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, …
Creativity is the spark that drives innovation, progress, and personal expression. But without longevity, that spark can burn out before it has a chance to ignite anything lasting. Striking a balance between pushing for creativity and sustaining your presence is essential in any field, but in the world of Health and Physical Education, it is …
I have taught middle school PE and Health Education in four countries, across three continents. Everywhere I have been, I’ve witnessed students navigating the challenges of adolescents, while learning to make sense of the world around them. The longer I teach, the more I see the role of PE and Health Education as an opportunity …
Continue reading Five Questions I Asked My Middle School Students This Year
Regular blog readers will know I am a big fan of the benefits of sleep. Not only have I blogged extensively about the topic and advocate for the benefits of sleep with my students through lessons that often lead to the creation of sleep-related advocacy podcasts, but I am also a fan of sleep myself. …
The Purchase This is what the clerk at the counter said as I was checking out with a fresh roll - okay a 6-pack - of .94-inch x 60-yard blue painter’s tape. My response was, “It’s not about what it is, but what my students and I can do with it.” If you are at …
Continue reading But It’s Just a Roll of Blue Painter’s Tape
This is my second year contributing to this blog, and I truly enjoy reading every post. They’ve been such a valuable part of my journey—helping me grow, reflect, and evolve as an educator. Without a doubt, the thing that has elevated my teaching the most is watching other teachers in action. Nine years ago, I …
I hadn’t seen this young man since the day he left our school in 5th grade. I knew he was on my son’s wrestling team. He is a sophomore wrestling varsity. Luckily for me, he just happened to get wrestler of the week so I got to see his picture with his name under it …
Continue reading 5 Years Later: You Won’t Believe What My Student Said!
There is an adage that says experience is the best teacher that you can have when you live the experience. I would agree that nothing replaces that. However, to some extent, I also know that in every field, whether it is medicine, engineering, or in my case, education, returning to the basics is paramount. People …
Managing student participation and classroom efficiency can be challenging. To address this, I introduced a team-based structure with defined roles in small teams during health instruction. This approach made class time more active, helped things run like clockwork, and got students talking, collaborating, and having fun while building their health skills. Setting It Up The …
After teaching a lesson, how often have we thought to ourselves, “My students said they loved the lesson, but they were just being nice”? Well, it's time to stop discounting the positive and bring mindfulness into our classroom by recognizing these common “thought traps!”. It’s not a secret that mental health is at the forefront …
Whenever I tell someone what I do, they look at me like they just ate thebarf jelly bean in the BeanboozledJelly Belly collection. How could you…why would you… I could never…. I get it. Teaching 8th graders can be brutal. Not many would tout their early teensyears as a time they would ever want to …
In most multi-activity curricula, when asked “what are we doing today?” the all too familiar response is “games, or aquatics, or dance and so on”. These activities are therefore “the organising centre” of your physical education programme. These are the ‘things’ we plan our lesson around them, it is the skills and techniques of these …
Continue reading Making it Count: Organizing PE Around What Really Matters
Make It Stick is the best education book I have ever read. The reason I love this book so much is because it so intimately connects to skills-based health education and has changed my teaching strategies forever. Peter Brown, Henry Roediger, and Mark McDaniel explain complex neuroscience in a digestible and novel way and I …
Continue reading Make it Stick in the Health Education Classroom
Almost all I think about these days is class culture, and I know I am not alone. For me, this means a culture that builds trust, embraces confusion, encourages attention and sparks curiosity and joy, After 30+ years as a high school English teacher, creating and sustaining this culture is simultaneously more difficult and more …
Art is a powerful tool for cultivating health and well-being. Students can explore complex issues, express emotions, and advocate for positive change by creating, performing, and responding to art. This process fosters critical thinking, health-enhancing behaviors, and effective communication, essential skills that support our health and wellness. Analyzing Influences In a world of constant connectivity, …
Continue reading Fostering Deeper Connection: Art’s Impact on Health Education
Hey there! As a health teacher at Chestnut Hill Middle School, I’ve had the chance to work with some amazing students and watch them grow, learn, and figure out the many things that make up their health—both social, mental and physical. It’s a fun, but sometimes tricky time in their lives, right? With everything going …
In this guest blog post, Matt Hagedorn explores how AI is revolutionizing education, particularly for health and PE teachers. Drawing from his own tech-savvy background, he highlights six must-try AI tools that save time, enhance student engagement, and streamline lesson planning. I still remember the first time I held an iPhone. It wasn’t just another …
Continue reading The AI Assist: Powering Purposeful Teaching
As educators, our journeys are defined by growth, reflection, and transformation, and each stage of our career tells its own story. In my NYSAHPERD keynote speech, I explored six stages of teaching, drawing on my personal experiences and insights from nearly three decades in education. I labeled the first stage, “Aspiration and Entry,” which will …
Continue reading Where It All Began: Navigating the Early Stage of Teaching – A Keynote Excerpt
A positive school culture creates an environment where students feel safe, respected, and encouraged to take risks in their learning. Establishing a shared school mission, values and behaviors focused on academic and social-emotional success for every student. Building and maintaining meaningful relationships among teachers and staff and creating an environment where all members feel safe, …
Have you ever cooked a meal that was fine but lacked that spark? It got the job done but wasn’t exciting or memorable. Teaching can feel the same way. Sure, you can throw together a lesson on the fly, and it might cover the basics. But if you really want to engage your students, you’ve …
Continue reading Spice Up Your Lessons: How Meaningful PE Ingredients Transform Teaching
