Are you looking forward to the holidays? How about spring break or the summer or simply Fridays? Or how about just coffee? What about retirement? Do you know teachers that have their retirement date worked out to the year, month, week, day and depending on how things are going in a particular movement, they may …
In physical education, we often focus on what students are doing—running, jumping, throwing, cooperating. But some of the most powerful learning happens when students pause to think about how and why they are moving, feeling, and interacting. That’s where reflection comes in. I’ve been using a simple strategy with my students this school year called “4 for Thought.” It’s a set of …
Continue reading 4 for Thought: Using Reflection to Deepen Learning in Physical Education
Every few years, a new activity captures the interests of our students. Pickleball was hot for a minute, Spikeball was visible in every park and beach. Cup Stacking blew up for a while, and for a short period, each of these activities had their moment. If your community is anything like mine, it would appear …
LEVEL UP your gameplan: C.I.A. Control what you can. Influence what you’re able. Accept & manage the rest. Focus on what matters to LEVEL UP. In a world that constantly bombards us with social media influences, global, federal, and local pressures that tell us to do more and carry more, this framework is a reminder that clarity is …
Rethinking Productivity for School Practitioners8 ways to improve well-being while doing your best work in schools In schools today, productivity is often measured by how much you can get done in a day—lesson plans, meetings, emails, student support, documentation. But this “produce more” mindset comes at a cost. For educators, administrators, and support staff, that …
Continue reading Rethinking Productivity for School Practitioners
Okay, I'll be honest — I was going to write something spicy. Something about how the entire Bravo network could be used to add relevance to your skills-based health education curriculum. (Honestly, that idea still has legs, but it would take at least 1,500 words and a lot of Summer House references.) So instead, I …
Continue reading Advocating for Health Education: You Don’t Have to Do It Alone
Kim Morton shares a message that’s hard to ignore: one day, your health may be the only thing on your mind. In this reflection, she challenges us to rethink how we value health now, and reinforces why what we teach in HPE has lasting impact far beyond the classroom.
Last May, as we were wrapping up the Lower School Field Day, a few Upper School students from Grades 6 and 7 approached me and asked, “Miss, why don’t we have a day like this in the Upper School?” A few weeks earlier, I had been told that I would be the Learning Leader for …
Continue reading When Students Ask, We Listen: Creating Our First Upper School Sports Day
Field Day is more than just a break from the classroom - it’s a carefully crafted experience designed to bring students together through movement, teamwork, and joy. While students arrive ready for fun, what they don’t always see is the incredible amount of time, energy, and resources that go into making the day unforgettable. Behind …
Summer is almost upon us, and the thought of recharging my personal batteries, spending quality time with friends and family, and catching up on my ever growing collection of books is keeping me going as the end of the semester draws near. In addition to sharing my annual #summerreads blog post, I'm also launching the …
Life moves fast. Between work, school, responsibilities, and the endless to-do lists, it's easy to get caught up in the serious side of life. But what if I told you that play - yes, play - is one of the most powerful tools for building resilience, improving mental and physical wellbeing, and fostering deep connections …
Launched in 2020, over 240 educators and authors have joined in with the last six #microblog events here on slowchathealth.com. All six 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, …
What inspired you to launch the #microblog event back in 2020 — and did you ever expect it to grow into what it is today? My blog site, slowchathealth.com, which celebrates it's 10 year anniversary this year, was created for health teachers working with students of all ages. The aim has always been to promote …
Continue reading Reflecting on Six Years of #Microblog Month
Imagine you get to be the person that helps someone affirm their calling into a particular profession. Imagine that profession has impacts on each and every one of the 50 million students in today's K-12 Schools. Yes, Health Education and Physical Education Teacher Education Faculty have the best jobs in the world, but we are …
I can’t imagine what it must be like. To be a teacher in a school in 2025. As I watch the news each day I am beyond puzzled about the decisions, orders and mandates that are unfolding in our government on a regular basis. Never have we had to be so vigilant when it comes …
Outside of the Health Education classroom, Social Emotional Learning (SEL) has been relegated to the realm of "extras" – a separate curriculum, a few isolated lessons squeezed into an already packed schedule. This perception is not only inaccurate but actively hinders its transformative potential. I’m here to say what many fellow health educators might be …
I founded our non-profit, Be Real USA in 2019, with our mission to provide the highest possible quality body image resources for schools. Everyone, everywhere has been seeing the negative mental health consequences of social media on young people today. Negative body image—called body dissatisfaction--has been a particularly bad outcome for those who use social …
I’m horrible at remembering names, which is problematic because each year I have nearly 250 new ones to learn. Yale’s Poorvu Center claims that students feel more satisfied, more accountable, more likely to seek help and more comfortable when teachers know their names. I needed to find a way to compensate for my weakness - …
Continue reading Say My Name. Say My Name: Introducing The Teacher Multi-Tool
As Health and Physical Education teachers, we often feel we live on a deserted island as we are often the only teacher in our department or a smaller chunk of the school compared to other subjects and departments. This setup often leaves us feeling isolated and less integrated with other areas of instruction. I made …
Continue reading From Isolation to Integration: Embracing a Collaborative Teaching Mindset
I once adored holistic rubrics, but when my students expressed their dislike for them, it led to a transformation in my approach. Now, I am committed to single-point rubrics, and there's no turning back. They are efficient, inclusive, and genuinely centered on the students. Many insightful educators, such as those at the Cult of Pedagogy, …
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