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Category Archives: social

The Year We Stopped Pretending

Llewshelf

I’ve been teaching PE for twenty-three years.  I’ve seen and survived a lot of things, just as my students have.  The last five years have been particularly trying, both personally and professionally, culminating in a 2025 that rocked me to… Read more ›

May 05, 2025
Christine
accept, anxiety, assessment, awareness, community, connection, cooperation, creativity, developmental, environment, learning, love, Mental, motivation, observe, perspective, physical education, planning, play, problem solving, relationships, school system, self-acceptance, social, teaching

Kids, Coaching, & the Issue Underneath It All

Kidsports

I always feel so sad when I watch the evolution of what youth ‘training’ has become.  Led by adults who have forgotten/lost/never-had-the-chance-to play, we are applauding the work our kids do.  We reward effort and discipline instead of creativity and… Read more ›

Dec 11, 2024
Christine
community, confidence, connection, cooperation, creativity, developmental, environment, learning, Mental, motivation, observe, perspective, physical education, play, privilege, problem solving, relationships, school system, self-acceptance, social, teaching

When You Don’t Like to Practice

Ai

The PE class I created was carefully called Games & Practice.  The goal is to develop skills and then utilize those skills in a larger, faster context.  Sometimes this means adding people, sometimes this means creating a more complex task,… Read more ›

Apr 27, 2024
Christine
anxiety, assessment, awareness, community, concepts, confidence, connection, cooperation, creativity, environment, goals, identity, learning, Mental, motivation, motor control, observe, perspective, physical education, play, problem solving, relationships, school system, social, teaching

How to Cultivate Autonomy (Part 2)

Oldauto

Part One of this series looked at working with youth.   My Dad is going to turn 78 this year.  He is someone that I love and that I know loves me.  Sometimes a close relationship can get in the… Read more ›

Apr 21, 2024
Christine
community, confidence, creativity, developmental, environment, goals, identity, learning, Mental, motivation, parents, perspective, problem solving, relationships, social

How to Cultivate Autonomy (Part 1)

Autonomy

Whether you know what to do or don’t know what to do, these behaviors have been learned (and taught).  The environment one finds themselves in caters to these patterns, and is socially accepted (and encouraged).  Our habits define who we… Read more ›

Apr 21, 2024
Christine
anxiety, awareness, community, confidence, developmental, environment, goals, learning, Mental, motivation, observe, parents, perspective, physical education, planning, play, problem solving, relationships, school system, social, teaching

Reflections (2024)

Reflect

I usually write these up at the school year’s end.  But with nine weeks left in the semester, it seems pertinent to bring to light some things I have realized and have been chewing on for some time.  (If you… Read more ›

Apr 17, 2024
Christine
assessment, community, connection, creativity, environment, identity, learning, Mental, perspective, physical education, play, problem solving, relationships, school system, social, teaching

How Much is Enough?

London Scaffolding 7387256 1280

  At the very beginning of the pandemic, I posted and article that asked, “How does one know what to do?”  In it, I used the example of Kevin McCallister (via Home Alone)  mimicking ‘adulting’ after his initial indulgence into… Read more ›

Mar 20, 2024
Christine
community, concepts, confidence, connection, cooperation, creativity, developmental, environment, identity, learning, love, Mental, motivation, parents, perspective, physical education, planning, play, privilege, problem solving, relationships, social, teaching

A VERY Brief Review of the Biomechanics Movement Summit

20240115 163113

At its core, this get together was a homage to Adarian Barr.  It was about curious and capable mortals grasping at genius, and that genius laying out his latest findings and figurings in a simple yet thorough process of feeling and… Read more ›

Jan 21, 2024
Christine
Adarian Barr, community, concepts, confidence, connection, cooperation, creativity, learning, Mental, play, pullups, social, teaching, tibia, toes, workshop

Kids & Able-Bodied

Pe

There is an assumption that young people are able-bodied.  It is the gift of youth, the privilege of being newer to this world designed to break you down.  It has become incredibly apparent, though, particularly in this last semester, that… Read more ›

Jun 15, 2023
Christine
anxiety, awareness, community, confidence, connection, cooperation, depression, developmental, environment, Mental, motivation, perspective, physical education, play, problem solving, school system, social, teaching

Every Day Begins with Laundry

Washer

Habits and attitudes.  At its core, this is what teaching comes down to.  Do you know how to break them?  Do you know how to build them?  How do you feel about the things you do every day?  Are they… Read more ›

Jun 09, 2023
Christine
cooperation, environment, goals, learning, motivation, perspective, physical education, planning, play, relationships, school system, social, teaching

Architecture of a Body-Centric PE Lesson (Part 1)

Hand

When planning a lesson that is skills based, you must account for multiple points of entry.  In public education, everybody and every body must be able to find some success.  You also must be able to do what you are… Read more ›

Feb 11, 2023
Christine
community, concepts, confidence, creativity, environment, hands, learning, Mental, motor control, perspective, physical education, play, problem solving, school system, self-acceptance, social, stability, technique, tempo, wrists

A Perceived Philosophical Conflict

Fence

I am the only female in my high school PE department.  It’s been this way for 20 years.  The one time another female came in she tried to out-alpha the football coach and got removed from teaching PE and placed… Read more ›

Dec 01, 2022
Christine
community, concepts, confidence, connection, cooperation, environment, identity, learning, Mental, observe, perspective, physical education, planning, problem solving, relationships, school system, social, teaching

The Conundrum of Community

Comm

To belong implies a selection was made.  There was a choice and options.  In my rugby years, making the Select Side was a sign of being elite.  You were one of the best in your region.  You were chosen from… Read more ›

Aug 26, 2022
Christine
community, connection, cooperation, developmental, environment, learning, love, Mental, motivation, perspective, physical education, planning, play, relationships, school system, social

Students & the System

Bus

Amongst other things, COVID-19 revealed how fragile the American educational system is, and how unadaptable it is to changing and evolving times.  Designed to churn out compliant workers, it conflicts with the world around them — a burgeoning economy of… Read more ›

Jul 05, 2022
Christine
anxiety, awareness, community, confidence, connection, depression, developmental, environment, learning, love, Mental, motivation, pain, perspective, physical education, play, problem solving, relationships, school system, social

Relationships, Part Four: Peers

Betsyinception

  Part Four in a four-part series of relational examinations.   Part One: Parents Part Two: Pets Part Three: Students   The definition of peer that I most relate to is “looking at”.  The people who were supposed to be ‘like… Read more ›

May 27, 2022
Christine
awareness, community, confidence, connection, cooperation, creativity, environment, identity, Mental, perspective, relationships, social

Relationships, Part 3: Students

Stf

Part Three in a four-part series of relational examinations.   Part One: Parents Part Two: Pets   I never had any aspirations to be a teacher.  I’d planned on becoming a physical therapist, but when it became clear that the training… Read more ›

May 25, 2022
Christine
community, connection, cooperation, creativity, developmental, environment, identity, love, Mental, motivation, physical education, play, relationships, school system, social

Relationships, Part 2: Pets

Baijail

Part Two in a four-part series of relational examinations.   Part One: Parents   I can think of no purer love than that of a dog for its person.  They just want to be with, and play, and interact, and protect,… Read more ›

May 09, 2022
Christine
accept, anxiety, awareness, connection, cooperation, love, Mental, perspective, play, relationships, social

PE as the Incubator of Risk

Peface2

Physical Education classes have gotten bigger over the course of the pandemic.  The powers that be have knowingly placed too many kids within too small an area.  Like athletics, it seems to have a separate set of rules that allow… Read more ›

Feb 22, 2022
Christine
anxiety, connection, cooperation, depression, environment, identity, learning, motivation, perspective, physical education, play, school system, social

What is a Class?

Class

This is a question that requires more probing questions.  Must there be a unifying variable of sameness?  If so, what is it?  The age of the people?  The thematic subject?  What actions are expected?  How about the time of day? … Read more ›

Nov 14, 2021
Christine
community, confidence, cooperation, depression, environment, goals, identity, learning, Mental, motivation, physical education, play, social

Meaning, Behavior, & the Social Element

Stop

This piece serves as a follow up to “The Problem with Meaningful Phys Ed“.   Amidst a pandemic, the question that kept driving what we did and how we did it was, “What matters?”  Weirdly, and almost embarrassingly, this did… Read more ›

Jun 29, 2021
Christine
community, concepts, environment, learning, motivation, perspective, physical education, play, social

Lessons from an Ice Storm

Ice

About 9p, while I was more than halfway to sleep, the power went out.  I didn’t think much of it.  It goes out every now and then, and it always comes back on within reason.  When I woke, I peeked… Read more ›

Feb 19, 2021
Christine
anxiety, community, cooperation, creativity, learning, perspective, privilege, problem solving, social

The Future of a Social Ghost (part 3)

Ghostpizza

Part One.  Part Two.   At a friend’s 40th birthday party, a question was asked of the four ladies in attendance.  “If you had 72 hours left to live, how would you spend it?”  I immediately knew my answer, but… Read more ›

Jan 24, 2021
Christine
community, connection, cooperation, identity, Mental, perspective, social

The Findings of a Social Ghost (part 2)

Ghosttree

[Part One can be found here.] “The Ghost’s of Chris’s Present”   Individuals are my jam.  They are complex in a singular way.  It is easy to give them my undivided attention.  It is easy to gather data points.  Instead… Read more ›

Jan 21, 2021
Christine
anxiety, awareness, community, confidence, connection, cooperation, environment, identity, learning, Mental, motivation, perspective, social

The Makings of a Social Ghost (part 1)

Ghostmirr

Alternative title, “The Ghost of Chris’s Past”   [Part One of a three part series to help me better understand and create community.] Being social has always been a function of sports.  Teammates congregated for practice and games.  I wanted… Read more ›

Jan 11, 2021
Christine
anxiety, community, confidence, connection, cooperation, environment, identity, Mental, motivation, play, social

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