The Meaningful Podcast Experience (MPE)

Ep. 5 - Hashtags, Connections and Evolution of Practice w/ Andy Milne & Megaera Regan

• Ty and Doug • Season 1 • Episode 5

Share episode

Send us a text

Episode FIVE introduces Andy Milne and Megaera Regan, two outstanding Physical Educators from the United States. In this episode, we discuss the interest in Meaningful PE through their engagement in online discussions through social media, reflective practice, the new SHAPE America standards and as usual, we conclude the episode with some great advice from our guests. 

Andy Milne has been a health and physical educator for the past 29 years and currently teaches in Illinois. He has been recognized for his innovative use of technology in the classroom and in 2017 was named SHAPE America National Health Education Teacher of the Year. Andy runs the #slowchathealth blog site that seeks to amplify the voice of health and physical education teachers across the globe. 

Megaera Regan is a retired physical education teacher from the Port Washington School District in Long Island, New York. Megaera is the 2020 SHAPE America PE Elementary Teacher of the Year and 2018 New York State AHPERD (NYSAHPERD) Elementary PE Teacher of the Year. Currently, Megaera works with future PE professionals through Southern Connecticut State University. 

Links from Episode

Thanks to Isaiah Gleddie for the guitar pieces, SSHRC for some funding and our guests for sharing!

Douglas Gleddie:

All right, welcome to the meaningful podcast experience. Ty and I are here today with Andy Milne and Megara Regan, who I was, both of whom I was fortunate to meet at the New York aford conference back in November of 2023 which was really great. But just to get us started, let's have you each introduce yourselves and Megara Goddess of which, what are you? Goddess of? Again, possibly

Megaera Regan:

insanity,

Douglas Gleddie:

possibly insanity. Okay,

Megaera Regan:

okay, so my name is Megaera Regan. I am retired. I'm a retired elementary physical education teacher. I taught for 31 years on Long Island Port Washington, New York, and prior to that, all in the same school district. Prior to that, I worked as a leave replacement at the Lexington School for the Deaf in Queens, and before that, I was a paraprofessional with the New York City Department of Education working with autistic children and adults. And I'm now living in Connecticut, and I'm currently supervising student teachers from southern Connecticut State University, and just kind of keeping myself busy doing presentations and going to conferences.

Douglas Gleddie:

That's great. Thanks for being here. Andy over to you.

Andy Milne:

Yeah, hi. I'm Andy Milne, originally from London, England, but now teaching in the northwest suburbs of Chicago. This is my 29th year. I did 12 years of as being a PE teacher in London, and then bumped into an American go on a bar and one thing led to another. Now I'm over here in the States, teaching at a wonderfully resourced school alongside some phenomenal educators and awesome kids. It's 4000 students over two campuses, and I'm very, very privileged not only to work there, but to be here tonight with three educators who I remind admire a lot. Thank you.

Douglas Gleddie:

Yeah, thanks for being here as well. Andy, I need to hear more about that bar story sometime those chance encounters are always interesting. But well, maybe we'll get to that, or maybe we won't. Probably not. Andy, I'm going to start with you. You've been running the hashtag slow chat, health, Book Club chat, for quite some time, and recently, and I can't remember exactly when, sometime in the fall of 2020, of 2023 you featured the meaningful Physical Education book, which was edited by Tim Deirdre Steph and myself. What have been some key takeaways from that, that chat?

Andy Milne:

So yeah, the blog post has been rolled. The blog site has been running for about 9, and a half years now, and the Book of the Month kind of grew out of that. And it made sense to make such a popular book one of the selections it would appear, or it appeared on on my social media feed, that so many educators were either reading it or really eager to just be involved in a conversation. Twitter or x, as it's become, is a difficult space. It's changed a great deal, but it was an it was an opportunity to maybe put a series of questions out per chapter and just see where the conversation went. For me, it showed me that there's a number of teachers out there who want to get involved in the conversation and maybe aren't actually embrace or using the features of meaningful PE in the classroom just yet, but it was an opportunity for me to look inside people's classrooms, to see that magera And will Westfall were doing it at an elementary level, and then to see Christy Malley and others pushing it in a college level, and looking at that whole, that whole range In between off the back of that, I created a list of educators who are using hashtag meaningful PE on Twitter, so now I can dip into their feeds and just see what ideas they're sharing. And then, out of that, I was fortunate enough to be involved in a presentation at shape America, and there are now future presentations down the road. I think, just as a result of putting myself out there and creating a space for teachers to engage in dialog, I'm seen as a bit of a facilitator now, and I'm quite happy to play that role. And

Douglas Gleddie:

didn't, was it you ended that for the last shape America national conference. Didn't did you create a list of all the presenters that were featuring meaningful PE? I

Andy Milne:

did, and it was, it was the hot topic, and my understanding is that there are more lined up for shape Baltimore early next year.

Douglas Gleddie:

Yeah, that's fantastic, and it's great that you took the initiative just to pull those different threads together. For people to take a look. Because I've, you know, I've been at a few different shape national conferences in the I mean, the the schedule and the book of abstracts is enormous, and it's very hard to pick your session. So something like that is, is super helpful. Just to follow up a little bit with that. Would you would you change anything about that book chat? Would you recommend any recommendations for others that are looking to do something I just on a side note, I did during part of during COVID, I did a book chat just with two teachers at a local school because we were going to do some research, and then we couldn't. So we we just met with the three of us once a month and talked about each chapter, and I just it was great for me, because I just got that inside view from a couple of teachers. But yeah, just wondering any, you know, any learnings, any changes that you would do.

Andy Milne:

I think it was my hope that the questions would be evergreen, and that anybody who was, you know, stumbling into meaningful PE would come across the questions that hasn't really happened, but I know that there have been additional book studies and book chats that have been shared. I think Kelly Zerby was doing something with with AD and then looking ahead to acknowledging that Twitter is changing. Jordan Manley and Jeff Bartley have put together the HPE collective, which is a new space for health and PE teachers to engage in professional development and conversation. So if you haven't already signed up for that, definitely put that on your phone, because I think that's going to be a new space where a more targeted audience can come together and share their ideas.

Douglas Gleddie:

Mm, hmm, yeah, I just saw that one the other day, so that's interesting. I have to check it out. Megaera, you did a similar, a similar chat with, I a third, right?

Megaera Regan:

I did. I did. How was that? It was great. It was, I mean, you know, the format was, was different because you you have that hour, you have your questions prepared, and then you have to respond. And I wasn't even sure if that was going to be my topic, and I bounced it off a few people, and they said, No, do meaningful PE that. I think that's, that's a, really, that's a that's a hot people are hungry for it. They want to know more about it. They want to take a dive into it and learn more about it. So it was, it was fast and furious. It was, it was exciting, but it was also I was like, on my keyboard, like a mad woman, trying to respond to everybody, and then going back hours later and trying to see who I could respond to. But what, what I came away with the most was just how enthusiastic and excited people are to understand this framework a little bit more and figure out how they can, how they can utilize it in their own programs and guide their own teaching. So, so that was my biggest takeaway, was just the enthusiasm from everybody that was involved in the chat. Yeah,

Douglas Gleddie:

there's, there's definitely an appetite for, well, I think for meaningfulness in our society in general, but certainly to look at the purpose of, you know, why are we teaching physical education at all? What's, what's the goal, what's the aim? And we have nice things, like in Alberta here our, you know, our program studies aim right now it's it's shifting, but it's basically knowledge, skills and attitudes to be physically active and healthy for life, which is a good goal. But that idea of embedding meaningfulness in there is something deeper that I think people are enjoying kind of well, finding their own sense of meaningfulness.

Ty Riddick:

It reminds me of Matt Dingwall from Brock University. Just had sent through his master's thesis, and he was talking, and it was all about, how does Twitter or x or social media, what role does that play in the uptake of innovative practice such as meaningful Zed? So a lot of these chats, blog posts and things, I think it's still a really great way to to connect people meaningful phys ed, as you mentioned, it's, I guess it still, would still qualify as new. I mean, it's been about, I think, seven, seven or eight years since Steph and the team published on the features of meaningful phys ed, and only a few since the democratic and reflective pedagogies. So I'm really curious you guys. I think if my math is correct, have 60 years of combined teaching. I'm really curious how, throughout as you came to meaningful Phys Ed, what was it about meaningful phys ed that really struck a chord with you, and from that kind of inception to now, how have things kind of changed for you, or your perspectives evolved over that time? And maybe, Andy, I'll go to you first.

Andy Milne:

So yeah, 29 years as a teacher, and it was, it was PE that brought me to the profession, physical education, was the only place that I was given any recognition. So I kind of stumbled into becoming a teacher, and realized that I enjoyed it. Once I moved to America, I was kind of cast as a hell. Specialist. So for the longest time, people have ever only known me as Carmel health, but I had, you know, the Phys Ed was like burning inside of me. I feel comfortable in a track suit, and I felt like I'd reached a point in my in my life, where I've got health done. I've got it down pat. I'm skills based health all the way I fully understand that framework, and I was looking for some meaningfulness in my own teaching, and for me to be 28 years into into the profession at the time, I needed a spark, and I needed I needed a passion. I needed to find that personal relevance for me. And I think although we often think of meaningful PE as the framework for our students, in so many ways, it's a framework for us as educators as well, because without fun and delight and a sense of competence and personal relevance, why am I even teaching what a horrible place to be as a teacher in terms of how has it changed? My 53 year old eyes were recently told that I need a new pair of glasses. And my understanding is when you get a new pair of glasses, you have to take time to get used to it. So seeing my my teaching through the lens of meaningful PE, I tried that lens on, you know, once or twice, you know, I tried it, tried it. It kind of worked, but I felt a bit uneasy, so I took that lens back off again. Now I think I'm used to seeing my teaching through the lens, and I can walk around with the lens of meaningful PE on at all times. So now I'm starting to make connections and realize just how intertwined all of those features are. And once I can realize that I can facilitate those conversations with my students, allow them to to see the how everything is really linked.

Ty Riddick:

Yeah, I think that's I'm trying to reflect on my experience as well. I think it's exactly what you said, like you put the glasses on, oh, that seems like a lot. And to try and change your whole frame of thinking and then, and all the pedagogy, the whole thing, and to try and tap it all at once can seem really daunting. So I think I always thought of like dipping my toe in. I would dip my toe in, take my foot out, and then later maybe be ready to go up to the knees, to go up to the thighs and so on.

Megaera Regan:

Well, I mean, I think mine is kind of almost a tragic story, because I did not find out about meaningful PE until after I had already retired from teaching at the elementary level. And when I first came across it, it was Jorge Rodriguez was doing a book study then, like a podcast, and so I got involved in that, and it was amazing. So it helped me focus on reading the book, because I prefer to listen than to read. So it kept me focused on that, and everything I read, and every conversation I had at that time, two months after I had retired, was like, Oh, can I go back and teach again? And I was like, no, but maybe I can still make this work. And it just resonated with me, everything about it, and when I reflected back on what I had been doing and how my own teaching over those 31 years had evolved, I was going in that direction. You know, I was definitely heading in that direction, but without that crystal clarity and without intention, it just was. I would find things that would work well if, if we allow the children to choose whether they want to play this game recreationally or competitively, you know. And so those little changes came throughout the course of my entire career, and I do regret that I never had a chance to actually try it out myself dip my toes in with my own students. So I'm hoping that I can give it to the to the students that I'm supervising, my student teachers, that those peat students and help them along that way, so they don't have to spend 31 years discovering what's already there.

Ty Riddick:

So this is a loaded question, and it's off script, but let's just say that we could play Hot Tub Time Machine and go back in time. What is something like with the knowledge you have now that you would do differently in your teaching?

Megaera Regan:

I would definitely have a lot more reflection involved with student. Reflection. I feel like I did focus on, on like we always made sure that when we had a new skill, the kids could choose their own challenge entry point. You know, that was just something that, that we did. So the challenge part, the social the features, I think, were pretty, pretty well established. I worked in a very diverse school, so I was constantly trying to find activities and and aspects of their lives and their cultures that would help bring relevance, personal relevance, to the students. But the reflection piece I really, I was very weak at, I did not do so I would, I would, for sure, add that in, and then just finding more ways to give the students a little bit more voice and choice. I

Ty Riddick:

actually segues beautifully into my question for Andy about reflective practice. Andy, as you mentioned, you were so much more than than Carmel health, although I will say, as a teacher who was looking for innovative ways to approach health, your blog was a bit of a godsend. So thank you for that. More recently, you've begun to. Share a bit more of the reflective strategies that you use to unpack meaningfulness for your students, which has been really enriching for me, as I'm sure it has for many educators, the back pocket question guide, the autobiography assignment that you start your year with, all of which we'll link in the show notes. But with reflective practice, I think sometimes people can feel a bit skeptical about it, as they see it as time away from physical activity, and depending on someone's philosophy, that can maybe be a hard pill to swallow. So I'm curious how your students have received these ideas, and what have you been doing with some of the data that you've been getting from these student reflections?

Andy Milne:

Yeah, it's been amazing how much interest there's been in me sharing the phys ed side of my of my personality while I was learning, it only made sense to share I'd seen so much text that had been written. I'd read the book, I'd seen theory, but I think people were craving stories from the chalkboard, so to share the things that had worked for me, and sometimes I just spit it all out. And if I went back and was to read the blog post, maybe I would change a few things. The cohort of students that I have, there's probably 45 on my roster, but I might only have 25 to 30 at any one time, because students are out, they're exempted from PE at my school when they're in season. So I've got a rotating group of individuals ranging from, and I've said this before, from d1 athletes, students who are going to go on, they know the next part of the journey. They know the next part of their story. To students who know that that their participation in competitive sport is going to stop at 18, they know they're not going to continue. So getting students to reflect on that and consider, how might they choose to move, how might they pursue their passions in college, is a really wonderful conversation to have. And then I've got students who haven't found the right way to move yet. They've probably been told that PE isn't their place, and it's the safest classroom for me, for them to be in is with me, where it's more collaborative and competitive. Students have received almost daily PE from K through 12, so they've had a lot of PE. So by the time my 1718, year olds come to me, they're probably craving something different. It's not the same stuff different day as as people have talked about. So they're very receptive to my ideas. I think they see me as a novelty, not only the accent, but just the things that I'm trying and sometimes in an 85 minute period, offering students the chance to go sit down and write a reflection for 15 minutes, they'll bite your hand off at that because, hey, we've been playing for a while now. You know, can we take a break and then maybe finish off with a walk around the track. So not only are my kids eager to kind of join in now that they know that I'm even quoting them in their in my blogs, they'll, they'll craft a response and say, have you read it yet? Have you read it yet? Because they they want to write something so fantastic that I can share it. So I think meaningful PE and meaningful reflection is very relevant, and it's very real. It's a real life, real life opportunity. And my yeah, like I said, my students are loving it. Thank you for the feedback, for the from the blog posts. I'll tell my students

Ty Riddick:

I knew a little bit about your school context, but now you listen to you dive deeper into it. So when you're whether it's reflection or working with meaningful phys ed, is it as the uptake as good with the the d1 athletes who maybe have already found things to be meaningful, as it is with the students who you described, maybe haven't always felt like Phys Ed is their place.

Andy Milne:

I think it is because I don't think my students have ever been given the opportunity to reflect. I don't think many teachers that they've had have had the opportunity to actually discover what works for them. And because the meaningful PE framework centers students, it is so student centered. It's like, it's like what McGuire said when I entered the profession teaching was something that I did to students. Now it's something that I do with students. And as a result of that, the relationships that we have allow me to craft their experience so that it's that just right moment. So yes, I'm going to say that it across the board. Maybe some students aren't great at writing, but what a wonderful way to assess a student. If I'm doing a bocce unit, I can't really grade a student on their bocce skills, not as a 1718, year old in three lessons of bocce, but I guess I can. I can ask them to consider what's the role of social interaction within a bocce experience, and and if we increase the challenge, and if we increase the competition, does that have some reflection on the amount of on the levels of fun that they have. When students start asking that, is, is competition fun? Well, you tell me, and then they write it, and then we learn so much.

Ty Riddick:

That's great. Thank you.

Douglas Gleddie:

Yeah, I love that. And coming from a semi pro bocce player, you know, it's there is a lot of meaningfulness in bocce. So. We played when we went camping, I actually split a bocce ball on a rock because I threw it over a bush and I anyways, another story. But What? What? What I'm really kind of picking up from your and and yours to me here and both of your discussions here, is that idea of creating a culture in your physical education, craft, in your work that is about. It is about not teaching to, but teaching with, but that culture of embedding some reflection like that takes a little bit of time to build, but it's no different than you know, I taught math for a couple of tragic years, and I feel sorry for those children that were in my math class, but we embedded a culture of mental math. We did. We did a little bit of mental math every day, and the kids finally were like, Yeah, we got to do this. And we did problem solving every day, and they that became part of the culture. So I think that reflection piece is there, and to have students reflect on where this fits in their life is so key. Years ago, at my first university I worked at, I used I was teaching an introduction, basically an introduction, to movement for children and youth, and I had students journaling, and the first question I asked them was, explain to me your past, present and future relationship with physical activity and the answers I got were so enlightening, like the kids that were like, well, I always thought of myself as a volleyball player, but since I had two ACL injuries, I don't know what I am anymore. And so you know, in your situation, there too Andy having that opportunity for students to reflect, not only gives them that internal self reflection piece, but allows you a glimpse into their thought processes too, which is really cool.

Andy Milne:

Can I jump in on that? So Ty, Ty referenced the autobio autobiographical assignment, but I also had students interview their parents and talk about the parents movement journey, and Mager has been part of that project by sharing a video response for my students. But to get the parents to share their journey, and what advice would they give their teenage child knowing that they're about to move on to college? That was so very, very powerful, and it's evident that many of my students look at their parents as role models, because they're still engaging within the community and staying young by playing pickleball and paddle and running marathons. And these are all things that my students haven't tried yet, but they know that that is another opportunity for them as they become older. Yeah,

Douglas Gleddie:

that's fantastic, and I'm gonna make a maybe a cheesy segue here, but I do think part of culture is curriculum, because we are mandated to teach curriculum. That's what we need to do, but it becomes part of our culture. So with shape America releasing standards last year that did heavily emphasize the language of meaningful physical education, and maybe I'll start with you, Mager, but have you seen a bit of a shift in in the work that you're doing, presenting at conferences and the questions that people are asking.

Megaera Regan:

I have not done any presentation since the new standards came out, but one of the first questions I asked my student teacher when I went in to observe him is, Are you are you using the new shape standards? And their answer was yes. So I was, I was pleased to hear that what, what I did notice, though, what through the process of when, when the standards were being revised, was that I was so excited to see that it was, it was coming from a meaningful PE lens, and it was very obvious that the people that worked on this task force were we're familiar with, with meaningful physical education, and I'd been struggling for years with with how kind of narrow and rigid a lot of a lot of the standards were in the past. And I was absolutely thrilled to see that now shape America is taking much more child centered approach and working in reflection, working in choice and rate, challenge levels, and working in all of those things that I think they're going to reach many, many more students and once the PE community gets more familiar with all of the reasons behind it, which I think some people aren't, and it will really it'll take off, and it's going to make a big difference, hopefully for our students lives. Yeah,

Douglas Gleddie:

and I think you know, because we are a profession, and that means that we should be constantly learning and growing, having that in the standards is a great start, but it also allows people to go, oh, that's in the standards. Maybe I should dive into this. Maybe I should check out a podcast or two, you know, maybe I should read a blog or maybe even a research paper or something. So, you know, that's really that's really good. And I know I was involved a little bit in the national. Standards here, and we definitely included that meaningfulness within the there's some of it in the health, actually, too, but mostly in the PE, which I think is helpful. Andy, any thoughts on that, on the shape America standards,

Andy Milne:

I think it takes the profession in a step towards modernizing. I think, I think PE has done some students a disservice in the past. I think I as a PE teacher, have done some students a disservice in the past. And I wonder if by imprinting this new language into the into the national standards, it will empower some younger teachers who strive to make change. It will make their job a little bit easier because they know that they've got the backing of the national organization behind them and and this is best practice, yeah, so almost a catalyst for innovation or or maybe permission.

Megaera Regan:

And I, I'm just jumping in. I'm sorry. I just feel that people, if they really think about themselves and their past and their history of where they're coming from, and their physical activity journeys, they'll see that this just makes sense. And if it makes sense for the grown ups, how can it not make sense for the kids? And you know, it used to be back in the very beginning. Well, why do we have to do this? Mrs. Regan, I'm like, oh, because I said so, you know. So that's that phrase is gone, that it's like, well, let's, let's, you know, let's think about it. What is it that you and then you have a conversation, and then the child has some voice, and it makes you think. So as a teacher, it's like, Well, why do we have to do this this way? Is there an alternative that works better for you, so that you will be happy with moving, and if that's what we want them to be, then I'm just very excited about what shape did with it coming out now. So sorry,

Douglas Gleddie:

no, that's great, and I'm gonna, I'm gonna pivot from there, and I'll keep on you Megaera For a moment. But I mean, it is still meaningful. PE is still relatively new. I mean, the the kind of, the the pivotal article from Benny at all is 2017 or, depending when you accessed it earlier, not 2018 but, you know, so it's not, it's not that long ago. So it's, it's still kind of a niche or a new pedagogical approach. So now that you've shifted into that phys ed teacher education, you're supervising student teachers, and you already mentioned an interaction the student teacher. But do you think there's some barriers that exist to having this idea of meaningfulness and PE become a little bit more widespread, apart from what you just said? Well, this is just the way you've always done

Megaera Regan:

it. I think, I think it's going to help that it's now really in the standards. So I think that the P programs are, they're, they're going to be looking at the standards, and they're going to, they're going to have to make some, I think, some changes or add this in now to their their curriculum, for their students. I think that's going to happen. I think it's going to take some time. I was talking with a couple of the professors, and they said, Yes, it's in the works, but it's still very new. But yes, we're aware, and we need to try to work it into the curriculum. For me, in my position, it's tricky, because my student teachers are so highly focused on, you know, the nuts and bolts of teaching, so I'm trying to kind of weave in a little bit here and a little bit there, but I think they need to have much more depth in their knowledge of PE before they step into student teaching. So I that's, I think going to be a challenge, right to have curriculums change and adapt that way? Yeah,

Douglas Gleddie:

and I wonder, like, when I just, I just did this lesson a week or two ago with my students about this overall planning, and we, we put on the whiteboard. First, we have them brainstorm their their best phys ed lesson ever in their mind and their worst, and then we put together what, what made it the best, and then what made it the worst, and can we flip it to a positive piece, or, as Dewey says, an educative piece? But then we put on the board from on one end, we have philosophy, and then we've got everything else, from managing the learning environment to planning to implementation, to organization, to how you treat students and everything else and and the point that I'm trying to make is, is those philosophical threads, if you if they really are part of who you are as a teacher, you're going to see those across everything. But that also, I think, takes time, just like you said, Miguel, just to get that so when you're planning, you're thinking and Andy, you use the lens, you know, metaphor, you know, you put on your meaningful PE lens. And as you're planning and go, How can I plan for this activity to lead towards meaning? It's not going to be meaningful for every kid, but to lead there. Andy, any extra. Thoughts to add,

Andy Milne:

I think to teach with meaning, means to care for students, and that means that you have to teach intentionally, and that means that we as a profession cannot have coaches rolling out the ball. There's no intention in that, and you really don't care about the students. You're just trying to get through the lesson. So it's very important that we continue to train and recruit and hire educators first, who also happen to be coaches. And regardless of who we hire, they have to be people that care for students and their growth.

Douglas Gleddie:

And I think too to add to that, how do you know you care for students and you're doing the best from if you're not a reflective practitioner yourself, right? So we talked about students being reflective and having time for reflection. But how do we as teachers carve time in the day for reflective practice and make sure we have that? Because that's super important

Ty Riddick:

as well. I'd really like you said Megaera about it has to, if it makes sense for adults, why doesn't it make sense for kids? And I think what really resonated with me when I first was, I love playing rugby, but I can then, if somebody asks, Why do you like rugby? So I don't like, you know, getting my head smashed in, like it's nothing to do with that, and it's not. I don't find something intrinsically meaningful about passing a ball backwards instead of forwards, but there's always something about rugby that kept bringing me back to it, and wasn't until the kind of this that I had read, some of this language of meaningfulness that like is all started to make it all started to click that I had now the the language to be able to explain some of those things. Andy want to ask a little bit about about health. One of the things that we discussed a little bit on the podcast is, yes, these are features of meaningful phys ed. This is a meaningful Physical Education framework. But how transferable is it? Is it transferable to other contexts, even mathematics, science, outdoor education, and you obviously have a neat, neat, unique perspective in in the health realm as well. So I'm wondering whether you see these ideas surrounding meaningfulness in a PE space as being transferable to a health ed context as well.

Andy Milne:

I think so. I often find myself asking, are math teachers having fun and are they? Are they? Are they making space for fun in their math classes? And if not, then how are the students surviving? I've always thought that meaningful PE was was good teaching, but as I said, it's good teaching with intention. When I look at social interaction, then that's anytime I offer group work or collaboration or discussions, and all of the things that students really crave in their health classroom, when I consider fun, well, really that's engaging pedagogy. That's me chunking and pacing my lessons to make sure that they're not too boring. Challenge. Well, skills based, health is all about. Challenge. I share the skill. We work on the skill, then you develop the skill, and it's practice, practice, practice, until you get the skill right, until you nail that that or you find that that just right. Challenge. Is it personally relevant? Well, of course, it is. Just like Coach teaches you the skills to prepare you for the game. I'm trying to teach you the skills to prepare you for the game of life. And when I say to parents, really, I'm just trying to allow your student to navigate the trials and tribulations of high school life, and beyond what parent wouldn't buy into my health lesson, motor competence, well, it's the skills you just keep practicing, practicing, practicing, until you can nail that skill and use it successfully when handed that drug of choice or handed that red solar cup. So yes, now delight. I'm not sure we could talk about the light for a long time. I'm still not quite sure where the delight comes into into health, but I often think of delight as a flow state, and when I do coloring with my students, they will color for days without realizing because they're just so engrossed in that task that they're not aware of anything around them. Yes, that takes them away from the stresses of being a high school student. But as a PE teacher, I'm always striving to find kids in that flow state so they're not looking at the watch, thinking or I think my ride is coming in 10 minutes. It's when I have to bring the lesson to an end, because they're still playing, and I know we're running out of time, because we've all got to move on and do something

Ty Riddick:

else that skills based. It does lend itself to, not necessarily to democratic practice, but it because it is that skill that can be applied across contexts. Conceivably, students are able to make a relevant connection to I'm going to choose to explore or apply this skill in a way that's really relevant to my life, as opposed to the way that I don't want to just say, the way I was taught Health, and the way that I started teaching health, which was this, these are drugs. Drugs are bad. Don't do drugs. We Ty, try to end these episodes in kind of the similar way, which is just a piece of advice we've talked a little bit about, you know, trying on the glasses or dipping the toe. But I'm wondering if somebody who's listening to this podcast maybe is just getting started on their journey, or maybe they're. At a crossroads. They're not really sure where to go. And mugar, I'll start with you, but I'm wondering if there's a piece of advice you'd give for those just starting

Megaera Regan:

out, outside of reading the book and listening to a few podcasts, that's a good way to start. But then to just, just like you do with teaching you scaffold, you take one little piece and start from there, and then you reflect, and then you add when you and your students are ready, and follow the lead of the students, because they're the ones that are going to let you know if you're succeeding or not. But be patient. Take your time, and then reach out to people who have already taken a deeper dive into it and ask them for tips and advice. So that's that's pretty much so what I would say, that's great. And Andy, what about you?

Andy Milne:

You asked this question in episode one, and I was shouting my answer, and Steph revealed it. So then I was like, oh, and I shouted another answer, and then that was also given as well. So thinking of something different, like I did. Please share whatever you're doing. Please share it so that we can all learn, and whether that be on social media or a blog or a comment somewhere, please let other teachers know that one, you're you're you're trying this, and two, let us learn from from you, so we can create a community of people who are all trying to do the right

Ty Riddick:

great. And, yeah, that might be our cue Doug, that we need to change up our last question. But could be that was a good one, buton behalf of Doug and I. I just want to say thank you guys so much for joining us, and thank you for everything that you do for your students and for the future generation. Yeah, just thank you so much.

Megaera Regan:

Thank you. Thank you.