Dodgeball Dilemma: What Side Are You On?

As a physical education (PE) teacher, my experience with dodgeball has been both extensive and eye-opening. The latest episode of the podcast offers a candid exploration into the world of dodgeball and its implications for school sports and education. I share my firsthand observations of the game, recalling instances of head injuries, cheating, poor sportsmanship, and the targeting of weaker students. These negative aspects of dodgeball in PE classes have led me to question the game’s role and search for more inclusive alternatives.

The game’s risks and the potential for exclusion are not merely theoretical; they have real-world consequences. The legal and community standards that educators should adhere to challenges the perception that dodgeball is an irreplaceable part of the curriculum. We must uphold professionalism in teaching sports and encourage fellow educators to engage in this conversation.

Alternative activities to dodgeball, such as Castle Ball and Wreck-It Ralph, are options that still engage students in the fundamental skills of throwing, catching, and dodging without the harmful effects associated with traditional dodgeball. My approach is to promote games that foster teamwork and inclusion rather than focusing on elimination and competition.

I’d like you to reflect on their own experiences and consider the broader impact of dodgeball on children’s physical and emotional well-being. My call to action is not just about eliminating a single game from PE classes but about redefining physical education to ensure it is safe, inclusive, and educational.

We also should touch on the balance between fun and safety in sports education. My transition from teaching PE to US history has provided me with a unique perspective on the educational journey. I see sports as a crucial component of that journey, one that should be approached with the same care and thoughtfulness as any other subject.

My personal experiences and the stories shared by my wife, who feared dodgeballs as a child, provide a compelling argument for reevaluating the game’s place in schools. The episode is a thought-provoking look at how we can reshape physical education to better serve our students and prepare them for a lifetime of healthy, active living.

As educators and parents listen to this episode, they will be encouraged to think critically about the sports they teach and promote within schools. The podcast offers a space for debate and growth, urging listeners to consider how they can contribute to a safer, more positive PE environment for all students.

This conversation about dodgeball in education is just the starting point for a much larger discussion about the values we impart through school sports. By engaging in this dialogue, we can work towards a future where every aspect of education, including physical education, is aligned with the principles of safety, inclusiveness, and integrity.

Porch Pirates!!!

Are you ready to embark on a thrilling adventure that will transform the way your children or students engage in outdoor play? The latest episode of our podcast presents an exhilarating game that promotes active play, learning, and fitness in a fun-filled package: Porch Pirates. Adapted from Coach Gerardi’s original game, Porch Pirates is an outdoor sensation that will refresh your playtime repertoire and breathe new life into your children’s activities.

The simplicity of setting up Porch Pirates belies the depth of engagement it offers. All you need are hoops and bean bags to create an arena of adventure. By establishing different roles within the teams, children learn the value of cooperation and strategy as they navigate their way through the game. The beauty of Porch Pirates lies in its flexibility; it can be tailored to suit any number of players and any age group, ensuring inclusivity and continuous excitement.

The game’s mechanics are brilliantly designed to incentivize movement and exercise. When a player is tagged, they are encouraged to perform playful penalties in the form of exercises. This aspect not only instills a positive association with physical activity but also reinforces the concept of playful learning. The game continues to evolve with every round, as children swap roles, revise strategies, and face new challenges, keeping the gameplay dynamic and engaging.

Our episode delves into the nitty-gritty of Porch Pirates, providing a comprehensive understanding of how to facilitate the game effectively. We discuss the importance of space management, role delegation, and the implementation of strategic thinking. Through this game, we aim to foster a sense of camaraderie among the players while simultaneously promoting fitness and active play.

In addition to the practical insights shared in the podcast, we offer a free PDF guide in the show notes to help listeners visualize and plan their own version of Porch Pirates. This resource is invaluable for anyone looking to replicate the experience in their own setting, whether it be a backyard, a park, or a school field.

As the PENation community, we are committed to supporting each other in our quest to enhance the world of play and learning. We invite listeners to reach out with questions or share their experiences with Porch Pirates, fostering a collaborative environment where ideas and inspiration can flow freely.

To sum up, Porch Pirates is more than just a game; it’s a vessel for adventure, a catalyst for learning, and a means to promote health and fitness among children. It’s an opportunity to steer away from the mundane and set sail towards a horizon of enriched playtime experiences. Tune in to our episode and let Porch Pirates be the compass that guides you to uncharted territories of fun and learning.

Remember, in the vast ocean of play, it’s not just about the destination—it’s about the voyage, and Porch Pirates is here to ensure that journey is as rewarding as it is memorable. So, let’s hoist the sails and embark on this adventure together!

Man Overboard: An active and listening game for K-1

In the latest episode of our podcast, we cast off on an exhilarating journey, exploring the elementary Physical Education (PE) game “Man Overboard.” This engaging activity is more than just a way to get kids moving; it’s an imaginative experience that encourages listening skills, teamwork, and a sense of adventure among kindergarteners and first graders.

The essence of “Man Overboard” lies in its simplicity and the lively interaction it fosters. As children dash across the basketball court, which doubles as their imaginary ship, they must be quick to respond to a series of commands issued by their ‘captain.’ The commands – back of the boat, middle of the boat, front of the boat, and man overboard – are not just arbitrary instructions; they’re the foundation of an active listening exercise that’s both enjoyable and educational.

In this game, every child is an integral crew member, and their mission is to navigate the high seas of play. But what makes “Man Overboard” particularly special is its adaptability. While it can be played as an elimination game, the focus is always on inclusion. Eliminated students aren’t left to idle; they’re given alternative activities that keep them engaged, such as playing with hula hoops or participating in a game of four square. This ensures that every student, regardless of their physical ability or attention span, remains a part of the action.

As we delve into the podcast, we share valuable insights on class sizes, space requirements, and tactics to keep the game fresh and challenging. The importance of listening and following directions is highlighted, and teachers are provided with creative strategies to maintain a fun, supportive environment. Whether it’s rewarding attentive listeners with school-wide currency like Bear Paws or just offering praise, recognition plays a key role in motivating students.

Our discussion also touches on the adaptability of the game for different age groups. While kindergarteners and first graders may revel in the simple joy of the activity, second graders, with their quicker reflexes, might require a more challenging version to stay engaged. This illustrates the importance of tailoring PE activities to suit the developmental stage of the children, ensuring that the game remains a hearty challenge for all involved.

This episode isn’t just a narration of a game; it’s an invitation to rethink the way we approach physical education. By integrating imaginative play into active exercises, we’re not only promoting physical health but also nurturing cognitive skills like attentive listening and quick decision-making. It’s about shaping an environment where the joy of movement is paired with mental agility, and where each day presents a new opportunity for adventure and growth.

As the podcast concludes, we leave our listeners with a rallying cry to continue inspiring young minds through innovative PE activities. “Man Overboard” is more than just a game – it’s a testament to the power of play in education. It underscores the fact that when children are having fun, they’re also learning, growing, and developing skills that will serve them well both in and out of the classroom.

So hoist your sails, PE teachers, and chart a course for adventure in your next class. With games like “Man Overboard,” you’re not just teaching kids how to be active; you’re captaining young minds on an unforgettable voyage of discovery.

Cover Design

Hi Friends,

As I begin my blog posts on my book, “The Teacher, the Chef and the Hockey Player“, I’ve been wondering a few things as a first time author. I asked some people in the physed world along with my family about the cover of my book. The example above was actually the first design. This is a mock-up of what it was going to look like in print. I really liked it, but I wasn’t sure it represented my characters as I saw them. Most people I talked to agreed, so I went with a more abstract, symbol-based cover where the reader could visualize the characters for themselves. The more time goes by I’m wondering if I made the right choice (I believe I did), and if I should make a separate cover for readers who like to see what the characters might look like (I’m not sure). What are your thoughts? I’d love some feedback on this topic. Thanks so much!

Dave

No Limits: Tales of Limitless Human Potential

Today I want to talk about no limits or, better yet, anything’s possible, and I know it sounds cliche, but I have some specific examples that I think you could use in your PE program and in your life. So today I want to talk inspiration. It’s kind of things I love. I love to talk about, I love to read about, I love to watch documentaries of these people I’m going to talk about and this is actually I’m kind of testing it with you. I’m writing my new book, my second book to the sequel of The Teacher, the Chef and Hockey Player, and I’m coming up with some new concepts they’re not new, but they’re new to my characters and one of them is there are no limits or no limits is actually the name of it and kind of the subtitle is anything’s possible? So I want to give you a few specific examples of just people in the world in history. Mostly, what I’m talking about today is, you know in the sports arena or sports realm, of people who really made a difference and there were just no limits on what they could do and what they can achieve. And if they can do it, that means you can do it as well and that means I can do it.

Now, in both books, the characters the main character, Jay, has different mentors and they teach lessons along the way. So Savannah is in the first book and she’s also in the second book, and she’s also my daughter. That’s why I named her Savannah. With the “No limits”, she actually takes Jay to a Shape Florida convention. Sounds familiar, right, so a convention, and there was a speaker that talks about some of the game changers basically in history, and so here are some of the ones that are discussed by the character, and I’m gonna throw a few extra ones in there as well.

So the first one is Roger Bannister, and I know most of you know who that is or you’ve heard of him. He is the runner. He was actually a medical student and he became a doctor that broke the four minute mile. And what’s really interesting about that is and he trained for a long time trying to break that. I mean, it was deemed impossible to break the four minute mile. Now athletes and athletics are not the same as they were back in 1954. And you know, roger decided he was going to break that record. No one had ever done it and he just barely did it three minutes and 59 seconds. But he proved that something that was deemed impossible was in fact possible.

And the story doesn’t end there. It didn’t end there. Afterwards, him and another runner I believe it was a couple of weeks later battled and they both broke it. And the story still doesn’t end there, because after that, the next, in the next decade, 336 people broke the four minute mile. So what does that tell us? It tells us that it is possible or was possible, and that once and it was called the Bannister effect once he did that then it kind of deflated all the notions that know that people couldn’t do it. It broke through that barrier of, wow, he did it, I can do it. And it proves that there are no limits. Now, of course, if you say there’s going to do something that’s going to be a two-minute mile or something that’s probably pretty far-fetched, but with technology and athletes being in better shape, better nutrition, better everything, who knows what the limits are on that? And again, this episode is called no Limits. But it’s just something amazing that he decided it was almost like a mental block, right, nobody could break it. Nobody could break it. He broke it and then all these people started breaking it, and that just proves that we shouldn’t put a cap on our imagination, a cap on our limits or anything like that. So that is number one, roger Bannister.

Number two is the Iron Cowboy, James Lawrence. Now, I did an episode about him not too long ago in my Game Changers episode, but there is some updates to that. So, to recap, or if you didn’t hear it, james Lawrence. He first held records of half marathons about 10 years ago. He did 22 half marathons in 2011. And that was a record. That was a world record.

But he wanted to go bigger than that and he went way bigger. So Iron man triathlons are 140.6 miles in a day between swimming, biking and then running a full marathon. So that is just incredible. If I did that one time, that would be amazing. I mean, that would be just something that I would be so proud of. But he decided to go way bigger than that. He did 50, 50, 50, which is 50 Iron Man’s in 50 consecutive days in all 50 states, and I don’t know why he’s not talked about more. I don’t know why people don’t know who he is. There is a documentary on Amazon Prime. That’s where I saw most of this information.

I heard of him on a podcast, but I couldn’t believe that. I mean 50, 50, 50. That’s a lot of planning traveling. His family traveled with him. I’m not going to go into all the details. I did a big episode on that on everything but he talked about even Damien merchant’s. I mean, he fell asleep on his bike a couple times because he was so tired. I mean he didn’t sleep much because he couldn’t. Every day he was up early and completing everything, which is unreal. It would take a good eight to 10 hours each day for him to finish and then he’d just crash and he would be driven to the next state. Sometimes he didn’t even know what state he was in and it was just a big logistical problem for his team, not just his wife and kids, but his whole team of travel arrangements and I mean, think about, you know, hawaii and Alaska and just traveling. So that was amazing.

And then to update it, which I didn’t know about, he wanted to do 100 and actually did 101 Ironmans in 101 consecutive days. I guess on the 102nd day he’s like, yeah, I’m good, but that is just something amazing that I just can’t even comprehend 101 consecutive days of Ironmans. And that’s not just dedication, obviously, that’s a toll on his body. That is just pushing your body to absolute limits. And I know from watching the documentary on the 50, 50, 50, he would be losing toenails, he’d have blisters everywhere, he’d be cramping up, he’d have to get IV fluid in him too just because he was dehydrated. I mean it’s just amazing what he did and again that proves that there’s just no limits on what the human body can do. So again, if you want to check out the full episode, that is in if you go back in my episodes the game changer, James Lawrence, the Iron Cowboy. But that is for now. That is number two and it is James Lawrence.

Number three Amanda Nunez. If you watch UFC fighting, I mean there’s no one better than her. Now she just retired, but there’s just read something that she might actually come back, so who knows? But Amanda Nunez is the greatest they, definitely the goat of UFC. She was the first female to hold two belts in two different divisions and she has beaten the who’s who between Ronda Rousey, Valentina Shevchenko, which is my favorite fighter, and Misha Tate and all the big ones.

Now, if you don’t know some of these names, that’s okay, but she beat everybody and there’s not much I can really say about her. She was absolutely the most dominant woman mixed martial artist ever and she started training when she was 16, so she wasn’t like a prodigy at five years old or something like that. She was boxing at 16. She was in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and then she finally well, not finally, but she started professionally fighting at 19. And again, she just recently retired at 35, I believe but she might come back, like I said, which I’m very excited about. And Ronda Rousey was the one that made female MMA popular I’d say along with Misha Tate, but definitely Ronda Rousey and so I could definitely throw her in this category as well. It just again it proves that again, there’s no limits. They broke down the barriers to women’s MMA and I know that might turn some of you people off that are listening to this, but I’m just saying they are great.

I’m going to go back to Amanda Nunez. She is the best ever at her field. She is a game changer, ground breaker and just total awesome fighter, if you go back and watch some of her fights, and she proves that there are no limits to what you can achieve. And so Amanda Nunez is number three. For number four, I also did a game changers episode on him.

This is Alex Honnold. Basically, go watch Free Solo on Disney Plus. Free Solo, if you haven’t seen it is. I mean again. It just it opened my eyes to a sport that I had never heard about. It is rock climbing without any ropes. That’s just. Basically that’s what it is. It is absolutely, to me, insane, to most people I think insane, but to Alex Honnold it is what he does and what he does best and what he’s known for. And he achieves something that no one has ever done, that probably no one ever will do, which is to Free, solo, again without ropes or any harnesses, el Cap or El Capitan in Yosemite Park. It is straight up 3,000 feet of just solid granite rock and if you’ve seen it, if you’ve ever seen it or seen pictures or seen the video, the documentary, it is just amazing. And for him to have climbed that without any safety at all, that put into place, is just something no one ever thought was possible. And, by the way, kids don’t ever try that at home.

He did put a lot of work in. Now, at first, when I heard about that, I was like, well, maybe he just, I mean, did he just start climbing? No, he put a lot of work into it. He climbed with ropes, a lot of like the whole course, and he would train for hours and actually for almost a year just training on just that, just El Cap, and he would. He had a journal that he’d write down his notes and where he’d say, well, ok, on this part, I put my two fingers here, my one foot here and do a little. The one part is a karate kick to get leveraged on the rock, and so he had a whole journal and he again, he went through the course many, many times with ropes and then he did it without ropes and it is just something amazing. If you see that, you need to see the video, if you haven’t, or the documentary again, it’s called Free Solo. It just blows my mind as to what the human body, like we talked about before, can do, and many people have died in that sport, not, I don’t believe it, on El Cap, but other ones, you know. People just lose their grip or they just the wind, you know, blows a certain way, or a rock falls from a ledge and hits somebody and knocks them off, and I just can’t even put my wrap my head around it, what he did. So, again, no limits. And that is Alex Honnold, number four. So the final main one I want to talk about is a guy I’d never heard of before.

How did I find out about this? I watched for the first time ever St Elmo’s Fire. I’d never seen St Elmo’s Fire and I’ve I’ve always beena fan of the Brat Pack and all those movies. You know, breakfast Club and Pretty in Pink and 16 Candles, and I’d never seen St Elmo’s Fire and I don’t know why. I just wanted to see it and it was actually okay. I don’t think it was the greatest movie ever, but if you haven’t seen it again, I didn’t know much about it, except for all those main actors were in it.

It’s it’s really just about people graduate from college and kind of staying together as a group and drifting apart a little bit and things like that. Now I have to disclose to you that my wife gets upset with me, not upset with me. She just kind of makes fun of me because when I read a book or when I oh that’s actually what it started I read or I listened to, I said I read a book, I listened to a book on the Brat Pack and I believe that’s how I. Okay, so that’s how I started watching St Elmo’s Fire. Follow my train of thought, please. And then what I do and this is what she makes fun of me for is I kind of obsess over things for a while, like if I’m in my, I love Led Zeppelin.

I love U2 and and certain movies and things like that. If I’m in a Led Zeppelin, you know mode or mood, you know I’ll go all in, I’ll, I’ll, and I do. I’ve read so many other books and listen to so many, many of the books, and U2 was my favorite. But I’ll go all in, I’ll listen to U2 for like a week and I’ll. I actually just watched Rattle and Hum again and you know I’ll obsess over things and when I watch a movie, you know I’ll always have to look up. You know the cast and where are they now and what are they doing and all sorts of stuff.

So St Elmo’s Fire, the song it’s. It’s called St Elmo’s Fire and man of Motion and it was a popular song in the 80s. I’m not going to sing it for you because I have the worst voice ever, but in the song it says uh, want to be a man in motion. All I need is a pair of wheels. Take me where the future is lying. St Elmo’s Fire. And I never knew what that meant, but it was. What happened was I’m not going to this whole history of this either because it’ll take a while.

They the song is really about a guy named Rick Hansen and what he did was just incredible. I’d never heard of this guy before, never heard any of these stories before, and so it was really amazing. It’s really cool to talk about because I put in my new book and I just think it’s something a story that not many people know. So Rick Hansen is a Canadian and when he was younger he was in a pickup truck accident where he flew out of the truck and was paralyzed. They hit a tree. So instead of and, by the way, he was a PE teacher. So that’s pretty cool, right, I believe he was a PE teacher afterwards, but, yes, he was a PE teacher.

So that’s kind of neat, kind of tie in, you know, to our number five here, our game changer or our no limits person we’re talking about. So he, you know there’s so many things anybody can do in life and whether you’re disabled or able-bodied, you know you set your limits and he decided obviously there was no limits. He won national titles in wheelchair volleyball and basketball, as well as competing in marathons in the Paralympics, and he won many awards in titles and medals and you know that’s inspiring as it is. I mean that’s amazing. Just just doing that, you’re not giving up, obviously after a tragedy, you know, changing his life and doing things that inspired him, but that’s not where it ends. As I have said quite a bit, I think here he did way more than that. He decided to raise money and awareness for spinal cord injuries. So he, on his, in his wheelchair, traveled the world like circled the globe. It took him 26 months and he averaged eight hours a day in his wheelchair. Again, it wasn’t an electric wheelchair. He pushed his wheelchair for eight hours a day and he raised over $26 million for cancer research.

And when he finally made it home to Vancouver, the song was playing the St Elmo’s Fire man in Motion. The song was playing to a huge crowd and friends, family and fans that wanted to congratulate him, and so that is what the song is about. I don’t remember what the song was about. It was about him and they kind of put it in with the movie. It doesn’t quite fit with the movie, but that’s what you know. That’s what it’s about. So that is Rick Hansen and it’s a cool story. And that is number five.

And now it is time for your cowbell tip of the day. All right, so your tip of the day is to hopefully be inspired. First of all and I’m going to give you a few more names, just name drop some people that you know prove there are no limits and there’s no limits to your PE program either. You, you’re all limit, limited by your, your creativity and your goals and passions and things you could bring to the PE program. I mean, I don’t know how many times I thought I wouldn’t be able to do something or I couldn’t, or I was told I couldn’t.

I don’t know how many times I told the story probably not much actually on this podcast, or maybe even never but I almost was kicked out of I don’t call teaching school, but basically my program, my teaching program in college, and I kind of was ticked off. I was mad. I didn’t think it was my fault, but I wasn’t a very good student teacher. I really wasn’t. It wasn’t that I had studied, it wasn’t that I didn’t try, I just wasn’t very good at being in the classroom. I didn’t feel like my student or my cooperating teacher, or whatever you call them now, really helped me and guided me and I struggled and I was almost kicked out. I was given another chance and I did really well with my next experience, my next teacher and so I stuck with it. But it was almost like a okay, f-u kind of thing. I’m going to make this and you’re not going to stop me. And obviously I became a teacher. I’ve been teaching for over 20 years and I love it.

But you know, again, I’m not saying that was some extraordinary thing, that wasn’t breaking the four minute mile or there wasn’t climbing El Cap, but that’s, you know me not putting limits to what I want to do and my goals and my dreams, and I don’t want you to do that either. Okay, I’m going to give you a few more names to kind of check out. There’s a lot, many in history and many in sports, especially because we’re kind of talking about that a little bit. But I want to talk about a few other ones real quick, so I’m just name dropping here some no limit people. Obviously people like Elon Musk, JK Rowling I mean, she was on welfare and she created Harry Potter! Wilma Rudolph definitely check her out.

I didn’t have time for some of these. I would say Tom Brady, I mean obviously everybody knows who that is, but you know he defied age and what he did is just becoming the greatest ever. And trust me, being a Buffalo Bills fan and New England beating us for 20 years, tom Brady destroying us for almost 20 years, I was not a fan, at least not rooting for them. But I, you know, got to respect the goat, got to respect the game and you know what he did was just absolutely amazing. I could throw many, many other people in there that some I’ll just talk about in later editions, I guess of this.

But check those people out, check out inspiration, inspirational people, and you know, keep going and keep working and keep dreaming. That’s no limits and that is your cowbell tip of the day. Thank you everyone for tuning in. I really do appreciate it. As always, go to supersizedphysed.com for more information. There’s lots of PDFs and games and videos and all sorts of stuff there, so check that out. If you get a chance, take care of PE Nation. Have a great day, week, weekend, whenever you listen to this. Let’s keep pushing our profession forward.

Adapting PE Lessons for Inclement Weather

Hello and welcome to the Super Size Physed ED podcast. My name is Dave and I’m here to talk about rainy days. Yes, those dreaded rainy days that we all can’t stand. I’m with you, I hear you, I feel you and I’m going to talk about it next. So here we go. All right, everybody, Welcome in today. I do apologize. I’ve been kind of sporadic in putting out episodes recently. So if you’re tuning in and you’re a loyal, devoted fan, I really do appreciate it. I say the word appreciate a lot, but I appreciate you listening in and today’s a pretty specific episode. So if you’re indoors and you have your own gym, I’d like you to tune in and listen and maybe come up with some ideas, because it is things about doing inside, things we’re going to do inside, but this is more about rainy days and what to do when you have them. So, to start off with, rainy days stink. They really do. They’re awful, and I know we need rain and I live in Florida and there’s times when we have way too much rain and there’s times when we have no rain at all for months and months, and months and it just stinks. It stinks because one of my second jobs is playing meteorologist. I have to figure out. Well, can we be outside and I don’t know, can we give it a go, or maybe it’s too wet, the grass is too wet, or the courts are too wet, or the track is too wet, the pavilion is getting rain sideways, it’s just a big old mess. But sometimes we can be outside, Sometimes we can’t. Sometimes half the day we’re outside and sometimes half the day we’re not. Sometimes, like this past Friday, we were outside in the beginning for first grade and then kindergarten started raining pretty hard and by the time of the end of kindergarten, luckily, we were able to get the boys and girls to their classrooms, because we’re in outside school and there’s no walkways. There’s no covered walkways between the pavilion and at least most of the classrooms. So those are all things we deal with. And actually after that we were inside for third grade, inside for fifth grade, but actually the coach, two of the coaches, that’s me, and two pairs. The two pairs took two class outside under the pavilion and played that game, rollout, which I just put an episode out about. But we couldn’t have four classes out there, so I took two by myself inside a classroom and then we had a little break. I’m just telling you my schedule here real quick. Then we had fourth grade, outside but doing limited things under the pavilion because everything was wet, and then we final our final class is second grade and they were outside. So we were outside for two, inside for two and then outside for two, and it’s just kind of crazy. And again, there’s times when I don’t have a lot of time between classes. I have anywhere between zero sometimes and five minutes between classes, and so I have to make a quick decision and sometimes that decision is wrong. I’m not gonna lie. Sometimes we bring classes back out like, hey, we’re okay, and then all of a sudden there’s a lightning in the area and we have to go back inside it. Just it gets kind of crazy and sometimes teachers aren’t happy. It actually did happen the other day as well, where I called about 10 minutes before I did put on an email saying we’re gonna be inside. And then I called the first grade grade level chair and said, hey, can you please contact your team? We’re gonna try to give it a go, but we do have accommodations just in case. Everything’s set up, just in case. And a couple teachers came out and I could tell especially one wasn’t real happy with me. She wasn’t like I don’t know, but she just wasn’t happy and I could tell it was kind of directed towards me or indirectly towards me, that she didn’t know she was on her way to the cafeteria kind of thing. And I said I’m sorry, I did texture or I called your grade level chair and she’s like, and I think when she picked up her kids she understood that she did get a text, like they have a group text, and she was told to go outside and it was just a big mess. But most teachers understand and again she was, it was fine. It’s just one of those things that sometimes it rubs people the wrong way. You’re going this way, you’re going that way. Sometimes we use her classroom, Sometimes we use the media center. Sometimes she’s a cafeteria and sometimes we’re just we have nowhere to go. There’s been times when we just there’s testing. You know there’s lunch going on the cafeteria, there’s testing the media center. This actually happened the other day and there’s four of us. I’m sorry there’s four classes but there’s three coaches, so again we have to push in like two classes in a classroom and all sorts of stuff and it’s just, it’s just not ideal. There’s also times when there’s just random stuff going on, Like we had a bobcat sighting real close so we had to be inside the whole day. They never even found the bobcat Cause. We were like a whole wooded area near our school Like they couldn’t do anything about it. There’s times when there’s testing and my former school there was the pavilion was so close to the building that when there were testing days we had to either go inside, like in the media center and actually not usually we went with the music teacher, pushed in with her if it was rainy day, or we had to go way out in the field, look way out there, where we couldn’t be, they couldn’t hear us, and it just we’re always pushed out, or it seems like we’re pushed out of our spots or our PE area sometimes. So, anyways, what do you do? I guess that’s a question, and I’d say the first thing is to be flexible. Understand that you might not be right. When it comes to the weather, Again, meteorologists are almost never right and they solve a job for some reason. So be flexible about the weather, about what you need to do, what you can do, what’s possible, what is not a good idea, especially if lightning is getting close or anything. There’s storm coming, things like that, and you know, I know this drives you crazy. It drives me crazy Just thinking about what to do and no other teacher has to worry about this, right? You know, I was a classroom teacher for over 10 years and I don’t have to deal with weather. I didn’t have to deal with weather. I don’t have to deal with losing my space. It just sometimes these things happen. So let’s move on to what you can do, what I do inside on rainy days, because I’ve heard a lot of things, I’ve seen a lot of things, I’ve done a lot of things and hopefully this can help you if you are in that position. So when I first started teaching PE about 12, actually more than that, 13, 14 years ago, there was mostly at least semi-educational DVDs I would put in. On a rainy day We’d all go in the media center All. Actually in this case it was about five classes at a time and it wasn’t ideal. It’s never ideal being in the media center. Kids are checking up books. The media center person usually isn’t super happy with me or us, but it’s just the way it is. They know there’s no choice. They know I don’t wanna be there, but there’s nothing we could do. So obviously, have a good rapport with. I always have a good rapport. Obviously I was thinking about the tech person as well. Have a good rapport with the tech person and if there’s a media specialist or anybody, that’s space you’re taking over. Of course. Treat them well, Treat their space as not wholly, but it’s their space, so treat it kindly, I should say, and make sure you do a good job there and keep everything cleaned up. At the end, put everything back when you’re done. That’s just a foregone kind of thing. Conclusion so in the beginning I would show these DVDs, like Bill Nye, some things that are based on human body or bike safety videos, water safety videos, things like that, which I still do. We’ll get into that in a little bit, but eventually I kind of ran out. There’s so many things I’m like well, what do I do? I was a younger not that younger teacher, but a younger PE teacher, let’s just say or more inexperienced, and I try to tie things into the standards. So I just remember eventually becoming more like hey, on Fridays, because it’s fun Friday, let’s do Disney movies on Friday. So I remember times when we were watching Frozen in there for PE and I don’t know. I just I don’t like that. I don’t like doing something that’s just they could do at any time. They could do with any person. So whom I know? I’m just a glorified recess after school person that shows DVD movies Like. I’m not. I’m not going to do that and I used to do that. So that’s you, that’s OK. I’m just trying to teach you from my experience, or pass this knowledge on from my experience, that it’s OK, but I didn’t feel right about it. So then it became YouTube. It’s called Design Squad and it was really cool. I still as you could find it again. I think it’s on Amazon Prime now, but it’s like a subscription. You got to pay for it, Some things like that, some seasons, things like that. They would take these kids mostly, I think, high school kids and they would be tasked with building something and I tried to keep it at the sporty kind of thing, Like they had to build a thing to shoot out soccer balls to professional soccer player and there would be team versus team and they judge it and things like that, and I’d tie in questions and things like that to it. There’s other ones. I’m not going to all the episodes, but they would build like a hockey goalie thing where target practice kind of thing. It was really cool and I would show that to the kids, that. Or eventually I showed a show called the Kicks. It’s on Amazon Prime actually as well, but then we weren’t allowed to stream. That became a forbidden thing in our district and I understand we’re streaming Amazon Prime or Netflix or something. We can’t do that anymore. So these things keep evolving, like DVDs, then streaming, then whatever. So what do you do? And I know it kind of sound almost exasperated, but it is a process and it’s hard to go through these phases and be like man I had this and now I lost this. And so the goal is to evolve with not just the streaming things, but evolve with time, evolve with technology and figure out what to do during rainy days. All being said, here’s what I did, and this happened especially during COVID. You know a lot of people were teaching remotely, obviously, and you know I’d make these Google slides and the kids would, you know, go through them and answer questions and like that. So I was thinking, well, why don’t I just make Google slides for teaching rainy days? And I did that. I made a bunch of Google slides with questions and videos linked in there, and even dance videos, things like that, that I could send to the teachers. And that’s what I do I send to the teachers, I share them with all the teachers. They could pull it up on their computers on their permitting boards and then my parents can go in there and teach from there and I give my parents some leeway and latitude. I mean, they can do different things. But you know, I try to teach certain topics certain times and they can go and not miss a beat and it’s great and I try to look at this as an opportunity. You know, in a 40-minute lesson and I’m somebody who has less than that I’ve heard people have like 20-minute lessons Like I don’t know how you do that In a 40-minute time frame. I don’t always go into great detail on certain topics and certain standards, so I save those for rainy days, and I know I always get rainy days, especially in the beginning of the year, because I’m in Florida. Again, I’m just telling you that’s the weather Beginning and end of the year. There’s always rainy days. Now it’s kind of weird. We have actually had some recently. Like I said, usually don’t have those in January, but we have had some. So I use that instead of like just being upset, I use that as an opportunity to teach and cover the standards that I normally don’t have time for and I can go more in depth and it’s great. So, for example, I know I said water safety and bike safety. Those are two of them. I’ll do those, I’ll cover them, I’ll talk about them, I’ll show videos on them. I actually have a video that they gave me, the Corps of Engineers. They gave me a DVD that I show for water safety and I used to have people come in for water safety and bike safety. I think they kind of stopped that for COVID and whatnot and grants, but I cover that. Then, during rainy days, I cover nutrition, diet and exercise, goal setting. I’ll show things like what I call game changers, like Tiger Woods and Sean White and other people, not just athletes, but I try to keep it more towards athletes because I’m not a big fan of the game changer. I try to keep it more towards athletes because that’s what we’re teaching PE and show them how they overcame obstacles, how they set goals, how they reach their limits. I mean, like beyond belief. It’s been amazing watching these things and the kids are like, oh my gosh, this is awesome Because when I showed them Tiger Woods, they’ve heard of him Most of them, especially the older kids. Again, I teach kindergarten through fifth they probably recognize him and everything he went through and you could not like Tiger Woods. I’m just using him as an example. My wife still won’t get over his infidelity, but that’s another story, Just his greatness. Another one is Alex Honnold, who, if you ever seen the movie Free Solo Again, that’s on Disney Plus. I can’t stream it, but I’ve taken clips that are online and showing the kids that, hey, anything’s possible. I mean, he climbed El Cap 3000 feet in the air, straight up, pretty much with no ropes and harnesses. That’s pretty crazy and please don’t ever have the kids attempt that at home. Don’t attempt at home kids. But it’s something that I show them. So it’s like, wow, that’s awesome. You know, it’s something that I can have different goals and have different dreams and really try to achieve them. So, anyways, I teach those kind of things. I teach cup stacking and, as a matter of fact, I had a sub the other day and I showed him those slides that I made and I had him pick and he’s like, well, I want to try cup stacking. Like all right. So here’s the slides that go with it. The kids know how to do it. And he only had one class and he brought a bunch of cups into the classroom and he said I want really well, so in a bind, in a pinch. These are great things to have backup plans, links to again, different videos, different ways. In this case it’s how to cup stack. Now I know how to cup stack. I’ve taught all the kids how to cup stack, but the sub, I guess, did not know how to do it. So it’s great to have these on slides or somewhere else where they can find them. I also use and I know I’ve said YouTube, Brain Pop Junior, a lot for different lessons on. Again, we’ll go back to nutrition. If you have access to Brain Pop Junior, that’s a great resource. It will teach them about nutrition, food groups, things like that. And then they have a quiz. There’s an easy quiz, a hard quiz. They can do different things with it and it doesn’t take very long. It takes five, six minutes of video and then questions and you can talk about it Again, aligning to the standards, aligning to what you need to cover, but you can’t always cover in a regular classroom setting when you don’t have a lot of time. I also use Go Noodle, but again not a lot. It’s more for a quick link at the end I’ll put it in there in the Google Slides for a sub or for more in pairs to just play, for the kids to get a quick break of exercise, things like that. I have slides on scarves. There’s how to do the scarves in different movements, so it’s all sorts of things they could do in the classroom or in the media center or whatever, wherever you have to go to do rainy days. I’d say another thing is bring different equipment with you, like these very cushy, those kush balls or some soft, real soft ones to do a group juggle or to do silent ball I know that’s really old school, but a lot of kids really still like that, I don’t know why and just different small movements you could do in a classroom or wherever you need to go. But I would say this don’t throw in the towel, Do what you can and try to tie it to the standards and cover what you need to cover to get use those rainy days as, trust me, I don’t like them, but use them to enhance your teaching and enhance the kids’ learning. I’d say that would be the biggest thing. So now it is time for your cowbell tip of the day. All right, everybody. So your cowbell tip of the day is to email me it’s in the episode notes If you’d like me to send you the Google Slides now. They’re not perfect and some of the links might not work if you don’t have BrainPop Junior for your classroom and things like that if you don’t have access to it. But it would help, especially if you’re not sure what to do or where to start, or you’re a newer teacher and you’d like these slides, or an older teacher like me. Email me if you’d like me to send you the slides, because I will send them to you. I don’t want to put necessarily in the show notes just that random link to share to anybody in the whole world. I’d rather just be if you email me and I will send them to you, no cost, no charge, no signing up for anything. I’ll send them to you if you want them. If not, that’s OK. I just want to make sure you know that they’re there for you and I’m here to help you. So hopefully you use them Again, if not, just don’t give up on rainy days and just keep going. Teacher standards keep it PE oriented and you got this. So that is your cowbell tip of the day. Thank you everyone for tuning in. I really do appreciate it, as always. Go to Supersizedphysed. com for more information or if you’d like to purchase my book the Teacher, the Chef and the Hockey Player, there is a link in the show notes and there’s a website to go to. So take care, PE Nation, you guys and girls are awesome. I hope you have a wonderful day, week, weekend, whenever you listen to this, and let’s keep pushing our profession forward.

All content © 2024 The Supersized PhysEd Podcast.

My “Quitting Energy Drinks” Experiment

I love energy drinks. There, I said it. I tell people, “I’ve never been drunk in my life, never did drugs, never smoked a cigarette, so this is my only vice”. While all of that is true, I’ve always prided myself on being “in control” and not being addicted to anything.  I remember as a kid, watching my parents trying to quit smoking.  They did, but it was hard for them.  I never wanted to lose control like that. But now I really am addicted to energy drinks and I have to write about it to set goals and stop the madness!

I remember how it started: I live in Florida now, but when my wife and I were living near Charlotte, N.C., we went back to my hometown of Buffalo, New York to visit family and friends (this had to be around 2008 or 2009). My friend Jack, who works for a beer manufacturer, said they just started carrying Monster Energy Drinks. At the time, I was probably an 80% water, 10% milk, and 10% Gatorade drinker. I rarely, if ever drank soda, and never drank alcohol. Jack offered me a large Monster “import” drink with a sweet sliding opener/closer that added to the experience.  It was game on after that!

So back in NC, I began “rewarding” myself twice a week after going to the gym by drinking a Monster or Xyience that my brother brought up from Florida which we started selling at our family store.  That continued until I moved back to Florida in 2010 to teach and work part-time at the store.  It was pretty subtle: I would have 2 per week, then maybe 3-4, then it became one a day in a matter of about a year!  For awhile, I was holding the “one per day” rule, but I found myself every now and then breaking that (I still have never done more than 2 in a day!).  The problem was on the days I was working a “double”, teaching PE in the morning at school then going to our grocery store, I would have one in the morning, and couldn’t wait to go get another one working at night.  So the “one-a-day” became “2-a-days” twice a week.

My wife hated this (and still does).  She’d text me links to stories of kids and adults who died from energy drinks.  I’d tell her they usually had alcohol mixed with them or bad hearts to begin with, or they drank like 5 of them in a row (which often was true), but I would be okay.  I’ve always prided myself on my health, being a personal trainer and physical education teacher, and enjoying going to the gym and working out, so I just told myself I could “work it out of my system”.  As I’m writing this, I can’t believe all my excuses!

Our store closed about a month ago after 22 years, which has been really hard for me.  I miss the people and the grocery business as a whole, and that was a big part of me.  I could write a whole book on the store, but I’ll save that for later.  What we did get from the store was a lot of leftovers that no one bought.  We donated a lot, but kept some things, along with a bunch of energy drinks!  So for the past month, it’s been about 2 per day plus some soda whenever.  I’ve noticed being tired a lot at 7 or 8 pm, and I really believe it’s the “crashing” of my body from the highs and lows of the drinks.  This has to end!

Now that my “supply” has dwindled, I think this summer is the perfect time to stop the madness and end my addiction (that word was difficult for me to type)!  I’ve thought about a few ways to do this, but I’m not sure…

1. Have a “farewell” week, where I drink what’s left (about 10 cans of soda), then stop for good.
2. Stop now and throw everything out.
3. Buy a 4-pack per week for 2 weeks and slowly cut down to 2 per week, then 1 then none.

I know I’ve tried to stop “cold-turkey” before and it didn’t work.  Without as much access to it (our grocery store), I’ll keep it out of the house and not have to look at it while I work.  I’m wondering if #3, while it’s not the best option, might be the best for me- Zero soda, but 4 a week for 2 weeks, followed by 2 weeks of 2 cans per week, then 2 weeks of 1 can a week, then done!  

I like this option the best for me, even though I’m scared I might grab one at the gas station or something.  I’m going to add to my plan with more help:

1. My wife said she’d give something up (she’s not sure yet what it is).
2. We’re going to work with our 6 year old daughter to break her habit of sucking her thumb.
3. My son needs more IPAD boundaries.
4. I’ll put the $$$ I normally spend on the drinks into savings and we’ll go to Universal Studios next year with it.  I figure about $1.50-$2.00 per day so I’ll put $50 aside per month.  If I need to, I’ll pull a “Tim Ferriss” and give the money to a cause I dislike!  I’d rather not, but it’s a thought.

I’ll keep referring back to this post, but to remind myself of why I’m doing this:

1. My health: I need this “liquid poison” out of my system!  It’s bad for my heart, my teeth and there’s just too many unknowns and not enough long-term studies done so far.
2. My energy levels: I get a jolt in the mornings, but crash way too early at night and I think it’s because of them.  After this experiment, I’ll find out if it’s true.
3. My family: This should be first, but as an obvious side-effect of not great health and energy, I’ll lose time with my kids because I don’t have the stamina to spend quality time with them and my wife.  What could be more important?
4. The loss of control: I don’t like anything “owning” me.  This is no exception.

So I need some alternatives.  I love water, but I’ll need something else to substitute for the drinks.  Here’s my ideas:

1. Flavored water: I like Mio and Crystal Light mixed in my water bottles, along with lemons.
2. Gatorade: A lot of sugar, but an option.
3. Club soda with limes or lemons: I really like the taste and it has that fizz I need.  This might be the winner!

I think all 3 might come into play.  I’m starting Monday.  I need this and need to write about it.  I’m putting it out there for others to follow along and keep me accountable.  Maybe this will help someone else quit a tough habit.  I’d love to hear about it and your thoughts regarding this difficult journey.  Thanks and wish me luck and discipline!  As former Navy Seal Jocko Willink put bluntly: “Discipline equals freedom”.  Well said.

 

 

Dance In PE class?

I admit I secretly want to be Justin Timberlake.  I mean he acts, sings, produces, but boy can he dance!  I can’t dance even close to how he does but that doesn’t stop me.  When I put on my headset at PE class in front of 120 students (grades K-5), I become JT, N’Sync, Backstreet Boys and New Kids on the Block all in one!  If you could see my students jumping up and down and doing all the moves with me, you’d be amazed.  How does this happen?

When students come into my class, they immediately go to a “dot’, a painted circle on the cement under the pavilion.  I or one of my paras will tell the class to go to a certain color and sit or stand if it’s time to start.  I want my class to start with high-energy!  I use my Bluetooth Steambot Mini that plugs into my stereo system so my phone now controls the music.  I like to mix things up, so I use one of options: Apple Music, Fit Radio, Garage Band, or Tempo Magic Pro.

The easiest and most used app we use is Apple Music sharing.  For a monthly fee, I can access any song without owning it outright.  We stream the music, choreograph the songs, or just make moves up as we go.  Most of the time it’s Kidz Bop, but often I’ll play my favorites like TobyMac, Newsboys and even some 80’s hits I grew up with!

Fit Radio I use for the older students (3-5) when I want pure exercise and not a lot of dance.  Some of the 5th graders especially would rather not dance so I’ll often give them a choice of dance or a lap or two around the track.  With Fit Radio, continuous mixes are created for you using popular songs with high-energy beats.  You can choose from different DJ’s, tempos and genres depending on the mood and the atmosphere you’d like to create.

Garage Band is for the mixes I make, which I call my “Music Montages”.  These songs I have to own, which I put into Garage Band, take pieces of the best portions of the songs, and put it together with a buffer sound (usually a crashing-type sound called a “boomer”) in between.  Check this out on my YouTube channel for an example- https://youtu.be/Rhrq8AQvskE

Tempo Magic Pro is awesome!  I first learned about this app from Naomi Hartl.  If you own a song, you can download it in the app and, using a sliding scale, can change the tempo of the song (fast or slow) without it sounding like “Alvin and the Chipmunks”!  The younger students absolutely love it!  We go slow-motion to warp-speed in a few seconds! Here’s a sample of our class using it- https://youtu.be/sMMN4xnWl5U

So what are you waiting for?  Dance in PE class is a great way to get students active and to start off your class with high-energy movement.  Check out my YouTube Channel for some dances and montages to follow along with https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-hqv5yOssqijQiJAIDY8yQ?view_as=subscriber.  If you’d like my montages from my dropbox, please email me at dcarney1017@gmail.com.  Happy dancing!

 

 

Connecting Disney and Education

 

My family spent Thanksgiving break at Disney as we have the past few years.  We live about 3 and 1/2 hours away, and we like to go when it’s a bit cooler, even though the crowds are bigger (or at least it feels that way!).  There’s something about the magic and atmosphere there that has to be experienced.  Our first day there we went to Animal Kingdom for the first time, then spent a couple of hours at Disney Springs (formerly Downtown Disney), taking in the shops, restaurants and people.  As it was Black Friday, it was almost impossible to park and harder still to walk around!  We did our best, then decided to come back Sunday morning to shop (and get our Wetzel Bitz-I love soft pretzels!).  Saturday was spent entirely at the Magic Kingdom.  My son and daughter had a blast!  We were there for over 10 hours and didn’t even scratch the surface of all the things we wanted to ride and do.

As always, I try to be a keen observer of my environment and how I can connect incredible experiences and ideas to physical education.  Last year when we were at Disney Springs, a DJ had the crowd (including myself) dancing and chanting along to a bunch of hits from the 60’s to today, using small samples of each song.  I took that idea back with me and began making “music montages” that now serve as some of our warm-up songs in class.  The kids, especially K-3 love them!!!  The older students are a little more hit or miss with them, but watching 100-120 students singing, dancing and moving to my mixes is amazing to watch!

So what were my findings this trip?  Here’s a few that I noticed:

1. Amazing Customer Service: One of the things that separates Disney from most companies is their friendliness, professionalism, and all-round customer service.  We were late getting into the Magic Kingdom on Saturday morning, missing our fast pass time for a ride.  My wife went to their office and the kind “Castmember” gave us a fast pass for that ride good for any time the rest of the day.  The workers are always friendly, always present (not playing with their phones!), and always striving to help customers like myself have magical Disney experiences.  PE application:  It’s not always easy, but we need to talk to the students as they arrive, asking them how their day has been, commenting/complimenting them on their clothes, hair, or something they did that was positive.  I’m not perfect with this, having 100+ students per class, but I try to greet the classes with a smile, help tie shoelaces, give high-fives, and accommodate them as best as I can.  Also, learn the student’s names.  It’s really difficult to learn 1000 or so names, and I don’t have them all memorized (especially the kinders!), but I work hard to remember names, as it’s extremely important to the children to know you care. All students deserve a quality PE experience, and you never know what some of them go home to.  We need to be their light and structure because quite often they don’t have that after 3 pm.
2. Focus on niches: You won’t believe this, but at Disney Springs there’s a shop for left-handed people!  My son went over to the outdoor store and wanted something there, but I told him he was a righty so we needed to move on.  Now that’s a niche!  Why would a store do that?  I think with millions of people going there each year, it’s probably a good bet that either left handed people or their relatives find some unique gifts to buy from them.  PE application:  Find your “Niche”.  I can’t do every cool thing or use every new app that’s out there, and trust me I want to, but I have to focus and play to my strengths.  I can complain all day long about having 120 students in 95 degree Florida weather outside, but I’ve come to embrace it and do the best I can for them.  My niche is getting a lot of kids moving, learning and having fun at the same time!  I love SOLO Taxonomy, cooperative learning portfolios (sportfolios), TGFU, sport education units and many other teaching methods, but I can’t do it all, and I don’t have enough devices (or Wifi available) to make all these things happen.  So instead, I blend them and mix them into my program.  For instance, every spring we have a sport ed. tchoukball tournament with our 5th graders.  It’s an incredible experience, and our final game is held inside our cafeteria, which we turn into a stadium complete with loud music and capacity seating! I wish we had the time, smaller groups and resources to do this all year with 3rd and 4th graders as well, but it’s just too difficult.  But we make it work and it’s an experience the 5th graders cherish and the 4th graders can’t wait until it’s their turn!

3. ---

   Cleanliness: It’s rare to see garbage on the ground at any Disney park.  Not only do castmembers constantly walk around picking things up, but I’ve read that touch-up painting occurs nightly on Main Street and other places in the parks. PE application: Make sure the students have a nice, clean, organized PE environment.  I will sweep the pavilion or ask our custodians to use their leaf blower to get the debris off our cement where the students come in and sit.  Also, organize stations and equipment so the class can easily flow from one station to another.  It’s the little things that make a big difference sometimes.

4. Something for everyone: So I know #2 contradicts this, but at Disney Springs, along with the left-handed store, there was music playing at every corner on that Friday night.  There were rap-battles, country music singers, djs, jazz, pop singers…you name it, it was covered!  If you liked music, you could find your style.  PE application: Give the students choices.  Have something for everyone.  I don’t always give 6 classes choices every day, but on Fun Friday, students are given a lot of choices, ranging from Pillow Polo (a cross between hockey and soccer), jump roping, hula hooping, basketball, paddle ball, 4 square, and many others.  Let them explore new things, but give them a chance to do what they enjoy.

All in all, my time at Disney was fantastic! We had a lot of fun as a family, but I’m always looking for ways to improve our PE class for my students.  They deserve the best, so let’s give it to them!

Be Like Robert Plant

 

I love Led Zeppelin!!! The loud anthems.  The mystique.  Jimmy Page’s guitar solos.  John Bonham’s pounding drums.  And, of course, Robert Plant’s high pitch squeals.  I didn’t start to enjoy their music until after 1980 when Bonham tragically died, so I never saw them in concert or experienced their magic.  To make up for it, I’ve watched every video and documentary I could find, devoured at least 5 books about them, and listened to every song they’ve ever played (to my knowledge).  My favorite song is “Going to California”, in case you were wondering.

The band reunited for Live Aid, and sounded as good as they could for not practicing much and the size of the stadium (and quality of my rabbit-eared television!).  Then that was it for a long time except for little projects here and there.  Even though there were always rumors of them getting back together, Plant had moved on.  His solo career had begun.

Then in 2007, they played the O2 in London for a one day event with Bonham’s son, Jason taking his dad’s place on the drums, and the magic was back!  Sure Robert Plant’s voice had matured a lot and he didn’t even try his signature high pitch notes, but they looked like they were making a comeback.  The show sold out in a minute.  Millions of people tried to get tickets to their show that held thousands of people.  I was hopeful.

But it was not to be.  I read an article in a magazine a while back.  In it, Plant said he was in Led Zeppelin from when he was 19-32 years of age.  Then, as a 32 year old, he wanted to move on to something else.  He said that the band was only a small part of his early life….Are you kidding me??  A small part??  They were one of the greatest bands ever and he thought Led Zeppelin was a mere stopping point on his full journey as an artist?  So, as promised, he moved on.  He was and still is a successful solo artist, as well as heading up the Band Of Joy and collaborating with Allison Krauss.  He even won a Grammy.  But he said that Led Zep was just another part of his life, when he was younger, and he didn’t want to be like the Rolling Stones: 65 years old and running around on stage like when he was in his 20’s.  To him, LZ was in the past.  His bandmates tried to get him to do one more tour, one last time for the fans (and a lot of $$$!).  They reportedly were offered $200 million!!!  How could he turn that down? I told my wife, who doesn’t like them at all, that I would pay anything and go anywhere to see them one time.  Lucky for her and our bank account, this probably won’t happen!

This got me thinking and rereading some of Plant’s reasons for not putting one of the greatest rock bands ever back together.  He said things like ,”I’ve got to keep moving”, and “You have to be creative and imaginative and move on”, to “I don’t know the guy who sang in Led Zeppelin (anymore)”.

What am I getting at?  Integrity. Passion.  Keep moving.  Keep innovating.  Change and evolve.  These ideas are not just words on paper.  They are anthems as big as “Stairway to Heaven”.

How does this apply to a physical education teacher?  First I’d say stick to your guns.  If you’re doing what is best for students, keep doing it.  There have been many times I’ve been questioned as to my methods and wacky ideas, but I knew it was right.  I knew my kids better than anyone if it was the best game, idea, project, or guest speaker for them.

Next, keep moving forward.  I actually feel bad for Jimmy Page of Zeppelin.  He never let go of the Led Zeppelin legacy.  As successful as he’s been, he is constantly remastering and changing the Zeppelin songs.  It doesn’t seem like he does much else.  It’s all he’s ever quoted about in interviews. He’s over 70 years old and holding on to his past. Plant has a new CD out and is going back on tour this year. Don’t teach the same thing for 20 years and call it a career.  This is my 7th year teaching PE and I’ll admit years 1 and 2 weren’t great.  Then I got on Twitter and Voxer and started having amazing conversations with educators all over the world!  Research new ideas, games and methods.  Put in the work and be honest with yourself.  Are you doing the best you can for your students?  I’ve always said being a PE teacher is easy; being a great PE teacher isn’t.

Finally, Go Big!  Led Zeppelin entered the rock scene and showed the world a sound that had never been heard before.  No one sounded louder, put on a more sensational show, and changed music the way they had.  Be different.  Be creative.  Keep innovating.  And stay the course, no matter what the critics say.  Robert would approve.