The Supersized PhysEd Podcast
The Supersized Physed Podcast is dedicated to providing new ideas, activities and inspiration to our physical education field. Each week a new episode about various physed topics comes out, sometimes with a guest, sometimes it's just me!
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The Supersized PhysEd Podcast
Innovative Strategies for Transforming Physical Education with Jake Bersin
Hello PE Nation!
In this episode, I had the pleasure of speaking with Jake Bersin, an elementary physical education teacher, who shares ihis nsights on engaging students and the importance of building foundational movement skills. He discusses effective games, strategies for new PE teachers, and the significance of advocacy within the profession.
• Importance of foundational movement skills for young students
• Strategies to create engaging and adaptable PE experiences
• Advocacy for health and physical education at community and state levels
• The role of creativity in teaching within various classroom settings
• Building connections and learning from fellow educators
• Balancing curriculums with teacher creativity
• Recommendations for first-year PE teachers on professional development
Take care,
Dave
Follow Jake on Blue Skye
Websites discussed:
Link to his Padlet
https://www.cbhpe.org/
https://www.hpecollective.online/
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My website: https://www.supersizedphysed.com
Website for the book: https://www.teacherchefhockeyplayerbook.com/
Hello and welcome to the Supersize Phys Ed podcast. My name is Dave and today I want to share with you a person I met recently and had a great conversation with. His name is Jake Burson and we just connected on a lot of things. He actually shared a lot of links with me that I want to share with you in the show notes, and he is an educator in Massachusetts that I think you're going to really enjoy. We just got into some deep stuff, into a lot of nuggets of information and tidbits of strategy and games and things that I think you're going to really enjoy and find a lot of value from.
Speaker 1:I was furiously writing down notes as he was talking, just like, oh man, I got to try that game, or yeah, that's a great resource. So please join us and listen in today to me and Jake, all right, so today I have Jake Burson with me. How are you, jake? I'm doing great. How are you Great? Yeah, I appreciate meeting you and kind of seeing you. I guess seeing you online here just talking to you a little bit through email and stuff like that and on Twitter, so it's great to finally connect with you in a better way, in a more personable way, I guess. So can you tell everybody like just give me a brief introduction about like who you are, what you teach, where you're at.
Speaker 2:Sure. So, as you mentioned, my name is Jake. I've been teaching since probably around 2000. I teach elementary physical education. I'm certified to teach health and PE and I have taught both, but my real love is physical education. So, again, I'm K-6, and I've taught in a couple different districts, different demographics, but I really enjoy the younger students. I feel we can really have a big impact on on them, especially, um, at the young age, you know, build the foundation, the movement skills, the love of the love of moving, um, the skill of moving.
Speaker 2:So, um, I have a master's degree in physical education. Um, my wife will tell you that I'm all, I'm phys ed all the way. I mean I love, I love, I love physical education. I'm on, I'm on a couple of different boards. Actually, one is our state board, mayford, and then the other one is something called NAFL, national Alliance for Health and Physical Literacy. I'm the chair of, or co-chair of, pr on that board. So I think it's important to not just teach inside the gym walls but go above and beyond, you know, outside of our walls, to really promote our profession.
Speaker 1:Right, and actually I was gonna ask you about that because I know you sent me some links and I checked those out. So you know I appreciate you going above and beyond and beyond these boards and doing these things. So can you expand on a little bit, like what would you do on those boards or what have you done to maybe yeah, a little bit like what would you do on those boards or what have you done?
Speaker 2:uh, to maybe? Yeah, sure, so, so I'll start with our state board. So, on mayford, my, my role is advocacy, so I'm really trying to promote um physical education, but also give give people the community members and teachers alike strategies and how they can kind of promote their own program. Um, I know there's different um looks. Some people might be in a private school, some people might be in a private school, some people might be in a public school it just depends on the situation and the teacher. But really trying to provide some strategies One of them specifically I developed a Padlet and I asked four specific questions that you might face what is something you're proud of?
Speaker 2:And then I asked on the pilot what are? What's something that that you have a question about? And, um, you know, the more I look at it, I've revamped it a little bit and I've actually added in classroom teachers, not just physical education teachers. I think it's important that we can learn from all different professions. Um, of course, we can learn from our own profession, but we can learn from other people as well. Another thing we do is we take students. We have something called student speak out day, so we take college students to the state house and we talk about either some bills that are on the table or we talk about you know what quality health and physical education actually means. You know opportunity to learn, standards based um. You know it's not rolling out the ball, as you know. So assessments I mean it's just. I mean it covers a variety of different um elements, um did I answer your question?
Speaker 1:awesome, yeah, I was gonna say that's great. I was just letting you keep going with that. That was that's great. So, um, and that's what I. You know, one of the things I want to do is, uh, at least my goal for for podcast, for some of the things I've been writing recently just trying to help the. It doesn't have to be necessarily younger generation, but just the up and coming PE teachers. I was just saying this earlier to my other person I was interviewing. Like you know, I started teaching PE when I was 38 years old because I was a classroom teacher. Know, I started teaching PE when I was 38 years old because I was a classroom teacher. So, but, but, either way, my, my, my goal is to try to help. You know what I mean the the younger or newer generation, I should say, of PE teachers. So I appreciate that you're doing that. I mean that's you know. That's what it's all about, right.
Speaker 2:No, for sure. I mean, you know it's, it's, you know we want, we want, we want PE every day, all day. I mean, again, like I said, there's different constraints, such as budget or whatever it might be, but I think in order to have a quality program, hey, we have to be able to walk the talk but also be able to share what we're doing. Just going back to that Padlet, one of the questions is is what successes have we had and how can we share those? I think that's one of the easiest things that pe teachers can do is just to share their success stories with other teachers and it kind of provides some inspiration, um, and motivation for them as well.
Speaker 2:Um, even just a little tip. It doesn't have to be anything, you know, over the top or overwhelming, but, um, you know, for the one you you were talking about on your supersized podcast about, um, I think it was true ball Am I getting that right, how you, how you implement the true ball in your curriculum? Right, I got some great ideas, you know, from that, um, and then you also have some, some, some. All your podcasts are great, I mean you just oh, thank you, I appreciate that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, really no, I appreciate, I appreciate I enjoy listening to them because you really thank you. You really it's a some great tidbits that you offer. Thanks, yeah, so you're welcome.
Speaker 1:So, um, again, you got me going 10 different directions and with even just with that answer, which is great, um, so, first of all, yeah, about sharing, I love sharing information and and sharing with other people, and that's, I think that's why because i't done and I told you this earlier I haven't done interviews like this in like probably two years, I mean, and during and during the, I guess not way back, but during the COVID time, that's when I'm you know, we were doing interviews all the time with like a big panel and and I just kind of got out of the interview thing.
Speaker 1:I don't know why. I guess I got lazy, I don't know, but it was just easier for me to do just my own thing. But my point was like I just went to another teacher's program Well, not program, her school for the day, somebody I know she's a newer teacher to our district and she just wanted me to kind of take a look at what she's doing, see if I can offer some tips. And she came to my school as well and I was just thinking how great that is, like it's very rare, like we don't get a chance to do that very often and the only time we ever meet as teachers.
Speaker 1:We meet once a year, I'm not kidding you once a year in the beginning of the, the whatever we call the pre-service week or the week before school starts, right, right, and we meet as a group like all the physical educators, and a lot of times it's just one big glob of people and we just kind of and I'm not you know whatever, I'm not blaming anybody, I'm just I'm just kind of saying it gets to be just not really super beneficial to as far as I'm concerned, but when I went to see her, like I even just a tiny little couple tips I saw from her, I was like like, oh, I'm going to implement that Kind of like what you said with the chute ball thing.
Speaker 1:You know, if you you can even get one idea from somebody, I think that's, that's just so valuable and so just I. That's why I want to keep sharing and I want I'm glad you know we're talking, cause I want to things from me I absolutely have. I appreciate that as well.
Speaker 2:Like you mentioned, going in and seeing another colleague or even another teacher teach, and then ask having that time to debrief and ask questions why did you do it this way? Or what, what, what, what was your strategy in implementing this? You know, so it's so important and we don't have enough time to meet. We do meet, you know, uh, more times than once, but it's always beneficial just to go in and see um other teachers. We're trying to get that in our district where we can provide the time for teachers to actually, you know, leave their space. But you know, our district has, uh, 25 000 students. I don't know how big your district is, but we have, we have a pretty big. Yeah, it's a large district.
Speaker 1:We have uh, geez, I don't know how many your district is, but we have, we have a pretty big, it's a large district. We have uh, geez, I don't know how many schools, but it's, it's, it's, it's a very large district. Yeah, all right. So what I was going to ask you is because most classrooms are pretty similar, right, like I I, when I taught in the classroom, I mean, yeah, classrooms are different, yeah, there's times when I've taught in portables, or I've taught in bigger, smaller classroom rooms, whatever tables, desks, but PE spaces are all different, and I love hearing about what everybody's looks like. And so what is your PE space look like?
Speaker 2:I'm glad you asked, dave. I'm actually at a couple of schools. One of the schools I have a gym which is nice because I can utilize that space, full size gym. You know when it's raining outside and you know I'm fortunate with that. In my other school we have a multi-purpose room which is a cafeteria, so it's half the space of the gym. So there's moving the tables to the side before in the beginning of the day to get ready for the day, and then I also have to be prepared if there's an assembly or some other you know thing going on in the school.
Speaker 2:I'm outside. So I'm kind of. I'm kind of it's up in the air for me. I like being inside but I also prefer to be outside because there's more space to move. I mean, if you have 25, six graders in a small space, there's less. I have to adapt my instruction big time based on whether I'm inside or outside, which is fine. I mean you just get creative, you start doing stations and you start, you know, keeping the same standards. But these students are sharing equipment more. We're not using balls as much inside as we are outside. So I think that space is everyone's in a different situation.
Speaker 2:I've taught in a classroom before. You mentioned teaching in the the you know cubicles, but, um, yeah, I think it's I. The space makes me be more creative, so I like having both. If I think, if I was just in a gym, um, that would be nice, but I think my creativity would be limited to you know what, what we have space for for gymnastics. You know, it's really hard to put the gymnastics mats out at one of my school, a, because I don't have that many there and b, there's not enough space. So at my other school we can have a whole nice, a long gymnastics unit. Um, I can leave it out, um, so the space is definitely important, um, but yeah, I love that.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I love your answer about the creativity um, um, cause, cause. You're right, I feel like I'm limited. Sometimes I see on, like on Twitter or something, people doing these amazing things with their gymnasiums and I'm like man, I wish I had an inside space. But I but I have, I have a lot of space. It's just outside.
Speaker 2:Let me add to that, if you don't mind. So I, um, I had to deal with the situation. Um, nothing, nothing bad, just a question that the principal had for me. So the vice principal came in and she said, oh, do the students know what to do? And I said, yes, they're, they're on task, they know what to do. And then when she, when she left, she's like I couldn't be in this space five minutes with the echo the freezer is going uh, there's, you know, when somebody says something. So I mean she really saw, she was in there five minutes. I'm in there all day. So she really saw, like, what we have to work with and I think it put I kind of put a different perspective in her mind too, you know, an appreciation for what we do based on what we have around us. So I thought that was interesting.
Speaker 1:So yeah, exactly, yeah, my admin's great though. So my admin is great though. So, oh, that's awesome, that's so important. Oh my gosh, I could go off on a tangent on that one, but I won't, so okay, so you mentioned 25 students. Is that your? Can you kind of describe your normal like time, how much time you have per class? You said K through six and then how many students per class?
Speaker 2:So yeah, so our classes are roughly 40 minutes and we have 24, 27 students per class. Luckily we have a break in between. I've been in some schools where there's no transition time, so that's a little bit. I'm sure you've experienced in many other teachers going from a K to five to three to two, so we have a few minutes. Where they come in, I greet them at the door, they read the objectives, I try to get them into instant activities as much as I can, but again, if I have to move some tables or if there's other some other barriers, um, I might not be able to do that with all my classes, but the classes are 40 minutes and it goes by fast, uh, especially, you know, if they're, if they're they're working together, depending on what we're doing in class.
Speaker 2:Right now we're doing kicking skills, so our community loves that type of game. They love soccer, they love kicking using their feet, but if we're doing something like volleyball or nitro ball, they love that too. So it just depends. Our district is really good about having a scope and sequence and having a pacing guide for what we're doing. We really want to make sure all our teachers are doing roughly the same thing around the same time, you know, doing this unit and Mike in another school doing another unit and, and you know, as parents talk, caregivers talking like why are they doing this and that's? You know so and I know every I get. Every school is different. I I was in a role before, a couple of years ago, where I had to schedule all the teachers, so I can definitely appreciate how complex things can be, especially at the school level.
Speaker 1:But yeah, yeah. So again a few things that you said from there, which which really kind of struck me as I just got to follow up with this. So, um, I like how there's accountability. I do like how it seems like everybody's on the same because, like, when I taught again, I taught history for like half a year in between my two pe jobs and before that again I taught for in the classroom for like 10 years. So the accountability, as far as you know, if, if I'm teaching this thing and you're teaching something totally different, um, there, we really don't have that in our district. But, um, let me ask you this though there's accountability, but is there creativity within that? Like, can you do your own thing within that?
Speaker 2:yes, yes, and I'm glad you asked that. One of the the ways we go about that is, instead of saying soccer or wiffle ball, we use the teaching games for understanding.
Speaker 1:That feels awesome.
Speaker 2:Right, I don't have to tell you.
Speaker 1:No, I love that, that framework right.
Speaker 2:The netball games, the striking, fielding, the target, the invasion, and then there's many different games and activities that can be put into those um, into that framework. So, and it really helps the students to using that framework because they can see the relationship between, you know, ping pong, tennis, badminton, you know, there there are a little bit different sizes, but the idea is the same.
Speaker 1:So yeah, I love I mean TGFU. I could talk about forever, I mean and I I don't. I think I'm an expert on it and I kind of do my own hybrid thing of it because I have a lot more classes at the same time and whatnot. But I love that. That's the framework I think is the best. That's just my opinion. But you know, some teachers still do.
Speaker 1:You know, I'm going to do a whole soccer unit, then I'm going to do a whole basketball unit, then I'm going to do a hockey unit, and again, I'm not criticizing them, I unit. And again I'm not criticizing them. I'm just saying like there's and I do like you said like the relationships between the invasion games and between you can see the strategies and I try to tell him hey, lebron james might not know how to play soccer that well, but he'll know the strategies because he knows basketball and he could. He knows what a give and go is, he knows what you know find open space. He knows these strategies. And I don't know why I say lebron james all the time, because I I'm a michael jordan fan and I debate my son all the time. He's like lebron james the goat.
Speaker 2:I'm like, oh my gosh, you, you, no, no, no it's like messi ronaldo, right for soccer exactly messi ronaldo, messi ronaldo. But no, no, it's true. I mean it's having a framework. Um is, I think, important and, like you talked earlier about accountability, and it allows the teacher some flexibility. If we're, if it's, so rigid that you have to do this you know this type of unit at this time then that's when the pushback starts to happen. Oh, I don't have equipment or I don't have the space. But if the teachers allow flexibility, that really opens up the door and really the students, ultimately the students, are the ones that benefit. It's if we're talking about, you know, teacher impact. They're the ones who benefit from, from us being more willing to be creative and being flexible.
Speaker 1:So, right, I love it. So I want you to kind of go back, cause you told me something before we started recording, and I want to go back to something that I don't know if we talked about now, but so your role has changed recently, or maybe not recently, but so you went from. But why don't you explain? I went from teaching, yeah, no.
Speaker 2:So I went from teaching and then I saw a couple of colleagues of mine suggested that I there was an opening up for a district coordinator, so that's called a liaison. So I said you know why not, I'll go for it. So I got the job after many interviews and a pretty rigorous process, and so my role then was overseeing all the health and PE teachers, providing professional development, working with grants, working with community partners. There were many different elements involved. It was a great opportunity. But something that was missing was I wasn't around the students. I was around the adults, which is great. I we were able to provide a lot of useful PD to the teachers, but I just missed the students and kind of having what I thought was I wanted to have it continue to have an impact on them. So I went back to the classroom and so that's where I am now.
Speaker 2:But I think it was a great opportunity. It allowed me to see what happens downtown, kind of get that bird's eye view, and you know it gave me a perspective so I can see now what the classroom teacher, the teachers you know, working with um and also the administrator. I can kind of see both sides of the story, because there's always two sides to the cookie, right, so it's not, it's not. You know, you hear some people say some, you know their opinion or whatnot, but there's always a different perspective. So, um, but I enjoy, I enjoy, you know, being getting kind of for lack of a better word the nitty-gritty, you know, boots on the ground, you know, in the trenches, I, I definitely enjoy that with this. Oh, that's great.
Speaker 1:no, I think it's great. No, I think it's great. And you know, I feel the same way. I I'm not saying I was offered. I mean that's amazing that you did that really and you got to see both sides.
Speaker 1:Like you said, um, but yeah, I've, I've my parents are the past whatever five, 10 years. Like, why don't you become an administrator? Why don't you do this? I'm like, I just want to be, I like what I'm doing, like with the kids, like I love interacting with the students every day. I love. You're right, I think I'd miss that too much, although physically, you know you start to get older and it's harder to do certain things and whatnot. But yeah, I would, I would miss that too much. Kind of like you, you were saying so let's, I guess, let's move on to like I was going to ask you I've been asking everybody this what's something you wish you had that you don't have it? It could be, uh, equipment, it could be money, it could be or something you you know or something you wish was different. I guess it just it's just a fun question. I guess in your PE program, either physical thing or something just money wise, or whatever. What's something you wish?
Speaker 2:yeah, let me, let me take a moment to think that's all right, that's because that's that's a great question. You know, I I've always wanted to do a couple things, so I guess it would have to be equipment. So, um, archery one being one, I think it's a great mask. Um, they have a. I actually got certified to teach it this summer. Um, but it's just an issue of getting the equipment?
Speaker 2:yeah, it was a. It was a full day process. You had to take a 30-question test, which is actually pretty hard, but I passed, and so I think Archery would be a great lifetime activity to teach. I would probably focus on the fifth and sixth graders. But again, it's getting the equipment.
Speaker 2:So, to answer your question, getting money, having the funds to get this equipment without having to write a grant, because they do have some equipment that you can borrow, but there's so many people in the system that are using it it's kind of hard to get. And then roller skating, just bringing in new programs. So I guess it all comes down to money, you know, and the space. So some, like I said before, my administrators are great, but anytime there's a different program that comes in, I could see like kind of their perspective. Like the liability Does the district have insurance? It's something new, what if a kid gets hurt? And so we always have to keep safety at the forefront. But I think, with the right training and the certification and the safety precautions that teachers follow, I think you can pretty much do anything.
Speaker 2:A couple of years ago actually, when I was in that role I was talking about earlier, we had a swimming program where we bused the students from their school to the girls club or the YMCA and they got swim lessons, which was great, because that's a we talk about a lifelong, you know, skill, um, and so, so that lasted a couple of years. I wish we could bring that back, um, but so, really just having the opportunity and the time, I mean it's you know how, how fast the day goes right. So so, time, time and money, um, but, but you know, I'm happy, I'm happy with where we're at, but it could always, we could always have more. Or, you know, I'm happy, I'm happy with where we're at, but it could always, we could always, you know, have more. Or, you know, improve ourselves or improve the program, um, you know, with creativity.
Speaker 1:So yeah, no, I think it's great, and you, you remind me of, we used to have a, a bike trailer that would come around, it would and I'd go through a one day lesson like not lesson, but one day class to be certified in teaching, like bike safety and everything, and they would bring it around to the schools of the teachers that took that certification and they drop a trailer off for, like in my case, it was two weeks because we had so many kids.
Speaker 1:Some schools only got it for a week, but it would have just a ton of bikes in there, helmets, scooters, and we go around our track, and we had even make a like an obstacle course, um, like basically the obstacle course on the basketball court, with, you know, stop signs and things they had look left and all that stuff. Yeah and um, and they had a signal and then they'd go on the track, which is, you know, which is really uh, uh, the bus ramp, so it's a huge track and get a chance to practice, and some, some kids, you know, actually, they literally learned how to ride a bike at PE class, and so that's awesome, yeah. When you said roller skating, uh, yeah, you're right there. There was a lot of liability, though, and they lost the grant for the district, so we don't have that anymore, which really stinks, but that was my next question is you know, how did you?
Speaker 2:you know how many schools were impacted by that and like how did you get it?
Speaker 1:you said yeah, yeah, I think it was a, it was a district grant, so, okay, um, and then you'd have to sign up for it, but you gotta take the certification, so not everybody got it. But, um, and we'd sign up for a certain, like you know, uh, at our, actually our pre-service week, like we were talking about, um, the person would be there and we'd sign up. Oh, I want these two weeks. They'd have a big calendar, we just sign up for it. I want these two weeks They'd have a big calendar and we'd just sign up for it and, like I said, they would drop it off.
Speaker 1:They don't do that anymore. That really stinks, because that was just when you talk about lifetime activities riding a bike, scooters, learning how to swim these are all things that they're probably not going to become professional kickball players, but they do need to learn how to swim. I mean I'm not discounting kickball players, but they do need to learn how to swim. I mean I'm not discounting kickball, I'm just saying, you know, these are like lifelong activities. Like you said with archery, I mean I, I want to get archery going to my school too, and um, you're right, it's all about the liability and my principal's gonna look into it, maybe next year, you know that kind of thing.
Speaker 2:But right, I'll send you some information. Um, yeah, I put together. So I anticipated the admin, might, you know, raise their eyebrows, so to speak. So I put together a slide, deck the benefits I have, a. I have, um, you know, a letter all ready to go out, so it's just a matter of perfect convincing, so I'll send you all that information.
Speaker 1:Oh, thank you yeah because we have um I don't know if you've heard me say this before, but we've had. We have a um, a grant. Well, it's, it's a foundation, it works, they work with our county and it's not just grants, it's also with the um, golden apple awards and it just it just they do other things, but every year they do a grant writing thing. I don't know how to explain it, but or the exact wording. But you can apply for grants and I do it almost every year and I get it almost every year and um, yeah, so um, like, I have the rally art obstacle course. I don't know if you've seen me put a picture of that, but I actually saw one, yeah, the cup stacking.
Speaker 2:I saw that. Yeah, yeah, I had a cup saying the first time I ever did that I'm like I want to add something to it.
Speaker 1:So, yeah, I had a cup second to it and but that's. That's the whole liability thing there too, where, um, you know, actually because of me, um, the just, I think I'm the only one in the district that has it honestly but a girl fell off it just goofing around, it was after school too, she, she fell, she fell off, it broke her arm, uh, you know, ever since then I had to change where I put it. Like I have to put it. It's a whole, it was a whole big thing. Just a liability thing is what I'm trying to say. And, um, you know, archery is another thing that I I want to write a grant for next year actually, and hopefully again if we can get the liability stuff settled well yeah, it really is.
Speaker 2:I mean I when I first. They are real bows, they are real arrows, but they they set it up in a way where there's safety line, there's a, there's a shooting line for the bow, for the archer, and everything's based off the whistle. So one whistle means this, two whistles means that. So it's not what someone might think Like everyone has their own arrow.
Speaker 1:They're just shooting, oh yeah.
Speaker 2:Right, it's very. And they start with just a string. They don't even have a bow in their hand, so just to get the technique.
Speaker 1:Oh, I like that.
Speaker 2:So it's very, it's very controlled, very regimented. So, um so, yeah, I'm I'm hoping we can both have that in the future, yeah.
Speaker 1:That'd be great.
Speaker 2:That would be.
Speaker 1:So you're in Massachusetts. What part are you?
Speaker 2:I got Western Massachusetts.
Speaker 1:So what part? I guess, if I'm looking at a map, where would that be?
Speaker 2:Western Western mass. It's about 45 minutes from Boston, 30 minutes from Providence, so yeah, it's a pretty big district. I've been there a few years. I love the district. It's pretty. Demographics are great, diverse Students are great. I just like being in that environment. Awesome. My first school I didn't mention this earlier I was in Lawrence, which was an alternative school. The school is no longer. They got shut down but it was a great school because I got kind of thrown into the fire.
Speaker 1:I mean, if you've seen the movie, oh, you told me that I was going to ask you about it. Go ahead, go ahead. Morgan 15 Army. Yes, the movie.
Speaker 2:Oh, you told me that I was going to ask you that Go ahead. Yeah, Go ahead, it was. I mean, um, just just some of those things, that that these students went through a lot. So, you know, as as uh, and they were, you know, had a lot of trauma going on. So that's where I kind of developed my sensitivity to the students who who are, who are traumatized and who need more, who need it just showed me how important our roles are, how important our jobs are, because you really can't make a difference, especially when it comes to, you know, students' lives and having the impact and teaching them skills, health skills, not only in addition to physical skills. So, but, yeah, it was a great, it was a great opportunity. So it, you know, it gave it gave me kind of a different perspective, and everyone's different. Some people are in the same school their whole life. Some people change, Some people are in private, public, so I think it's good to have perspective.
Speaker 1:Well, tell me on that, because I meant to ask you about that. I went through our emails today and I'm like oh, I meant to ask you about that. So I kind of know the answer to this, I think. But how did you connect with the students? Like, what did you do, or was it or the students you did connect with? How? How did you do that?
Speaker 2:Um.
Speaker 1:I don't know if that's the question I asked, but as a, as a PE teacher, how'd I?
Speaker 2:I think, just um, being myself, I, I, I let them know, like, what we're doing, I explain the why what we're doing, why they're learning it. I think that's a big piece that has to go into teaching um, so then they can kind of see the value. And I also try to be flexible in my approach. Not all students are going to learn the same way and they they're and they're going to need different ways of of of showing what they know. You know a common example you hear using different equipment. You know modifying things. Um, uh, our big, our big push in our district was udl, universal design for learning. But I think, as teachers, we were doing this a long time ago. There just wasn't a name to it. Right, you know there are framework. I think it's a great framework, um, but we were just adapting, modifying um, using visuals. I mean, that's a huge key, especially with our ell learners, english language learners. It can help anyone um, but really helps, you know, the students who need that extra support. So, specifically, how do I connect? I use their names a lot. I connect with them at recess. There it is All the things. Yeah, there, it is All the things that you know that teachers do, you know, ask them questions. You know.
Speaker 2:For me and this is something that that first school taught me when a student is misbehaving, I try to, you know, address and encourage them, but it's very easy to fall into the trap of directing the attention to that one student. So I trained my mind to give the attention to three students doing the right thing, because there's no one time when all 25 students are misbehaving. So the students who are doing the right thing, they also need that encouragement too. So everyone I don't want anyone falling through the cracks, from the shyest boy or girl to the most you know outgoing student they all need to feel success and they all need to be uh, to know that their teacher cares about them. So in order to do that it's the communication and kind of bring things to their level, you know, I mean, as you know, sometimes you have to adapt on the fly from class to class.
Speaker 2:Oh, this, this game didn't work out. This piece of equipment didn't work out. Oh, I'm going to use this. Maybe I'll use a social story for somebody who's on the spectrum, you know. So they need, you know, the visuals more. Um, so did I answer the question?
Speaker 1:yes, that's the perfect. I was waiting for that exactly building relationships and using their names. And it's hard, for one of the things I struggle with the most is learning names and remembering them because and and I know it sounds like an excuse, but you know we have about a thousand students and I just I have a hard time I'm. But I'm looking through the yearbook all the time, like the last yearbook. I'm like, oh yeah, okay, I'm trying to, and it's so hard for me to learn names and I try different name games and things like that. And I'm, I'm better with the older kids, obviously the with the older kids, obviously the fourth, like third, fourth and fifth graders. I know a lot more names than I do.
Speaker 1:Kindergarten, you know whatever, kindergarten first, but you know, it's that, it's again it's. I think it's just building relationships, kind of like what you're saying, like talk to them like I get on there as far as a level is not on the level but on the level of you know, hey, you know just talking about their interests and things like that. Um, then they respond to you more and then, such sudden, just tell them what to do and whatnot right, right, there has to be.
Speaker 2:I mean, it can't just be like a one-way relationship, it has to be both ways. And I think you know something that helped me out, um, is I take attendance, um, I also print the pictures and I, I, I I just say their names as much as possible and, like you, you said earlier, I went to the yearbook and I try to match the picture to the face. But in addition to names, it's also the pronunciation of the names, because that's also important too, like if we're saying their name correctly. So I definitely make sure I'm saying their name correctly. Um, and there's a lot of great um apps out there.
Speaker 2:I don't know whether you use team shake. Have you used team shake? Yep, yeah, so the more I write it down like I have my plan book, I write it down. I also keep keep track electronically. I have it there. I refer to that. I also put on Team Shake, so I'm constantly trying to use their names in different ways. So attendance, team Shake, going back and reflecting on the lesson, so so that's kind of helped me out, but it it is a challenge, you know, um, something that's unique to us PE teachers is we have we teach everybody, not just 24 students, right, you know, and I think, um, you know, so that's that's definitely a challenge, but but uh, important to to learn yeah, no, I love it and you're right, I need to.
Speaker 1:Well, yes, I do love team shake. I need to use it it more, because I don't I'm starting to implement. I always had a, an outside projector, and I don't really have that. I do have it, so I'm gonna start using that a little more now, just taking more time and, you know, shaking up the teams. As far as you know, the things we're doing and we're doing some invasion games and things like that now, like I'm teaching them chute ball for my tournament and things like that.
Speaker 1:Well, kind of on the learning side of it, we're gonna get it going pretty soon. So I want to use that more. Um, you're right, just to learn names, and even I have a book, uh, called the book when, if, if students, you know, misbehave or whatever, uh, I mean, I'm a serious offense, but I'll take out our book and kind of like, okay, especially if it's like kindergarten or first grade class, and I'll have the class list and they're usually in alphabetical order, so I'll try to be like I'm going to try to match some faces and things like that and um, but that's definitely one of my weaknesses is just learning and remembering names. But, yeah, I just need to do better and it's it's just hard for me. I guess it's my. I don't want to make excuses, it just it's not easy, but I love your ideas there. I'm going to definitely implement some more of that too no, thank you.
Speaker 2:Thank you, yeah, no, it's, there's definitely. I mean, as you know, teachings. It's nobody's perfect. We're all trying to get better at our craft and in real time, you know. So, um, you know, something early on I'm trying to get better is my organization skills. So now I think I went the opposite way, like I'm like to the, I document my documents, so.
Speaker 2:But initially I was like I didn't know where this was. I didn't know where that was. So I just kind of trained myself to get more organized. And now I'm actually this is kind of a side note, but I'm mentoring. I'm a mentor this year and I have been in the past but one of the things that she's kind of working on is her organization skills. So I'm trying to share some of what I do with her and that's seemed to help so far. So just, you know, with the amount of classes we see as PE teachers and we have to be organized, amount of classes we see as PE teachers and and we have to be be organized, so that's something I that I've worked on too, that I struggle with but getting better at I think.
Speaker 1:Right, yeah, and going back to something you said earlier also was I don't know, I don't know the exact phrase you use, but you know things change on a dime for us. I mean it could be between the weather, between, I don't know fire drill, it could be lockdown. Yeah, I mean, I mean anything. Things happen, you know, all of a sudden, you know we're outside and the people come to mow the lawn and we didn't know they were coming and we have to adjust. And there's, there's so many times that again, it's mostly the weather, but other things, other things we've had. You know, one time there was a bear sighting, the weather, but other things, other things we've had. You know, one time there's a bear sighting, we have to get all go inside, you know, I mean things like that, just crazy stuff.
Speaker 1:So what are you? I feel like I'm I'm kind of the master of improv, sometimes between or and part-time meteorologists as well. So, um, so, let's, we're gonna get practical here for a second. I mean really nitty-gritty here. What's a game or activity that you know, that you could just be like you know what guys? Okay, we got to go inside right now. Let's, let's do this game or let's do this activity or we have to move to a certain area. You know what's something that you can just pull out your back pocket and be like let's go well, I'll give you a couple, yeah, unique games like that.
Speaker 2:So one of them is um clothespins tag. Um, basically, you give every student a clothes pin and you can, depending whether you have the wooden ones or the plastic kind, but basically the premises and you and I've done this with all levels. So when I when I say it just just kind of imagine k to six, um, each student gets a clothes pin, if they have, they put it on the back of their shirt. And then when you explain the, the object of the game is not to get your pin taken. So once the pin gets, once you take a student's pin, the student takes another student's pin. They put it on the front of their shirt. But they have to do that in a safety area because we don't want students it's a tiring game, we don't want students running into each other If the student needs a break or whatever. So there's a coned off area where they put the pin back and that's kind of their scoreboard in front, right in front of their shirt. So it's kind of a continuous game. It kind of runs itself because the object is to not get your pin taken but to take other people's um clothes pins and it's safe. I haven't had any injuries. Um, they they seem to like it, they love it. Um, and you know I always talk about, no matter what we're doing, sports person shift and sportsmanship ahead of time. So you know it's not if somebody drops a pin, they could go ahead and pick it up. If somebody um needs a break, they can take a break. So again, it's going back to the um being flexible in there, in there, what, what they can show us and the choices they have. So that's one game.
Speaker 2:And then, of course, I'm sure you know the rock paper scissors. There's different ways to do that. You can set up four cones. Let's say you're in a square space that you have to. You win the game. You go to the next cone. I've done it where you pick two lines and then they're versing a partner. That gets a little bit more competitive, even though it's not really meant to be. It just meant to be fun.
Speaker 2:So let's say we're facing each other, we're on a line uh, space students three or four feet apart. You win, you chase me. I win, I chase you. You just keep track of that. So, um, but um, trying to think of some other games. Um, I have a. I use a deck of cards. You know we can do um, the same idea as a rock paper scissors. But whoever has the higher number, you know that you add them up. You have, okay, eight plus five. You know five plus five. So whoever says it first gets to keep. Kind of like the game of war, you get to keep. Yeah, oh great, yeah. So just different things of that nature, just stuff where they're talking with each other, communicating, working together in a fun, in a fun way.
Speaker 1:So yeah, that's great. That's great. I love hearing these games that I, um, even even just variations of these games I love. You know, the rock, paper scissors, um, even the clothespin, that's great. I've.
Speaker 1:It's funny I played a game we a long time ago myself I was in the classroom, I was a classroom teacher, him and, uh, the pe teacher and I we came up with a game that now we see, like on, we see all over the place. We think we came up with it, maybe we didn't, but kind of like those dragon tails or they call them that I know, with the clothes pins and we would tie yarn on them and they have to step on them and you know all the all sorts of things. And now I see them in catalogs. This is like 20 years ago. We did this. Uh, maybe not 20, but 18, 19 or whatever years ago.
Speaker 1:Um, so, things like that I love with clothespins, I I like that game better, actually the one you said, because what happened with the ones I did? Because I even tried it a couple years ago, I think, during one of our you know our reindeer games. Uh, it was like an, I don't know what. I called it, like an elf tag or whatever I called it. I don't know, but they had, like those tails and a lot of them would start breaking. They just break the wooden ones, they break all over the place. It would just be a mess. So I like your version of the game better with the clothespins. I think that I might have to try that.
Speaker 2:So yeah, just, I mean, you know they can, it's, it's, they can be successful. I mean, they just might need help.
Speaker 1:I'm not putting clothespins on 24 students individually, but they can help each, they can help each other out. The other thing too you mentioned the tails. Was that in your game? Was that around their ankles or on their waist? No, it was. It was attached to the back of their shirt there, and then so the clothespins attached to the back of their shirt, and then the tail would be like the yarn or whatever we had attached to it, and the kids have to run and try to step on the tails and then it would pop off and they'd collect it so I'm going to give one more, um, one more game, if you don't mind.
Speaker 2:Yeah, no, so another one is you know, I use caution tape for everything, for the volleyball net, you know, you gotta be creative. So I just cut up, um, I'm on a cart when I go outside, so I just cut up, uh, 15 inch, 12 to 15 inch lengths of caution tape and, uh, the way you explain the game is it's like a tail, a rat's tail, dragon's tail, and they put it in their shoe. They don't tie it, they just stick it in where their sock is and they're moving around. They're moving around and once you step on it it's coming out Nice, holy sake, they're not going to get hurt.
Speaker 2:The one thing I would say with this game and any game, is there has to be an area for them to rest in, an area for them to put their whatever the item is back on, because that'll minimize the arguing. Once you have a, an area for them to rest or or put the thing back on, um, that will not allow them to to be successful and they won't be. They won't be as competitive. And you can, you can change it. Uh, you can have. If you have different colors. You're gonna have to have teams. You know red, red caution tape goes for the yellow or yellow goes to the red, but it teaches them about space awareness. You know teamwork, agility, speed. I mean you're hitting a lot of different. You know fit components in that game.
Speaker 1:So oh, I got to take that one. I'm gonna steal that one. That's awesome.
Speaker 2:Yeah, no that game. So oh, I gotta take that one I'm gonna steal that one.
Speaker 1:that's awesome. Yeah, it's kind of like what I said. Yeah, no, that's what we talked about. I was sharing ideas, right, um, is there anything you're and I'll give you an example before I say this or before I have your answer is there anything you're kind of flexible on? And, and what I mean by that is okay. So I'm not, or maybe not flexible or you don't. I'm gonna say you don't value it but you don't cover it as much because you just don't have enough time.
Speaker 1:Like in my case, I feel like, unfortunately, it's some of it's fitness or stretching. Like we do dynamic warmups and, uh, and the kids love it. You know I do a lot of music. You know dances, line dances also, just whatever um things I make up, and then we go to our stations and you know that's when we do the question answer we learn how to do our skills, and then we come back and we do a little thing at the end. So I'm I kind of I don't want to say I skimp on static stretches, I do, and even some of the like, let's say, like pushups and squats, I do spend some time Like I'll do that as like a week warmup.
Speaker 1:I'll be like when I say a week, I mean like I'll spend a week on it or two weeks on it, but I don't do it a lot Like it's and we also don't have the room, Like if I've my pavilion is almost full and kids are like it's, it's, it's, it's concrete. So I don't do have to like curl ups or anything like that, but so I kind of like I just can't do everything In 40 minutes. I can't do everything. So is there anything that you're kind of like? I wish I could do more of this, but I just don't have the time for it. I don't know if that's a great way to put it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, no, I get what you're saying. I try to make it as comprehensive as possible, but not overwhelming, because, like you said, we can't do everything all the time. You know we we either don't have the resources, we don't have the time, so I try to think what's the priority? What? What by the end of this fifth grade or sixth grade or whatever grade they're in? What do I really want them?
Speaker 2:to learn by the end of the year or by the end of the lesson, Right? So if I had to pick something, I think it would be fitness. You know, the running component. Cause they're running so much in other, there's this thing, you know, the fitness screen on the pacer. Um, I know at the middle school they're very big on it, Um, but I don't. Maybe I should be spending more time on it, but I really don't spend that much time on it. I talk about how, what pacing is why it's important, Um, and they get. They get a chance to pace in other ways, but I don't. I don't necessarily line them up and be like all right, here's the beep, the beep test. You know you're going to run from this point to this point um, because I think it could be.
Speaker 2:it could happen in a more of a dynamic way with some other activities and games, so but I do, I do try to, um, whatever we're doing, get them working in trios, quads, in pairs, as much as possible. You know, after they in kindergarten, you know they're like cats, right, you know trying to they. They need to be taught these. Okay, my turn, your turn.
Speaker 1:I would take you know so.
Speaker 2:So, but for the most part I really try to get them, you know, working together. But yeah, I would have to say Pacer, fitness gram stuff.
Speaker 1:Okay, yeah, no, I I'm with you on that too, as well as the pushups and squats and things that. But you're right, yeah, we, sometimes we'll have them do like a lap, just because it's it's a game like you know. They're doing like a beanbag toss kind of game and we just okay, let's, let's do a lap first, get a little extra and if, but if it's a game like you know, we're crossover, some kind of tag game and they're already running a lot. It's kind of like what you said. Um, so I agree with that. Um, wow, I'm looking and I'm looking at the time going, wow, we gotta get, but we're. I love talking to you. This is great, I'm learning, I'm learning a lot and and uh, so yeah, we'll have to have.
Speaker 1:We'll have to have a um a season, a podcast too yeah, without a doubt, again, I, I, again, I, I, I love. I think I forgot how much I love doing this. Really, I'm just meeting people on. You know that I've never faced like whatever you want to call face to face, but, you know, really talked to before and learning new things and I'm always that's what it's about, right?
Speaker 2:I mean, that's just about getting better you know, all the time and um, well, better, you know all the time and um, well, I appreciate you taking the time to to set this up, because you know, of course, like I said earlier, it's you know there's a lot of great teachers doing great things, but it's, it's only gonna, it only stays there until it's shared. Once we share it, then then that's when I you know the the impact happens.
Speaker 1:I think, yeah, so well, it's a few more. You got time for a couple more questions. Yeah, absolutely yeah, all right.
Speaker 1:Let's do it real quick, not real quick, but so well, I was going to ask you this this is kind of something earlier, but cause you talk about, like lifetime activities. We talk about swimming, we talk about archery, things like that. What are some in your region, I guess and I think you talked about soccer a little bit what are some games that your kids you know what I mean Within the community, like it's a big. Like you know, we we have traveled. There's a lot of kids in my school play soccer, but there's also, you know well, there's all sorts of sports. I'd rather you tell me what's going on in your community. That's, that's really big.
Speaker 2:Uh, soccer is definitely big. Uh, basketball is big Um, basketball is big um um, volleyball, you know, starting to get big this year. Actually, we we have one of my schools. There's a a lot of students who have shown interest in that which they haven't in the past. Um, yeah, so whenever we see something like this, we we try to to nurture that and start a club, or you know, the principal is obviously aware of this and so he's he's gotten some people to come in and teach and teach some skills after school and I teach him during the class. But I'm only at that school two days a week. I'm at my other school three days. So there's some shifting around. Yeah, I would say those are the top three. There's a few kids into boxing and wrestling. Wow, yeah.
Speaker 2:And um, you know, um, and in martial arts, um, I think in one of your podcasts actually, you could talk about martial arts and I have, I have a background in that too, but that could be a whole. That could be a whole nother podcast, yeah.
Speaker 1:We just we just finished our martial arts unit. Um, we have a, a martial arts studio, a dojo. Come in and it's a Taekwondo studio and they come in and they teach it for like two days a week. The kids have uniforms that they they don't keep, but we, you know, we wash them at the end and but they get a white belt, they get to break boards, they get a certificate and I am a, I'm a black belt in karate. It's been.
Speaker 1:This was like 20 years ago. I took my, my test, but, um, you know, it's definitely a for me it was a huge accomplishment. It was. It was a very difficult, very difficult test but I'm sure, um, so I, I was I'm glad to bring it back to my school. Um, that's awesome and I've known these guys they're doing. I've known them for about 10 years, like my. You know, my son's in ninth grade and he went through it. It's a second, pretty much a second-grade program. So he went through it seven years ago. My daughter went through it. She's in seventh grade now. So I'm just glad that my students can have it and it stopped during COVID and stuff and they just started coming back.
Speaker 2:So how do you get the school to come in and teach? You built that relationship. How did it start?
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's a good question. So they actually started coming into the the county. Um, they started with a couple schools like they, and they were volunteering and yeah, they'll probably drum up a little business, but they don't like pass out brochures and say, hey, kids, sign up. It's not like that they come in. Um, the uniforms are donated from, uh, their korean, I think it's called the Korean Society. Oh, okay, that works with them and so it's a lot of donations and things, but they're donating their time and they, you know. So they have a certain amount of schools, but they're also, I guess they're certified. I don't know if they're certified through district, but they're district approved. Let me just say, like they, they can they go to different schools and, um, I, I literally went and begged them to come to my school, like I had them in my former school, and then, like I said, uh, with covid and stuff, they kind of stopped doing that for like a year or two.
Speaker 1:Try to get back into it, whatever. And they I saw when I first it's my fourth year at my current school, so when I first came to my school I saw that these bins with uniforms in. I'm like, oh my gosh, this is the same company, same place, and so about a year ago I went and like I was emailing them back and forth like hey, come on, you know, can you come back maybe? And you know a lot of like trying to figure out schedules. And I literally went to their dojo and I'm like, and they were in the middle of like testing and stuff, and they saw me in the lobby and I felt like everybody's looking at me. I was just watching, I was just there, they saw me and they came over and I'm like can you please, please, come back? And um, so we, we worked it out and um, yeah, it's, it's, it's a really good thing to trust me. I could talk about that, um, for a while. I actually lived.
Speaker 2:I actually lived in japan my middle school. So, oh, wow, yeah, I got started in karate. There I have, I have a a belt in another discipline, taekwondo, but that's where I started and it's a whole different um um culture. Like my teacher, my teacher didn't speak any english. I'm trying to copy him and mimic his movements, you know, but that's where it started for me, um, but anyway, that's a whole nother.
Speaker 1:That's the next podcast, right there, we'll talk about that. Um, that's awesome. Um, wow. So okay, let's, I guess we. You got me thinking about martial arts, all sorts of stuff now. Um, so we'll do a couple more. So, how, how do you want to be remembered as a PE teacher? Like, what do you? Or, or even, and health and everything included in your career, like, how do you want to be remembered?
Speaker 2:it's a good question um, your legacy legacy question yeah, no, I think I want I want students to uh remember me as uh somebody who was fair, somebody who was, you know, cared about them, who made it fun, um, who gave them, uh, you know, the it's the opportunity to, to succeed, to be successful, um.
Speaker 2:So I really, you know, I really try to think about that uh, each day, like what could, what? No, I said it earlier, I don't want any students falling through the cracks, you know, can each student find success and reach their potential each day? And I think, providing a good curriculum, trying to learn myself be the best teacher I can be, uh, cause you never stopped learning, I mean, it's all. That's what PD is, you know, professional development. So how do we, how do we grow ourselves, um, but also grow our students and also grow our profession, you know, kind of at the same time. But I, yeah, I really want students to remember me as as somebody who, who, who was fun and and and just helped them be successful. So awesome, um, and nothing too crazy.
Speaker 1:No, I think that's great, so I did forget to ask you one question. I ask everybody and then. So what advice would you give to a first year teacher, first year PE teacher?
Speaker 2:I would take you know, take, know, take everything. Uh, take everything in stride, ask questions. There's so much to learn and there's nothing wrong with with being a beginner and asking questions, and I think that's why most districts um have a mentor program or mentorship program. Uh, for that reason and ideally, that new teacher would be set up with a PE teacher, but sometimes they're not. Sometimes they're set up with a, you know, an art teacher or a science teacher. But, yeah, I would say the biggest thing is ask questions, take it in stride, you don't have to do everything on year one.
Speaker 2:you know there's there's there's lots to learn. Our colleges, hopefully, set us up the new teachers up for success with the lesson planning. But also join the state associations, join, go to PD, listen to podcasts, read books, talk to people, talk to colleagues. You see what they're doing. Asking questions is really important and I know I've been fortunate, you know, early on in my career, that I I've had some great mentors and some great colleagues that have have, you know, helped me along the way and so, yeah, I think that's that's key. You know, asking questions and finding somebody who's gonna, who's a good kind of a listener, mentor, you know. But yeah, I love, I love sharing ideas, sharing resources and hearing what other, what other professionals are doing in the field. That's the definitely you know the way to go to, to learn from others.
Speaker 1:So well then, we'll have to keep. We'll definitely do this again because it's a great conversation. I again, I I love talking to you. It was great to get to meet you and talk to you and learn. I again I was taking notes, I wrote down like a bunch of stuff, like new, new games, just uh, you know we talked about, you know, standards which I need help with, um, things like that. So, um, I appreciate you.
Speaker 2:Thanks for having me on. No, it's been great. I learned a lot from you as well, so you know I appreciate your time and um. I look forward to you know, catching up with you again.
Speaker 1:Yeah, sounds good. Well, thanks, jake, I appreciate it and we'll talk soon. Thank you everybody for tuning in today. I really do appreciate it, as always, go to supersizefizedcom for more information or check out my new sub stack. It is a an app, a kind of a website newsletter that you can log onto to get the the latest articles I've written and newsletters, and I just love free to be a part of the sub stack community. So take care of PE nation, have a great day, week, weekend, whenever you listen to this, and let's keep pushing our profession forward. Thank you.
