SHAPE America

OCTOBER 3, 2023

When a school is celebrating a sports championship, they often go big: rallies, trophies, and loud cheers all around. During Health Literacy Month this October, it’s a good time to ask: What if we celebrated health literacy like we celebrate sports? What if the entire school and community applauded students for developing the skills, knowledge, and attitudes necessary to be health-literate individuals ?

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SHAPE America

SEPTEMBER 26, 2023

October is Health Literacy Month, and the team at Ask, Listen, Learn is excited to collaborate with SHAPE America to share free resources to aid in starting conversations with your students about the importance of saying “NO” to underage drinking and empowering them in making informed, healthy choices. Please plan to join the Ask, Listen, Learn team and SHAPE America on Thursday, October 26, 2023, at 7 p.m. for a webinar — Prevention Education is Health Literacy — to celebrate Health Literacy Mo

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SHAPE America

SEPTEMBER 12, 2023

“Prepare for battle at the plate, be mentally and physically sound to succeed.” Even without a history of military service, my father loved to incorporate military doctrine into my athletic training. “The only easy day was yesterday,” he would tell me during softball practices. These phrases, alongside plenty of other military jargon, were ones I heard frequently as he molded me into a sound softball athlete.

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SHAPE America

AUGUST 2, 2023

What do your students need? How do you know what to teach in your physical education classes? If you often find yourself wondering or asking in an online community what you should do in PE this week or next week or how to start, then you picked the right article to read. Let me tell you a little bit about me. I am a National Board Certified elementary physical education teacher with more than 13 years of experience.

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SHAPE America

AUGUST 1, 2023

Occam’s Razor — Search for the answer with the simplest and smallest set of elements to solve the problem at hand. Attendance is possibly the easiest and best way to ensure program success. For those in PE, you’re probably already required to track or record attendance, but is attendance being shown for anything more than just a headcount? In this, I hope to spark some ideas that will lead to changing conversations with admin, parents, students, or whoever the stakeholders are!

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SHAPE America

JULY 27, 2023

Educators feel the pressure all around them. As a principal, I certainly do as well. Whether it be addressing the learning loss many students experienced from these past few years, the pressures of high stakes testing, or the host of new policies and regulations that have surfaced, new initiatives are competing for limited instructional time. This leaves educators feeling overwhelmed and frustrated, searching for something to take off their plates.

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Wellness Health Schooling Elementary School 410

SHAPE America

JULY 25, 2023

“There are more skills and content than I can cover. How do I decide what to teach?” The question above is one I am often asked as the person responsible for health and adapted/physical education in Oregon’s Portland Public Schools (PPS). And it is a fair question. PPS provides more health education than many school districts in the United States. Students in our district receive health education every year in grades K-8 along with two required semesters in high school, with daily lessons/classe

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SHAPE America

JUNE 20, 2023

As educators, we must always be reflecting on and working toward supporting all of our students, including marginalized youth who may face additional barriers and challenges in and outside of school. However, months of recognition — such as Pride Month — provide an opportunity for us to intentionally take time to celebrate and commemorate lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender pride and to consider actions we can take to support LGBTQ+ youth and the broader LQBTQ+ community.

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SHAPE America

JUNE 15, 2023

Let’s face it. There are a lot of differing views in the world today. When I came into education, I wanted to be a mentor and give students the chance to have one more teacher who looked like them (multicultural, curly hair, etc.). I still believe students are looking for a sense of connection and belonging in school. We heard it all during the COVID-19 pandemic: “ Maslow before Bloom.

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SHAPE America

MAY 23, 2023

As an elementary physical education teacher in the Bronx, NY, I’m always looking for ways to stretch my PE budget and introduce my students to new physical activities. Over the last few years, I have won quite a few grants. They really have made a difference for my students. Here are some examples of the types of grants I’ve received, along with my advice on how you might find similar grants for your physical education classes.

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Physical Education Education Education Elementary 345

SHAPE America

APRIL 20, 2023

National PE & Sport Week (May 1-7) is just about here. And with the celebration of healthy lifestyles, active minds and bodies, let’s reflect on the importance of physical education and sports. SHAPE America’s National PE & Sport Week allows us to showcase, promote, advocate, and show off our best ideas. We also have the excitement of the spring weather that has graced us with its presence.

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Physical Activity PE Sports Sports 431

SHAPE America

APRIL 18, 2023

SHAPE America’s National Physical Education & Sport Week (May 1-7) is a celebration of the importance of physical education and sport in the lives of kids of all ages. The week also serves as the kickoff to National Physical Fitness and Sports Month. Every May, we celebrate physical educators and coaches — the “champions” who help kids gain the confidence, competence, and motivation to be physically active in school, before and after school, and for the rest of their lives.

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SHAPE America

MARCH 23, 2023

On February 15, 2023, more than 130 dedicated health and physical education professionals from 33 states attended SHAPE America’s SPEAK Out! Day on Capitol Hill. At this annual event, members of the HPE community meet with representatives of Congress to advocate for continued support and robust funding for health and physical education. After attending SPEAK Out!

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Health PE Physical Education Government 409

SHAPE America

MARCH 21, 2023

As a physical educator in northern Minnesota, I have to be prepared for long winters with lots of snow! Because I still want my students to get outside for fresh air and some natural vitamin D, I’ve gotten creative with one of my favorite units, which focuses on a standards-based approach with teaching opportunities in social and emotional learning.

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Elementary PE Creativity Physical Education 373

SHAPE America

MARCH 16, 2023

Every single day, youth—like all people—make choices that affect their health, including the use of tobacco, alcohol, cannabis, and other drugs. It is critical to support youth in making informed, health-promoting choices. Educators play a critical role in helping youth develop the fundamental health literacy skills that will support their health and well-being throughout their lives.

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SHAPE America

MARCH 14, 2023

We teach at the Ancona School, a small, progressive elementary school in the Hyde Park area of Chicago’s South Side. Each year, our school’s Gone Fishin’ trip combines physical education with outdoor recreation. However, while fishing provides a pretext for this annual outing, the real goal is to give students an immersive opportunity for exploration and skill development in a natural setting.

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Recreation Physical Education Education Education 404

SHAPE America

FEBRUARY 21, 2023

Vaping nicotine can sideline young athletes. You can help keep them in the game. The Price of Vaping Nicotine Logan was a young athlete who started vaping. After a few months, she felt so bad she didn’t want to leave her house. Isaak was a football player with dreams of competing in college, but vaping made him feel like he was going to have a heart attack.

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SHAPE America

FEBRUARY 3, 2023

Each year, SHAPE America members vote for candidates to the SHAPE America Board of Directors, which is the organization’s governing body composed of 11 professional members. SHAPE America serves as the voice for 200,000+ health and physical education professionals across the United States, and the organization is committed to diverse leadership on its Board.

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Physical Education Education Education Health 427

SHAPE America

DECEMBER 13, 2022

Holidays can be fun, but stressful. You can help make sure teens get through the season and all year long in a healthy way. Holidays Are a Time of Cheer (and Sometimes Stress). For many Americans, the holiday season is a time of celebration, rest, and good food. Vacations from school and work spent with family and friends are a mainstay. After a busy year, taking downtime to relax and reflect is important and well-deserved.

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Exercise Health Teacher Education 364

SHAPE America

NOVEMBER 3, 2022

The “fastest game on two feet” … baggataway … the creator’s game. No matter how you refer to it, lacrosse is a great game to teach your students in physical education class! SHAPE America and USA Lacrosse recently collaborated on an updated, comprehensive physical education lacrosse curriculum. This “Lacrosse in Schools” curriculum will serve as a great resource for K-12 health and physical education teachers, whether you are: Brand new to the game and looking to add a new activity to your PE cl

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SHAPE America

OCTOBER 17, 2022

Helping Students Avoid Vaping and Nicotine Addiction. As educators, you know that National Health Education Week is a good time to focus on issues that affect the health of our nation’s youth. One important concern is the threat that vaping nicotine poses to middle and high school students. Vaping can put students at risk for nicotine addiction, harm developing brains, and influence their performance at school.

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SHAPE America

SEPTEMBER 21, 2022

Gaining National Recognition status for your physical education teacher education (PETE) and/or health education teacher education (HETE) program begins with accreditation, which is a review of the quality of your educator preparation program(s). Here are three of the more popular paths to accreditation in the higher education setting (requirements are based on your state and university): State-specific accreditation AAQEP (Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation) CAEP (Council

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Assessment Health Education Physical Education Coordination 375

SHAPE America

AUGUST 11, 2022

When I meet higher ed colleagues from other PETE programs at conferences and other events, our conversations often turn to issues we are facing with our students. What I’ve learned from these conversations is that even though our PETE programs may be different, our students are almost all struggling with the same issue — their professional transition from students to teachers.

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Physical Education Teacher Health Education 410

SHAPE America

AUGUST 4, 2022

Are you losing your gym space for a class period, a day, a week or longer? It’s not unusual. At some point, most physical education teachers have had to give up the gym for a concert, rehearsal, assembly, construction, or other school/community activity. And, although teaching PE without a gym is not ideal, it is possible. I once taught physical education classes outside — in Minnesota — for a full school year (and a month into the next year) when our gymnasium was being renovated.

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Gyms Physical Education Teaching Teaching 538

SHAPE America

FEBRUARY 17, 2022

Each year in February, we celebrate Black History Month to recognize and pay homage to the contributions made by Black Americans throughout history. This year’s theme, according to the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH), is Black Health and Wellness, which ties into the content areas of health and physical education.

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Physical Education Health Education Education 221

SHAPE America

FEBRUARY 22, 2022

If you were to travel across the United States asking schools how they approach health education, you’d get a VERY wide range of responses. Some schools avoid the topic altogether. Some stress strict “Just Say No”-style messages. Others use a more comprehensive approach, emphasizing skills and decision making in class. Some schools even host teen clinics right on campus.

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Health Sex Ed Health Education Schooling 221

SHAPE America

MARCH 24, 2022

Whoosh! A flying disc soars through the air and makes its way to the target — right between the hands of the fourth-grade student, who then smiles at their perfectly executed clap catch. “Great catch!” exclaims the student who threw the disc, looking pleased as well. Their backhand is coming along. Across the field another disc flies through the air, this time to a moving target.

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Physical Education PE Elementary Movement 221

SHAPE America

MAY 19, 2022

After high school, I went to Penn State University to major in health and physical education. While the university had a varsity men’s soccer team, women’s soccer still only had a club team, which I participated on. We played a mostly varsity team schedule and followed the rules of the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW), which governed women’s collegiate athletics at that time.

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Government Motivation Coaching High School 221

SHAPE America

MAY 24, 2022

I have always loved sports and participated in them my whole life. But looking back, it’s clear that my generation did not have the opportunities and benefits that exist today for female athletes at all levels. Growing up in New York City, I was a Brooklyn Dodgers fan. I watched the games on TV, listened on the radio, and even went to the stadium a few times.

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Coaching Recreation High School Physical Education 221

SHAPE America

MAY 31, 2022

In the fall of 1971 — less than a year before Title IX was passed — I was hired to head the Department of Physical Education at Kansas State University (K-State). I was charged with combining the men’s and women’s departments, supervising the planning and construction of a building, overseeing the revision of the curriculum for physical education (PE) majors and the required PE program, developing research and instructional laboratories, and instituting faculty research programs.

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Academics Physical Education Coaching Sports 221

SHAPE America

JUNE 2, 2022

I was a first grader when Title IX became law in 1972. I am young enough to have benefited from it and old enough to be aware of having benefited from it. My dad was a soccer player in high school and helped found a rec league in our community in East Hampton, CT, which my brother and I both played in. When I started middle school, there was no girls soccer team, and it didn’t occur to me that I wouldn’t be allowed to try out for the boys team — so I did.

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SHAPE America

JUNE 7, 2022

As I think of Title IX, I am, to a great degree, filled with emotion. I’ve attempted to process, over the years, what has occurred since its passage but have never put my thoughts down in writing. For me, Title IX was something I did not fully understand as a young girl. I had loved sports from as early as I can remember. I grew up in a small Illinois town just east of St.

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SHAPE America

JUNE 8, 2022

I started high school in 1973 — just one year after Title IX went into effect. Growing up, I really had no idea that there were inequities when it came to girls and boys sports. However, looking back now it is very clear. Here are just a few of the differences that were firmly in place while I was growing up: Organized sports for boys (Little League, CYO, etc.) started at least two years earlier than for girls.

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Elementary High School Physical Education PE Teacher 221

SHAPE America

JUNE 23, 2022

Despite recent attention to the needs of Black youth, their perspectives are still noticeably absent from physical education in a way that fully encapsulates the full spectrum of their experiences. In our recently published book Critical Race Studies in Physical Education , we decided to shed light on issues that could undermine the ability of Black youth to have positive physical education experiences.

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