Expressing gratitude will make you happy. Don't believe me? Check out this short video from Soul Pancake and their 'Experiment in Gratitude.' According to Greater Good, based at UC Berkeley, "Researchers studying gratitude have found that being thankful and expressing it to others is good for our health and happiness. Not only does it feel good, but it also …
Continue reading Writing the Perfect Teacher Appreciation Thank You
As a teacher, the pursuit of continuous growth is not just a professional obligation but a personal passion. This year, that journey brought me to the doorstep of an experience that not only reshaped my perspective on professional development but also gave me an unforgettable lesson in courage and community. I knew attending my first …
I remember a conversation with my daughter several years ago about the connection between who you surround yourself with and your personal growth. As she navigated her passion for soccer and her desire to continue to develop her skills in hopes of one day playing collegiate soccer, she was faced with some difficult decisions. She …
“That sounds horrible. Why would you ever want to do that?” This is a response from colleagues on more than one occasion when I share that I am presenting at a state or national PE/Health conference. To be honest, there might have been a time where I would have said the same thing to someone …
As a passionate advocate for physical education (PE) and its transformative potential, I embarked on a journey to create the PE Insights Podcast. In this digital age, where time is a precious commodity and access to professional development resources can be limited, I saw podcasting as a powerful medium to bridge these gaps and foster …
Teaching health education is and should be 100% relevant to students’ lives, and when health education is delivered in a thoughtful manner, the information and skills students gain will probably be used every day. Moreover, the mode, tone, inflection, and environment delivered by the health educator is just as important! Imagine being a middle school …
Continue reading A Culturally Responsive Checklist for Health Education
For many people, I’m known as “The Trick Shot Guy.” I started making Trick Shot Videos in 2020 as a way to pass the time during virtual learning as well as try to build connections with students whom I’d never met as it was my first year at this school. In the 250+ Trick Shots …
Because professional development never stops, and neither does the journey towards mastery, this summer might be the BEST opportunity EVER to attend a conference, and learn, connect and grow. In no particular order, here are NINE amazing, in-person conferences that are running this summer. Click on the links for more details and see which option …
Continue reading Summer Learning: 9 Conferences to Enhance Your Health & PE Teaching
The quadrennial behemoth that is the Olympic Games is the sporting celebration that can be everything to everyone. Depending on the lens through which you view the Games, you'll notice things, have different views and experience the event in ways different from others consuming exactly the same events. If you're a traditionalist, like me, you …
Launched in 2020, over 200 educators and authors have joined in with the last four #microblog events here on slowchathealth.com. All four have been a huge success, lasting a whole month and featuring voices from across the globe. Sharing bite-sized blog posts of approximately 500 words, there have been submissions from experienced bloggers, first-time writers, …
Having just got back from the awesome SHAPE America conference in Cleveland, it's time to reflect on the hours spent in outstanding sessions, reconnecting with educators, experiencing a wonderful city and two impactful keynotes. When I return from conferences I want to do ALL OF THE THINGS - make lesson plans, tweet about my experiences, …
Continue reading Fueling Your Teaching Fire: Tips for Post-Convention Reflection and Action
Regular readers of this site will know that I have been exploring all things #MeaningfulPE in physical education classes with my junior and senior students. This semester, my students have viewed a series of short video reflections from educators nationwide. These personal 'movement journey' narratives aim to inspire my students and expose them to diverse …
Continue reading Discovering Joy in Movement: Insights from Parents to Teenagers
With the SHAPE America National Convention almost upon us, I am launching a social media initiative that offers numerous advantages for both convention attendees and those engaging virtually on social platforms. The Inspiration Recently, on Instagram, I saw a series of posts from Adam Walker in which he asked attendees at his Podfest Expo session …
Continue reading Name It, Frame It, Claim It at #SHAPECleveland
Addressing the elephant in the (class)room, attending a conference, let alone the upcoming National Convention in Cleveland, IS expensive*. Even if your school allows travel to professional development during the week, travel out of your state, travel overnight, have professional development funding, and can find substitute teachers to cover your classes, the likelihood of you …
Wanting to discover my students' relationship with movement and identify how movement is meaningful to them, I recently set my Lifetime Activities class an autobiographical assignment. I was inspired to do so, not only by the Doug Gleddie and Jodi Harding-Kuriger chapter in the Meaningful Physical Education book but also by a blog post from Sporticus. Doug and Jodi identify that asking …
With renewed confidence in traveling, conference attendance numbers are almost at their pre-COVID high, following the buzz from the fantastic #SHAPESeattle conference last year, attendees are seeking advice on social media regarding how to make the most of their limited time at one of the most significant professional development opportunities of the year. The 2024 …
This guest post comes from Kevin Shephard, who you might know through his work with supportREALteachers.org, an initiative of the Center for Advancement of Standards-based Physical Education Reform (CASPER). The point of this post is to spark discussion on the topic. As the repercussions of climate change reverberate across all facets of our lives, the realm of sports is no exception. Athletes, …
This is the 2024 #OneWord post - the 2025 version can be found here!! t’s that time of year again, a time with so much promise as people look forward to a fresh start and new beginnings. The start of a new year is a natural time to reflect on the past and plan for …
Continue reading Claim Your Greatness: Why #OneWord Will Define Your Year
Drum roll, please. Here is a summary of some of the most popular blog posts from 2023. From the most popular to the fastest read to a perennial favorite and popular guest posts, here are five posts to which you should reintroduce yourself. Most Popular Post of 2023: Dimensions of Wellness by Andy Milne. Written …
Continue reading Five Most Popular #Slowchathealth Posts of 2023
One constant during my 28 years of teaching is that the break from school at the end of the calendar year - winter for me and summer for my Southern Hemisphere friends - comes at just the right time. Leaving for school in the dark, arriving home in the dark, the end of a long …
Continue reading From Challenges to Triumphs: 10 Year-End Reflection Prompts
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