Up, Up & Away (or Down, Down & Away?)
Yesterday was the official launch of Down With PE. It was an exciting and nerve-wracking few months filled with a lot of learning!
A little back story that gives you context of who I am and where I've come from...
I have taught physical education (PE or HPE or PHE) since 2009. In the fall of 2012, I began a full year off of teaching to pursue my Masters in Kinesiology at the University of Victoria. I had the privilege of doing this face-to-face with other like-minded graduate students. I learned a tonne and this experience furthered my knowledge and passion for teaching PE. After teaching PE at five IB World Schools (Hong Kong, Toronto, Abu Dhabi, Bangkok, and Hanoi), I learned a lot about how schools & PE programming work. I learned daily about how students learn. How PE looks in different contexts. I've had the privilege to learn from, and work with, some amazing and inspirational colleagues. I'm also in awe of the amount of growth I have made as an educator through my professional learning community (e.g. Twitter). I'm grateful for all of the professional development I received over the years (it's a lot!).
And here I am now.
My family and I have circled back, after 10 years away, and are now living again on beautiful Vancouver Island. After spending the last 3 years not fully teaching in-person, I had time on a screen to get creative and learn new skills by making videos, music, digital content, etc. I even took time to read more (which had been hard with two young children at home).
I am still committed to teaching and learning but in a unique context (for me) - substitute teaching at public schools in the region. I continue to learn more about students and how they learn. I have the opportunity to learn from other educators & their routines. I also get to try out different teaching/behaviour management strategies with a wide range of students. It's been humbling but also enjoyable.
I am also committed to taking any spare time I have to create new content to share with other educators to support their ongoing pursuit of new knowledge and skills to benefit student learning in PE. I hope you are as thrilled as I am to join this journey and to continue to inspire children to be confident, competent, and motivated movers for their lifetime.
What is this website about?
Down With PE is a free or paid membership website. Currently the focus is on the teaching and learning that takes place in elementary Physical Education.
The free website provides access to free resources posted regularly to encourage best practice in your PE setting. The free website also provides access to blog posts so you do not miss a thing!
The paid membership provides a few things. First, an opportunity for educators to connect with other like-minded individuals via the "Forum" and "Exchange". The Exchange allows you to upload & share any resources with other educators on the platform. The paid membership also includes access to the Gif library which can be useful when using/creating visuals for students on an iPad or a projector. Currently there are over 100 custom-made gifs. Additionally, you will have access to Premium Resources which can support teaching & learning in PE. This can range from being student reflections, task cards, assessments, etc. You will also have access to all of the Virtual Games. The games often encourage movement but some may also focus on knowledge of content in a specific area of PE. Additional gifs, premium resources, and virtual games will be released at different times throughout the month. Some of these resources I have been working on for months but haven't quite finished - I can't wait to share! The paid membership website has 3 options: monthly, yearly, or VIP (which is yearly but also includes a consultation with me).
Lastly, there is also Speaking & Consultation services. If you are unsure about what areas of PE I can help guide you (and or your team with), please check out past presentations and workshops here. If you have any questions about speaking and consultation services, you can reach out here.
Why?
To put it simply - I want to use my knowledge, skills, experiences, and passion for PE to help promote best quality PE around the world. It makes me happy to create and help others. I think I can contribute positively to the PE world so I plan to do so indefinitely.
Join Our Membership Plan
If you are feeling like you'd like to take the leap to join the membership, please know that there is an offer of 15% off all plans until March 1st. Using coupon code: DOWNWITHPELAUNCH at checkout.
Thank you for reading!