away. If what brought you to this blog post was disappointment at not making the team that you really hoped you would make, I'm sorry. Regardless of the situation, that's not a nice feeling, and I know it hurts. I've been there, as a player and a coach. Being …
https://vimeo.com/1206853969?share=copy&fl=sv&fe=ci Bringing the school year, and (belatedly*) our 7th Annual #Microblog event to a close, the effervescent educator Chris Walker, AKA, @CoachWalk is back with another personalized message for educators. This one nudged me to reflect on the successes that my students and I have had together this year. Chris shares his #teachingreflection videos regularly on social …
Happy summer y'all. It's time for my annual #summerreads blog post in which I bravely foolishly list the 9 books that I plan to read during the months ahead, while also watching the soccer World Cup (This is a phenomenal World Cup book!)and the tennis at Wimbledon. Podcasts are my go-to during the school year, …
Teachers, the end of the school year is here. You survived the endless month of May (which felt like it was 9 weeks long), and you've patiently endured the typical June shenanigans. And if you were to be honest, I wonder if you'll agree that this year hit different, particularly if you are a veteran …
The majority of teens are using AI and they’re using it often. A common sense media survey found that “72% of teens have used AI companions at least once, with more than half using them a few times a month.” Even more, an NPR article goes on to say “nearly one in three teens use …
Continue reading A Brain-Based Case Against AI in Health Class (and beyond)
I came home and cried today. As an educator, I know I am not alone, but as a Physical and Health Educator (PHE), it cuts deeper because somehow I thought it wouldn’t happen in my class and to me. In education, resources are dwindling, red tape is multiplying, and complex student needs are reaching a …
Continue reading Fighting the Current: Reigniting Passion and Purpose
Preface (updated May 27, 2026): I wrote this in early spring. By the time it was about to be posted, the conversation around AI had shifted hard, and I had to add this. Sorry, Andy. So much for keeping it micro. NPR covered the trend: commencement speakers are getting booed off the stage just for …
If you haven’t seen Hyrox yet, it’s a beast. Eight 1km runs, each separated by a high-intensity functional strength station. There’s no sitting down, no "time-outs." You’re either pushing heavy steel or you’re running. Lately, it struck me: This is exactly what a school day looks like. We don’t just "teach." We are constantly shifting from the high-power …
Continue reading The 8-Station Term: Why Teaching is the Ultimate Hyrox Event
Teachers love a good "Turn and Talk" moment. It’s quick, it sparks discussion, and it keeps students engaged. But what if we could level it up by adding movement? Enter Stretch and Share, a simple yet powerful strategy that combines kinesthetic movement with meaningful conversation. The Inspiration A while back, my friend Christopher Pepper shared …
Continue reading Stretch and Share: A Simple Way to Get Students Moving and Talking
Society entrusts schools to develop students who are well-rounded, well educated, well prepared, well spoken, and well suited for the demands of adult life; but we cannot achieve these goals without our students first being well. By promoting wellness in our schools, we afford our teachers and our students the opportunities to achieve their potential. …
Continue reading Health Education: The Missing Link For Boosting Academic Achievement
As a newly qualified teacher based in the Midlands of England, I have had the pleasure of teaching PE across every key stage of education. The mental gymnastics of going from planning a lesson on the musculoskeletal system, grounded in retrieval practice, cognitive load theory, and strands of Rosenshine’s Principles, to explicitly teaching the importance …
In education, the phrase “picking your battles” means choosing which issues or behaviors are most important to address rather than responding to every minor problem. I have heard this phrase for decades. But how does one go about actually picking these battles? What criteria do we use? What are these battles? Does our administration play …
One of the key components of the The International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Programme (PYP) that has truly shaped my practice is the use of provocations to spark curiosity and engagement. I’ve come to see provocations not simply as activities, but as intentional invitations to wonder. They are carefully designed experiences, scenarios, or materials that …
Continue reading Hooking Curiosity: Bringing Provocations to Life in PE
