May Blog from Board Member Jeff Bishop
Developing Relationships
With all of the other obvious changes going on in the world over this past year, I decided to add to the stress by resigning from my job of 20 years at the end of the 2019-2020 school year. I made the purposeful switch to teaching online. Honestly, I didn’t even know what to expect. I had just completed my Masters a couple of years earlier and I really liked learning online. I enjoyed talking to classmates and professors. I enjoyed the zoom meetings. Strangely, I enjoyed the learning management system. Everything was organized for me in such a rewarding way. Like our smartphones these days, the learning management system always had messages that needed to be read and deadlines to be met. You just keep clicking until all of the messages go away and you are done for the day. I’m sure it was a little more than that, but that’s what stands out.
Now I’m on the other side of the learning management system. It is the same from the teacher point of view. I have messages that need answering. I have papers that need grading. Once I click all of the buttons and have no messages, I’m done! Then I can do my real work: Developing Relationships.
As I write this, I realize that the ability to talk and communicate is a big motivator for me. How strange then that I would choose to be alone in my basement all day, teaching kids that are sometimes hundreds of miles away in their own basements and bedrooms. The strange thing is that I’m not alone. I’m less alone now that I ever was teaching in person. Sure, there were kids. 1, 5, 20, 40, 100 kids at a time. I was always too busy “teaching” to worry very much about developing relationships. Online I work to develop relationships with 250 students, scattered around the US, and sometimes, the world.
If I do my job correctly, the relationships I foster with my students encourages engagement in the content. When I share my life, kids eat it up! I share stories of my hobbies and several kids respond. I talk about watching my own children compete somewhere in Wyoming and a dozen kids want to know more. I share my flowers coming up through the snow and another dozen bite. I talk about loneliness and finding someone to talk to and there are a few more kids that need me as much as I need them. Those relationships are more important than the content. I can lecture for an hour or more, do the best job of covering all points of my subject, but if there is no relationship, there is little learning. I may feel that I have done my best to present the information, but come test time it doesn’t always show up. The kids that are invested in our relationship do their absolute best.
Developing relationships is very important for in-person learning also. Look back over the years and remember those students and athletes that had the best relationship with you. Did you ever have kids with genuine, good relationships let you down come test time?
I know we aren’t supposed to have favorites, but mine were not always the best athletes. Often it was that kid that simply asked me about my day. I hope you have that kid who brings you cookies, not as a bribe, but because they know your favorite kind. I’d love to hear stories about your favorite students over the years. What did they do to make you love your job? Did any bring you cookies or drawings? Reach out and share with me ([email protected]) or other board members! You can find WAHPERD contact information on our website.
Developing Relationships
With all of the other obvious changes going on in the world over this past year, I decided to add to the stress by resigning from my job of 20 years at the end of the 2019-2020 school year. I made the purposeful switch to teaching online. Honestly, I didn’t even know what to expect. I had just completed my Masters a couple of years earlier and I really liked learning online. I enjoyed talking to classmates and professors. I enjoyed the zoom meetings. Strangely, I enjoyed the learning management system. Everything was organized for me in such a rewarding way. Like our smartphones these days, the learning management system always had messages that needed to be read and deadlines to be met. You just keep clicking until all of the messages go away and you are done for the day. I’m sure it was a little more than that, but that’s what stands out.
Now I’m on the other side of the learning management system. It is the same from the teacher point of view. I have messages that need answering. I have papers that need grading. Once I click all of the buttons and have no messages, I’m done! Then I can do my real work: Developing Relationships.
As I write this, I realize that the ability to talk and communicate is a big motivator for me. How strange then that I would choose to be alone in my basement all day, teaching kids that are sometimes hundreds of miles away in their own basements and bedrooms. The strange thing is that I’m not alone. I’m less alone now that I ever was teaching in person. Sure, there were kids. 1, 5, 20, 40, 100 kids at a time. I was always too busy “teaching” to worry very much about developing relationships. Online I work to develop relationships with 250 students, scattered around the US, and sometimes, the world.
If I do my job correctly, the relationships I foster with my students encourages engagement in the content. When I share my life, kids eat it up! I share stories of my hobbies and several kids respond. I talk about watching my own children compete somewhere in Wyoming and a dozen kids want to know more. I share my flowers coming up through the snow and another dozen bite. I talk about loneliness and finding someone to talk to and there are a few more kids that need me as much as I need them. Those relationships are more important than the content. I can lecture for an hour or more, do the best job of covering all points of my subject, but if there is no relationship, there is little learning. I may feel that I have done my best to present the information, but come test time it doesn’t always show up. The kids that are invested in our relationship do their absolute best.
Developing relationships is very important for in-person learning also. Look back over the years and remember those students and athletes that had the best relationship with you. Did you ever have kids with genuine, good relationships let you down come test time?
I know we aren’t supposed to have favorites, but mine were not always the best athletes. Often it was that kid that simply asked me about my day. I hope you have that kid who brings you cookies, not as a bribe, but because they know your favorite kind. I’d love to hear stories about your favorite students over the years. What did they do to make you love your job? Did any bring you cookies or drawings? Reach out and share with me ([email protected]) or other board members! You can find WAHPERD contact information on our website.
April Blog from Board Member Ben Kern
In the early part of March 2021, WAHPERD administered the first ever Wyoming Physical Education and Physical Activity Policy Survey (WPEPAP) to teachers representing 36 of the 47 school districts in the state. The WAHPERD Leadership Council commissioned the services of the University of Wyoming Division of Kinesiology and Health, and Dr. Ben D. Kern to design and distribute the survey to the more than 400 physical educators statewide. The response to the survey request was positive, with 175 Wyoming teachers agreeing to participate (163 complete responses). The purpose of the survey was to determine the nature of Wyoming school and district policies that effect physical education classes and physical activity opportunities such as school recess.
The survey revealed that overall, physical education classes are offered to elementary students roughly 2 times per week, well below the national average of 2.5 times per week, to middle school students on average 3.1 times per week, and to high school students 3.5 times per week. About 20% of teachers surveyed said that they have less physical education offered to students this year, with 31% reporting they have larger class sizes than classroom teachers at their school.
On a brighter note, the results of the survey showed that minutes per day (39.6 min.) and minutes per week (198.1 min.) of recess are well above the national average (95 min./day), however this may not as positive as it might initially seem. These are extremely high recess offerings, and it suggests that school policy makers have likely replaced a good deal of physical education minutes with recess, which we know is not best for our students.
Some concerning statistics came primarily from the middle and high school ranks, as over 7% of respondents indicated that activities such as band, ROTC, and sports can be counted as physical education credit, with over 15% indicating that they were unsure if this occurs at their school. Though these percentages may seem relatively low, they are a cause for concern because with looming state budget cuts on the horizon, more schools may see this as a financially viable option to offer physical education credits, as opposed to hiring and/or retaining physical education teachers.
A final cause for concern observed in the results was that over 12% of teachers reported their high schools allow physical education credits to be outsourced by private organizations. This is troubling because many of these organizations do not hire licensed physical education teachers, and their curriculum may or may not be vetted by highly qualified teachers/curriculum designers. Again, with a future of potential budget cuts, this may be seen as a way to reduce costs at the expense of legitimate licensed Wyoming physical educators.
In this blog we offer some sobering news, and we call out to all Wyoming physical educators to stand up and advocate for their programs before they are cut anymore! This has been a tough year due to the pandemic, but we must find the strength to speak for the value of what we do because our livelihoods depend on it. If you would like more information on how you can get involved, contact Ben Kern (UW and WAHPERD Leadership Council) at [email protected] or reach out to any WAHPERD Leadership Council member. A listing of contact information can be found on the WAHPERD website.
In the early part of March 2021, WAHPERD administered the first ever Wyoming Physical Education and Physical Activity Policy Survey (WPEPAP) to teachers representing 36 of the 47 school districts in the state. The WAHPERD Leadership Council commissioned the services of the University of Wyoming Division of Kinesiology and Health, and Dr. Ben D. Kern to design and distribute the survey to the more than 400 physical educators statewide. The response to the survey request was positive, with 175 Wyoming teachers agreeing to participate (163 complete responses). The purpose of the survey was to determine the nature of Wyoming school and district policies that effect physical education classes and physical activity opportunities such as school recess.
The survey revealed that overall, physical education classes are offered to elementary students roughly 2 times per week, well below the national average of 2.5 times per week, to middle school students on average 3.1 times per week, and to high school students 3.5 times per week. About 20% of teachers surveyed said that they have less physical education offered to students this year, with 31% reporting they have larger class sizes than classroom teachers at their school.
On a brighter note, the results of the survey showed that minutes per day (39.6 min.) and minutes per week (198.1 min.) of recess are well above the national average (95 min./day), however this may not as positive as it might initially seem. These are extremely high recess offerings, and it suggests that school policy makers have likely replaced a good deal of physical education minutes with recess, which we know is not best for our students.
Some concerning statistics came primarily from the middle and high school ranks, as over 7% of respondents indicated that activities such as band, ROTC, and sports can be counted as physical education credit, with over 15% indicating that they were unsure if this occurs at their school. Though these percentages may seem relatively low, they are a cause for concern because with looming state budget cuts on the horizon, more schools may see this as a financially viable option to offer physical education credits, as opposed to hiring and/or retaining physical education teachers.
A final cause for concern observed in the results was that over 12% of teachers reported their high schools allow physical education credits to be outsourced by private organizations. This is troubling because many of these organizations do not hire licensed physical education teachers, and their curriculum may or may not be vetted by highly qualified teachers/curriculum designers. Again, with a future of potential budget cuts, this may be seen as a way to reduce costs at the expense of legitimate licensed Wyoming physical educators.
In this blog we offer some sobering news, and we call out to all Wyoming physical educators to stand up and advocate for their programs before they are cut anymore! This has been a tough year due to the pandemic, but we must find the strength to speak for the value of what we do because our livelihoods depend on it. If you would like more information on how you can get involved, contact Ben Kern (UW and WAHPERD Leadership Council) at [email protected] or reach out to any WAHPERD Leadership Council member. A listing of contact information can be found on the WAHPERD website.
January Blog from Board Member Nathan Vondra
As we enter 2021 and leave the unpresented, unimaginable, CRAZY year of 2020, I wanted to take a few minutes and share a fun unit of study that I do at my elementary school (this can be used in the upper grade levels as well). Every March, I present a three lesson unit focusing on Disability Awareness. At my elementary school we have a very unique classroom called the I.L.S. class, which stands for intensive life skills. My students in this class are mostly wheelchair-bound and do not speak, some communicate through their iPad. We follow an inclusion model so my I.L.S. students join the gen. ed. classes. Below are a few activities/resources i have used in the past.
As we enter 2021 and leave the unpresented, unimaginable, CRAZY year of 2020, I wanted to take a few minutes and share a fun unit of study that I do at my elementary school (this can be used in the upper grade levels as well). Every March, I present a three lesson unit focusing on Disability Awareness. At my elementary school we have a very unique classroom called the I.L.S. class, which stands for intensive life skills. My students in this class are mostly wheelchair-bound and do not speak, some communicate through their iPad. We follow an inclusion model so my I.L.S. students join the gen. ed. classes. Below are a few activities/resources i have used in the past.
- Students wear thin winter gloves and attempt to stack pennies, tie shoes, button a shirt, use a zipper, etc. (Fine Motor Control)
- Scooter volleyball with a balloon (Gross Motor Control)
- Students trace objects while using their opposite hand (Fine Motor Control)
- Students use the climbing wall while only utilizing one arm or leg (Gross Motor Control)
- Students look into a mirror and attempt to write their name or trace an object (Cognitive Function)
- Students wear glasses covered with scotch tape, attempt to move around a safe space and interact with peers (Visual)
- Trashcan basketball on scooters (Gross Motor Control)
- Students attempt to read a short story with extremely blurry text (Visual)
- Students play a basic tag game while keeping a paper plate under one foot (Gross Motor Control)
- Additional Resources: PE Central https://www.pecentral.org/bp/indivBPDisplay.asp?ID=89#.X_h82elKjlw
- Additional Resources: DVUSD Special Education https://www.dvusd.org/cms/lib011/AZ01901092/Centricity/Domain/1318/Disability%20Awareness%20Packet%202.pdf
December Blog from Board Member Shannon Hill
As we move into the ever exciting new year of 2021, we can look forward to new beginnings, new (hopefully decreased) protocols and a time to reset our mindsets. We as teachers, have been working extremely hard to learn new things, and meet student’s needs, near and far, while continuing to give the best of ourselves to our students, because that is the business we are in... the business of growing and developing humans. We are caring, supporting and providing outlets for other humans. Especially Health and PE teachers. When you think of what we provide in our classrooms through Health and Physical Education, we are providing a safe place to discuss the difficult parts of life while also providing a safe place for students to express themselves through motion and movement. But I have to ask, who is taking care of us? It is so important, now more than ever, to make sure YOU are taking care of YOU. I just finished leading a book study with Urban Meyer’s “Above the Line: Lessons in Leadership and Life form a Championship Program” (highly recommended for anyone but especially coaches), and in the book, Meyer, provides multiple “AHA'' moments and life lessons throughout the entirety of the book. One major takeaway for me was when he discusses the importance of quiet reflection saying, “But if you can’t put aside distractions long enough to be alone in reflection, formulate your own ideas and opinions, then you are handicapping your ability to think, make decisions, and lead.” (pg195 - 196) I truly believe that in our selfless, amazing career of being teachers, we forget to take care of ourselves, to have quiet moments with no distractions, especially during such a challenging time that 2020 introduced to all of us. We have been inundated with information and tools to better ourselves as online AND in person teachers and so for this 2021 year, I challenge all of us to make time for quiet reflection. Whether we are reflecting on our practice as teachers, our parenting, or just decisions we are faced with as humans, take the time to have original thoughts, creative ideas and memories of the successes you have already accomplished. We teach about mental health, make sure you are taking care of yours!
As we move into the ever exciting new year of 2021, we can look forward to new beginnings, new (hopefully decreased) protocols and a time to reset our mindsets. We as teachers, have been working extremely hard to learn new things, and meet student’s needs, near and far, while continuing to give the best of ourselves to our students, because that is the business we are in... the business of growing and developing humans. We are caring, supporting and providing outlets for other humans. Especially Health and PE teachers. When you think of what we provide in our classrooms through Health and Physical Education, we are providing a safe place to discuss the difficult parts of life while also providing a safe place for students to express themselves through motion and movement. But I have to ask, who is taking care of us? It is so important, now more than ever, to make sure YOU are taking care of YOU. I just finished leading a book study with Urban Meyer’s “Above the Line: Lessons in Leadership and Life form a Championship Program” (highly recommended for anyone but especially coaches), and in the book, Meyer, provides multiple “AHA'' moments and life lessons throughout the entirety of the book. One major takeaway for me was when he discusses the importance of quiet reflection saying, “But if you can’t put aside distractions long enough to be alone in reflection, formulate your own ideas and opinions, then you are handicapping your ability to think, make decisions, and lead.” (pg195 - 196) I truly believe that in our selfless, amazing career of being teachers, we forget to take care of ourselves, to have quiet moments with no distractions, especially during such a challenging time that 2020 introduced to all of us. We have been inundated with information and tools to better ourselves as online AND in person teachers and so for this 2021 year, I challenge all of us to make time for quiet reflection. Whether we are reflecting on our practice as teachers, our parenting, or just decisions we are faced with as humans, take the time to have original thoughts, creative ideas and memories of the successes you have already accomplished. We teach about mental health, make sure you are taking care of yours!
November Blog from Board Member Tristan Wallhead
As many of us struggle with “how to” effectively teach physical education (or train PE teachers) within the social restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic, it seems important to share small stories of success with curriculum innovation such that we can hopefully inspire others. I recently got involved with a research project sponsored by the Specialized Foundation (Outride) to promote mountain biking within Laramie Middle School. The notion of “Outride” is that middle school students can harness the power of biking to ‘outride’ physical, social and emotional challenges by staying focused, engaged and active. Outride have been sponsoring grants for middle schools to acquire class sets of Specialized bikes since 2012 and LMS received their bikes during the summer of 2018. Led by Jamie Simmons, the PE teachers at LMS have been using the bikes to infuse the Riding for Focus program, which includes technical, safety and physical aspects of riding bikes. Many students have been enthusiastic about riding bikes during PE with some reporting learning to ride a bike for the first time!
This academic year brought the instructional challenge of social distancing. Mountain Biking offered a great opportunity for the teachers to maintain social distancing while providing an activity that challenged students at their own level of competence and be moving outside. As part of the research project we also initiated a mountain biking after school club run by a couple of classroom teachers who had a passion for mountain biking. The results were very positive with students who would not normally participate in extra-curricular sports turning up to ride the bikes on some of the local trails after school.
This idea of students taking what they have learned during physical education and using it during their leisure time reinforces the potential power of our subject area to positively impact the physical literacy of young people, even during COVID-19. The goal of “taking it out of the gym” should be the focus of any curriculum innovation and I hope you take a look at the potential or acquiring funding for bikes at your middle school at Riding For Focus — Outride (outridebike.org).
As many of us struggle with “how to” effectively teach physical education (or train PE teachers) within the social restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic, it seems important to share small stories of success with curriculum innovation such that we can hopefully inspire others. I recently got involved with a research project sponsored by the Specialized Foundation (Outride) to promote mountain biking within Laramie Middle School. The notion of “Outride” is that middle school students can harness the power of biking to ‘outride’ physical, social and emotional challenges by staying focused, engaged and active. Outride have been sponsoring grants for middle schools to acquire class sets of Specialized bikes since 2012 and LMS received their bikes during the summer of 2018. Led by Jamie Simmons, the PE teachers at LMS have been using the bikes to infuse the Riding for Focus program, which includes technical, safety and physical aspects of riding bikes. Many students have been enthusiastic about riding bikes during PE with some reporting learning to ride a bike for the first time!
This academic year brought the instructional challenge of social distancing. Mountain Biking offered a great opportunity for the teachers to maintain social distancing while providing an activity that challenged students at their own level of competence and be moving outside. As part of the research project we also initiated a mountain biking after school club run by a couple of classroom teachers who had a passion for mountain biking. The results were very positive with students who would not normally participate in extra-curricular sports turning up to ride the bikes on some of the local trails after school.
This idea of students taking what they have learned during physical education and using it during their leisure time reinforces the potential power of our subject area to positively impact the physical literacy of young people, even during COVID-19. The goal of “taking it out of the gym” should be the focus of any curriculum innovation and I hope you take a look at the potential or acquiring funding for bikes at your middle school at Riding For Focus — Outride (outridebike.org).
October Blog from Board Member Kim Hunt
Click here for Kim's Blog on Teaching Elementary during the Pandemic
Click here for Kim's Blog on Teaching Elementary during the Pandemic
September Blog from Board Member Trisha Evenson
Who would have thought a year ago that the 2020 school year would start the way it has? Times have definitely changed, but have we? Going from PE to a fulltime health teacher, I feel like I’ve been in survival mode, but there are a few resources that have been keeping me afloat in this virtual world.
Some specific virtual resources found on Facebook are “Teachers Using Google Classroom.” This group has directions for general Google functions all the way to step by step how to create a bitmoji and a virtual classroom. You can ask a question on there and usually have an answer back by the end of the day if not sooner. If you’re like me and your district switched your platform to Schoology, there is “Teaching with Schoology” and “Schoology Educator Community.” These groups will help you problem solve and give you new ideas of how to use Schoology. There are also specific groups for PE and Health teachers if you search for them.
For High School Health, I depend on the Facebook Group- “Health Teacher Central.” There are new ideas for lessons everyday and you can search topics if you are looking for a specific topic.
Second, anything by Melanie Lynch. She was the National Health Teacher of the Year in 2016 and when she came to our WAHPERD Convention last year, she changed how I taught Health. She Co-Authored the 3rd Edition Comprehensive Health Skills Textbook, you can follow her on Twitter @MelanieLynch52, and if you ever get to see her present, she provides you with a ton of resources.
As always, remember it is up to us as educators to use our professional training and knowledge to sift through the rubbish that can be found on the internet in order to ensure that we provide high quality, standards based information to our students.
Who would have thought a year ago that the 2020 school year would start the way it has? Times have definitely changed, but have we? Going from PE to a fulltime health teacher, I feel like I’ve been in survival mode, but there are a few resources that have been keeping me afloat in this virtual world.
Some specific virtual resources found on Facebook are “Teachers Using Google Classroom.” This group has directions for general Google functions all the way to step by step how to create a bitmoji and a virtual classroom. You can ask a question on there and usually have an answer back by the end of the day if not sooner. If you’re like me and your district switched your platform to Schoology, there is “Teaching with Schoology” and “Schoology Educator Community.” These groups will help you problem solve and give you new ideas of how to use Schoology. There are also specific groups for PE and Health teachers if you search for them.
For High School Health, I depend on the Facebook Group- “Health Teacher Central.” There are new ideas for lessons everyday and you can search topics if you are looking for a specific topic.
Second, anything by Melanie Lynch. She was the National Health Teacher of the Year in 2016 and when she came to our WAHPERD Convention last year, she changed how I taught Health. She Co-Authored the 3rd Edition Comprehensive Health Skills Textbook, you can follow her on Twitter @MelanieLynch52, and if you ever get to see her present, she provides you with a ton of resources.
As always, remember it is up to us as educators to use our professional training and knowledge to sift through the rubbish that can be found on the internet in order to ensure that we provide high quality, standards based information to our students.
August Blog from Board Member Shawna McIlnay
After the first week of face to face teaching, it’s time to reflect and take a breath. There were a lot of mixed emotions for everyone going to school this week. I for one was excited to go back face to face. I can tell you the students were excited to see each other and excited to see all staff. Masks are required for students and staff but everyone has been fantastic at meeting the recommendations
I defiantly felt like we have been in survival mode since going back for the teacher in-service week. For our district we were given a new Learning Management System on top of all the recommendations/requirements by the school and district. This system was completely different than what we used last year.
As we move into the coming weeks it’s important that as educators to take some time for ourselves. Our health, families and students all depend on us being healthy. This is a different year for everyone but if we can remain positive and healthy, we can make it through the year. Remember to ask for help and it’s ok to ask for help. All educators are feeling the pressure from multiple different sources. Don’t be afraid to take time for yourself and ask for help if you need.
If you’re looking for new ideas there are many resources available to Health and Physical Educators from WAHPERD, Facebook, Twitter, OPEN Phys Edu, and SHAPE. Don’t be afraid to try something new and be creative in your classes this year.
After the first week of face to face teaching, it’s time to reflect and take a breath. There were a lot of mixed emotions for everyone going to school this week. I for one was excited to go back face to face. I can tell you the students were excited to see each other and excited to see all staff. Masks are required for students and staff but everyone has been fantastic at meeting the recommendations
I defiantly felt like we have been in survival mode since going back for the teacher in-service week. For our district we were given a new Learning Management System on top of all the recommendations/requirements by the school and district. This system was completely different than what we used last year.
As we move into the coming weeks it’s important that as educators to take some time for ourselves. Our health, families and students all depend on us being healthy. This is a different year for everyone but if we can remain positive and healthy, we can make it through the year. Remember to ask for help and it’s ok to ask for help. All educators are feeling the pressure from multiple different sources. Don’t be afraid to take time for yourself and ask for help if you need.
If you’re looking for new ideas there are many resources available to Health and Physical Educators from WAHPERD, Facebook, Twitter, OPEN Phys Edu, and SHAPE. Don’t be afraid to try something new and be creative in your classes this year.
July's Blog from President Elect Jim Gardner
As we enter this year it is hard to accept that we are not having a 2020 face to face conference. It is always one of my favorite times of the year to see old colleagues, learn new teaching strategies, honor those that are so deserving and generally re-charge from our demanding schedules. With all the uncertainty surrounding us and not knowing what the next day will bring, it is even more important to stay connected and be able lean from each other for support with things in and out of the classroom.
The WAHPERD leadership council Is determined to continue to provide as much information to our membership as possible. Not only about items related to physical education, health, recreation and dance but also the latest on teaching in our new COVID environment. To do this we need to know the needs of our membership, to increase our membership and to continue to gain more knowledge as an organization on how to be of genuine service to our members!
On August 20, 27 and September 10, WAHPERD will be holding fireside chats to see what our membership needs are, questions they may have, and what we as an organization can do to help. You should be receiving an email soon if you have not already received one, with more details. Please let everyone you know that would benefit from questions and answers, know about the dates listed above. We are committed to continue to not only hold a conference again, but to find more ways we can be of service to you as a member.
As we enter this year it is hard to accept that we are not having a 2020 face to face conference. It is always one of my favorite times of the year to see old colleagues, learn new teaching strategies, honor those that are so deserving and generally re-charge from our demanding schedules. With all the uncertainty surrounding us and not knowing what the next day will bring, it is even more important to stay connected and be able lean from each other for support with things in and out of the classroom.
The WAHPERD leadership council Is determined to continue to provide as much information to our membership as possible. Not only about items related to physical education, health, recreation and dance but also the latest on teaching in our new COVID environment. To do this we need to know the needs of our membership, to increase our membership and to continue to gain more knowledge as an organization on how to be of genuine service to our members!
On August 20, 27 and September 10, WAHPERD will be holding fireside chats to see what our membership needs are, questions they may have, and what we as an organization can do to help. You should be receiving an email soon if you have not already received one, with more details. Please let everyone you know that would benefit from questions and answers, know about the dates listed above. We are committed to continue to not only hold a conference again, but to find more ways we can be of service to you as a member.
June's Blog from Board Member Gay Hughes
Click here for Gay's Blog on Service Learning
Click here for Gay's Blog on Service Learning
May's Blog from President Jeff Wordman
As educators, we put a lot of energy into providing the best we can for our students and our families. In a normal day that can take a lot out of us. Now, add in having to do that from home, while some have to be their children’s classroom teacher on top of it. Daily, we pour into others by providing social and emotional support, by teaching them how to be healthy, and encouraging them to be active. We KNOW that physical activity is important for our mental and physical health, but how many of us are taking the time to practice what we teach? How many of us have fallen into a rut of inactivity while getting used to the “new normal?” We are living in uncertain times and now is more important than ever to refill yourself mentally, socially, emotionally, and physically. Take time for self-care by connecting with others, taking a walk, and utilizing some of the resources you are providing to your students to stay active.
As educators, we put a lot of energy into providing the best we can for our students and our families. In a normal day that can take a lot out of us. Now, add in having to do that from home, while some have to be their children’s classroom teacher on top of it. Daily, we pour into others by providing social and emotional support, by teaching them how to be healthy, and encouraging them to be active. We KNOW that physical activity is important for our mental and physical health, but how many of us are taking the time to practice what we teach? How many of us have fallen into a rut of inactivity while getting used to the “new normal?” We are living in uncertain times and now is more important than ever to refill yourself mentally, socially, emotionally, and physically. Take time for self-care by connecting with others, taking a walk, and utilizing some of the resources you are providing to your students to stay active.