Close your eyes for one minute and think about the political landscape of our country at this moment. No, really…do it…wherever you’re at. Focus on how you feel. **Pause for one minute** What feelings came up for you? Why do you feel that way? My feelings: Anger. Frustration. Sadness. Hopelessness. Guilt. Why: People are dying, …
#PhysedMentor is a free program for physical education teachers on Twitter. It is a volunteer based program where physical education professionals can sign up to be mentors on a variety of #physed topics: Adapted Physical Education, Advocacy, Assessment, Class Management, Curriculum/Lesson Development, Diversity and Social Justice, Elementary Teaching, English Language Learners, Field Day, Fitness, Fundraising …
Continue reading Using Technology to Form a Community of Mentorship Within Social Media
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.I have already received an appreciation note from …
“Don't tell me the sky's the limit when there are footprints on the moon.” - Paul Brandt Tonight*, treat yourself. Step outside. Admire the full moon, the May full moon which is known as the Flower Moon. The name comes from the blooms that appear in North America around this time. Tonight is the ideal night to …
Okay, so all the teachers who have no classroom issues arise in their gymnasium or classroom, feel free to skip ahead and stop reading. Now anyone still reading I’m going to say something that may offend/upset you… STOP WRITING EMAILS/CALLING HOME every time there’s an issue with a student. It doesn’t work for everyone and …
Prior to Covid, I used to run a lot of school assemblies. During our assemblies, we would always pose this question to the students and staff. What is the most fun thing you've ever done? We asked them to give us a wave or stand up if the most fun thing they ever did had …
Continue reading What Is The Most Fun Thing You’ve Ever Done?
What is it? Some say, it’s just a play day. Others would say it’s a day where students get to show off competition against others. My answer: it’s my passion. I never had an awesome Field Day going through school. Just the same thing over and over. Sure, we got to go outside all day, …
I have been teaching college sexual education for 10 years and over those years I had hoped I would hear of more students having a comprehensive sexuality education. Sadly, that has not been the case. So many wished they had learned more about sexual issues. Topping the list of topics they wished they had had …
As a past recipient of Teacher of the Year (TOY) awards, it's easy for me to say that teachers don't go into the teaching profession looking for rewards. That said, it's a wonderfully gratifying feeling when we ARE acknowledged by our peers for our efforts. I'm a teacher that has attended many conferences, values online …
Continue reading Strategies to Improve Your Teacher of the Year Awards
This year, the Elementary and Secondary Physical and Health Education departments decided to do something together to have students from both schools learning together and teaching each other. We first thought of what we called the PHE Week to be held the week before the winter holidays, however, it didn’t work out because there were …
A whistle stop tour of happiness and why we should all plan for it Happiness. What value do we place on it within our lessons? How often do we place it foremost in our planning when we’re developing our plans, our programmes or our curriculums? It's the age old question of whether our pupils need …
I had a teacher that had no idea what to do with me. As a physically handicapped student, I have had a teacher that did not know or take the time to understand what I could or could not do. I have had that teacher who told me, “Just be the all-time goalie for this …
Finding their Swish! I’ve been reflecting since the SHAPE America Convention on a speech I did at the Majors of the Year ceremony. I emphasized the role of the teacher in the success of every student in Physical Education. I also made a very bold statement. I said “No one ever said that PE had …
Each teacher has a unique origin story, a journey that explains how they ended up standing in front of a group of students, and these stories are important enough to share with those we teach and work alongside. I met this week's educator and guest writer, Heather Burd, at conferences in Minnesota and North Dakota, …
Having just got back from the awesome SHAPE America conference in Seattle, 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, …
Launched in 2020, over 140 educators and authors have joined in with the last three #microblog events here on slowchathealth.com. All three 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, …
The next big conference is almost upon us, and attendees are seeking advice on social media regarding how to make the most of their limited time at one of the biggest professional development opportunities of the year. Whether you are a seasoned conference goer, or this is your first time, there is something for everyone …
In a recent keynote address at the awesome North Dakota SHAPE conference I included some thoughts on the different stages that a teacher might go through during their career. It was a slightly tongue-in-cheek adaptation of a 2018 article from Terry Heick and I can definitely identify various stages of my own career, many of …
Continue reading Be a Change Agent: Join a Task Force and Shape the Future of Health Education
This week’s blog post comes from Barb Thayer, Executive Director at Candor Health Education, an Illinois-based nonprofit organization that educates students, their trusted adults and communities on the topics of drug and sex education. As Executive Director of Candor Health Education, I am all too familiar with the issues related to young people and alcohol use. …
Continue reading Prevention Starts Now: Talking to Teens About Alcohol and Breast Cancer
Previously on the blog, I've shared my predictions for the hottest topics for health teachers to address during the year ahead. These predictions reflected my lens, biases, and interests and reflected the community within which I teach. Wanting to update this popular post and wanting the content to feature more voices other than just mine, …
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