It will come as no surprise that the book that will continue to guide me and my teaching of PE over the coming year is Meaningful Physical Education from Tim Fletcher, Déirdre Ní Chróinín, Doug Gleddie, and Stephanie Benni. The theme of Meaningful PE is eloquently defined on page 4 of the book. The primary …
Continue reading Meaningful PE Starts Here: Listening to What Students Find Relevant
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
Regular readers of this site will know that I have been exploring all things #MeaningfulPE in physical education classes with my junior and senior students. This semester, my students have viewed a series of short video reflections from educators nationwide. These personal 'movement journey' narratives aim to inspire my students and expose them to diverse …
Continue reading Discovering Joy in Movement: Insights from Parents to Teenagers
From all of us @meaningfulpe In our most recent work around Meaningful PE, we have tried to focus our attention on pedagogies that teachers can use to support them in prioritizing the meaningfulness that students experience in their physical education classes. The two sets we have identified are democratic and reflective pedagogies, as these often …
When I was an undergrad, we were instructed to make friends with the school custodians and secretaries, because they are the ones who really make a school tick. I would like to add one more person to the list - the Occupational Therapist. I am blessed that my best friend, Deb, is a pediatric Occupational …
Why PBL? Project Based Learning (PBL) is a student-centered pedagogy that involves a dynamic classroom approach in which it is believed that students acquire a deeper knowledge through active exploration of real-world challenges and problems. PBL often relies on students learning through inquiry, collaboration, and design thinking in order to achieve deeper understanding of complex …
Continue reading Can Project Based Learning Create More Meaningful PE?
I came across a recently published article in The Atlantic entitled “What the Fitness Industry Doesn’t Understand.” To summarize, the article is about how the fitness industry seems to miss out on connecting with the emergent fitness enthusiast due to the fact that most gyms, fitness programs, etc. cater to those who are already predisposed …
Continue reading Changing the Perception of Physical Education
I’m walking on my Peloton treadmill in another class by an instructor that I’ve grown to like. He is young, energetic, engaging, and very humorous. He speaks with real honesty and seems very down to earth. His expressions, and mannerisms exude such warmth making our warmup less of a warmup and more like a simple …
I would like to take this opportunity to thank my former student, Jackson, for giving me the nudge I needed to start opening up my eyes. But first, let’s go back 20 some odd years in time. My principal had just returned from an administrative retreat. She called a meeting with the faculty to let …
If you’re like me, you are always on the lookout for ways to mix up your workout routine. Considering the current #stayhome circumstances, things can get old and boring real quick. Here are 3 different formats for workouts that can be done in your home. These workouts are meant to serve as a template – …
In the final week of this school year I tried something new with my #PhysEd class that was extremely successful and I owe it all to the virtues of being a 'Connected Educator' and my global PLN. The best part of introducing the Maori game of 'Tapuwae' to my students is that I can trace …
I work with so many talented professionals at school and am very excited that one of my co-workers, Jim Davis is this week's #slowchathealth guest blogger. Coach Davis is my go-to within the building for all things brain-body connection and neuroscience. There's so much more to him than that - he's all that we …
Continue reading Triple Salchows, Accurate Looking, and the Role of Exercise in Concussion
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