Passion drives learning.... I started teaching in 1986 as an 8th grader. I worked with special needs students in a gymnastics setting. I cried leading up to that first day as I was scared and nervous but my parents insisted I would be fine. I let my emotions decide before I tried, however, in retrospect …
If I had a student teacher or someone who was on their way to enter the field of health education, and they were looking for a piece of advice, what would I say? I know the tips I got were things like…. “know the curriculum”…“don’t work harder than the kids”… “don’t smile until Christmas”… “ …
"Was you a good boy or a bad boy?" It was clear that this young man in the making was attempting a “measure up.” Kids begin their comparison journeys very early and often begin assuming identities that may not be their own or truly unique to the individuals they are. And I don’t know how …
For his microblog submission Richard Petherick chose to respond in the form of an infographic. Here he reflects on his first 6 years of teaching focusing on concept based curriculum and the need for a shift. You can also access his infographic here. This microblog post was a featured post in #slowchathealth’s #microblogmonth event. You can …
Strength and conditioning is one of the fastest growing fields in high school athletics. Many have recognized that stronger, faster, and safer athletes have a better athletic experience; additionally, students who participate in a coordinated strength training efforts have additional opportunities to improve health & wellness, forge relationships with peers, and receive mentorship from dedicated …
Continue reading How to Align Strength Training for Sport with a P.E. Curriculum
In searching for ways to promote wellbeing in my school community, I came across an amazing concept called Ubuntu. Ubuntu is an African philosophy promoting the idea that the very existence of a person, their identity and purpose, is deeply rooted in their connections with others. It originates from a Zulu phrase which translates to …
We live in a pandemic and wellness is something that we prioritize at school, building community, supporting each other, students, teachers and staff, and the broader community. During the COVID-19 pandemic, self-care is more essential than ever to help build and maintain a healthy immune system. Research shows that exercise helps boost the brain and …
“You have changed the way I see Physical Education, “You have inspired my husband and me to play tennis”, “You make health and wellness fun.” These are quotes from my co-workers, by no means am I the best Physical Education teacher in the world or in my department for that matter. However, I have discovered …
https://twitter.com/carmelhealth/status/1377765154260156417?s=12 Health and wellbeing is schools is critical to developing happy and healthy young people. Ultimately, we want our students to be informed and activity citizens of not only their local community but the globe. As a health and physical education teacher and school leader I am acutely aware of the benefits of a strong …
Continue reading Benefits of Health and Wellbeing Programs: A Leaders Perspective
“I didn’t have the best upbringing, but I didn’t have the worst.” This blog post reflects (either verbatim or in spirit) conversations I have with my students from time to time. The sharing that occurs in my health room is cyclical and reciprocated. Like most of you, I share (appropriate) stories that help to create …
Threshold concepts at Rototuna Senior High (RSHS) have become integral in our course design, we are a senior school with years 11-13 only. The idea of threshold concepts has helped move students (and teachers!) away from course design that is solely focussed on assessment. Not that assessment is a bad word, it is important, however …
Continue reading Creating Unicorns and ‘AHA’ Moments in Health and Physical Education (HPE)
Too often, a young person’s experience of school-based health education is left to chance. By chance, is the young person living in a country in which health education is visible in the national (or regional/territorial) curriculum policy? By chance, does the young person happen to attend a school in which the subject is valued, and …
In #HealthEd three things guide your content. There is content that you legally MUST teach (state-mandated), there is the content that you LOVE to teach (those classic lessons that you enjoy) and, sandwiched in between those two is the content that your students NEED. That particular content is guided by data and reflects the behaviors …
Continue reading In Support of Comprehensive Sexuality Education.
Step after step after step, the last 10 kilometers of a half marathon is always the toughest, especially when the half marathon comes after a 1.9km Swim and a 90-kilometer cycle! Your body is telling you, ‘Just walk Andy, it’s ok, no one will know. We will feel much better if you just walked’. Your …
Many of us have seen school gardens promoted by teachers, non-profit organizations and community groups but are those spaces ever really used effectively and do they focus on providing a student-centered space dedicated to promoting student voices and democratic socialism? Do school gardens ever really play an integral role in combating food deserts and other …
Continue reading Growing Democratic Socialism Through School Gardens
As a resident of Los Angeles County, I’ve been teaching on Zoom for over a year. At first, “do no harm” was the only requirement and we only expected to be out for two weeks. We are currently still remote teaching and everything that I’ve built up in my 20 year career was all thrown …
Let’s Change the Stigma!I think assessments have gotten a bad rap. We need to change how we think about the purpose of our assessments. They are not just a grade to be entered in the gradebook, but instead they are to monitor student progress, allow for student and teacher reflection, differentiated to meet the needs …
I recently completed my Master’s degree in Education for Sustainability - an area of education I didn’t even know existed until I found myself in it! I am passionate about better preparing our students to be active citizens who will not shy away from global issues but instead have the skills and attitudes needed to …
It was early on in my career and I had just taught a class on consent. Most of the group had left, but one girl hung back. I asked her if she needed anything, and what soon came out was that the year before, after having a few drinks at a party, an older boy …
Continue reading Talking About Sexual Violence? Strive for a Trauma-Informed Lens
In our comfort zone we feel exactly that, comfort. However, when we step outside of our comfort zone, that is where we experience growth and reward. We frequently encourage our students to take a step (or even a leap), but when do we do so ourselves? I recently left a permanent teaching position and moved …
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