For the past two school years, my high school health students have spent an entire class period tie-dyeing pillowcases. It’s fun and memorable and it totally connects to our curriculum. During the Sleep Unit, we learn how daily exposure to natural light helps regulate our sleep/wake cycles. Giving my students the opportunity to get outside …
Teaching my students the 10 Dimensions of Wellness opens their eyes to the holistic nature of health. It allows them to appreciate the many ways in which they can take strides towards enhancing their health and well-being and enjoying the health and well-being of others. Of the (many) dimensions that students had yet to consider …
While creating Health Education lessons, it's crucial to recognize our classroom's significant role in shaping our students' future. Our aim is not only to foster healthier individuals but also to inspire them to extend this health consciousness to those around them. This journey towards self-improvement and community health also opens up a world of potential …
Continue reading Connecting Healthcare Careers to Our Health Education Classroom
The sun is finally out, and I am getting to take my physical education classes outside for the first time this year. I take out my bat and my ball, and many students get hyped for the upcoming softball game on our school's field. It is like the students find the sunshine! The day is …
Sassy questions like this one from middle schoolers during a lesson are like adding hot sauce to almost any food. They add flavor to a lesson. They are student centered teachable moments and one of my favorite parts of teaching. The context is usually a chess move to get more information than they need, an …
Middle school throws a curveball at everyone. But a well-designed physical education (PE) program can be a game-changer, fostering not just fitness but also social connection, a love for movement, and a sense of ownership. Here's how to create a winning experience for your students: Building a Team: Relationships are the foundation. Learn your students' …
Continue reading Middle School PE: Unleashing the Fun and Building Champions
The story starts when I arrive at school and is going to be a brief overview. If it were truly the entire day, this would no longer be a microblog post but a full on chapter to an autobiography. Our school is located in Colton, NY which is upstate; 32 miles from the bridge to …
Continue reading A Day in the Life….of a K-12 PE and Health Teacher
As educators, we know that our students cannot be the most successful version of themselves if their basic needs are not being met. As health educators specifically, I’m sure we are often asked by our students if we have different hygiene-related items that they can have, whether it be lotion, band-aids, hair ties, deodorant, pads, …
Continue reading Creating a Student Care Cart within the Classroom
Teacher Appreciation Week at my school is quite the affair. Our Student Council provides us with breakfast on Monday, laptop stickers and lanyards on Tuesday, trail mix on Wednesday, distributes appreciation notes from students on Thursday, and pulls teacher names from a hat to win prizes on Friday.Last year I received an appreciation note from …
For many students, their first experience with school-based sex education happens in fourth or fifth grade with a lesson(s) about puberty. While not widespread, some schools include age – appropriate sex education beginning in kindergarten. My first career was in early childhood education and I found it was common to have daily interactions with the …
Swapping your sweatbands for a suit and tie, your whistle for a pen, and your dodgeball for seating plans? I hadn't considered the transition away from full-time PE teaching until it happened! First, let's address the elephant in the sports hall: saying goodbye to those iconic PE teacher outfits. No more rockin' your polo shirt …
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 …
