SHAPE America TOY Website Questionnaire
Name: Heidi Stan
School Name: Riverside Junior High – Hamilton Southeastern Schools
School Address: 10910 Eller Road Fishers, IN 46038
School phone (only if you want me to post online with your profile): 317-915-4280
Your email address (only if you want me to post online with your profile):
Your website (if applicable, and only if you want me to post online with your profile):
Questions
Describe one or two of the newest and/or most innovative activities that you do with your students in physical education? (i.e. instructional units, assessment strategies/techniques, development of personal/social skills, parent/family involvement, special events, etc)
My newest activities in physical education include moving all of my lead up activities and games into small sided games or activity blocks in order to get all kids moving, engaged and actively involved in their own physical education experience.
I have also recently added Kin Ball and Cricket to diversify and add some more diverse World games into my departments curriculum map.
What is your particular expertise in regard to teaching physical education – what is the focus of your teaching?
I believe my expertise is teaching physical education is getting the masses moving. As class sizes get bigger, my lessons and activities get smaller and more fitness based. I am using more small sided games, activity blocks and lead up activities to get the students more engaged and involved through individualization, cooperation, and using a sequential path for their learning to ensure they receive quality physical education. I do not just “set up a game to play” after we’ve gone over a few basic skills and rules. Many times, the kids will never get to an actual “team sport” game, and they are having fun and being successful at that level so they don’t mind!
What is your philosophy for physical education – what do you believe in?
I believe in a positive learning environment where students learn fitness, motor skills, and lifetime activities in a sequential path towards becoming physically educated for a lifetime. The students’ participation is individualized with opportunities to work with others, groups and self. I have taken myself out of the “dictatorship” role, and believe in inquiry based learning, student centered and guided learning blend, allowing my students to “experience” my physical education class. I believe physical education is more about cooperation than competition and learning to be lifelong learners… not athletes.
What does being a physical education Teacher of the Year mean to you?
Being honored with the Middle School Physical education teacher of the year for Shape America means I have been recognized by my peers, state, and district for dedicating myself and teaching to making this a better experience for my students through my teaching experiences I can provide them. This is about sharing ideas, working together toward a common goal and giving me a platform to continue to advocate that Physical and Health education are part of the “CORE”!
What do you do to help other physical education teachers plan and implement exemplary programs?
As a department chair, I have the opportunity to work with the other schools in our district to help write our curriculum map, make plans and changes in our curriculum, add technology resources and share with my building staff to make sure we maximize the opportunities we provide our students at our junior high school. I also continue attending professional development opportunities and classes, and receive various certifications in my content area. This also allows me to bring ideas and concepts back to share to make us all better teachers with a better program. This also affords me the chance to take my new ideas and share them locally and across the state in presentations to other educators. Lastly, I advocate for PE and Health at the local, state and national level, as well as being active in my state association, in order to make sure we can still have Health and PE programs!
Any quotes from students about you as a physical education teacher, or the classes taught by you?
“She’s always having fun while staying healthy.”, “ Every class is having a good time and actually learning”, “It’s amazing that I learn a lot in her class! I am always having fun and learning to stay fit and healthy”, “Your class teaches a lot, while having fun, and being specific to what I need”, “I love her as a teacher, she makes it fun… “Go stanimals”!” “She always shows and explains to us how to do things so we understand, and she’s so sweet”!
List three of your “favorite” conference session titles that you have presented, with a brief description of each.
“Getting the Masses Moving- An Activity Block Solution”
“Hands on Health”
“Xtra- Xtra: Free Health and PE lessons”
Any additional major teaching awards you have received:
2013-14 Indiana AHPERD Health Educator of Year
2013-14 Midwest AHPERD Health Educator of Year
2014- SHAPE/AHPERD Health Educator of Year
2014- Indiana AHPERD Middle School Physical Educator of Year
2014- Midwest SHAPE AMERICA Middle School Physical Educator of Year
7 Questions for a TOY
The questions below are meant to be light-hearted and fun; this is a chance to show a bit of your personality. Although there are 13 questions, we will choose seven to highlight on social media and other AAHPERD/SHAPE America periodicals.
1. If you could have a teaching super power what would it be and why?
As the old saying goes, “Do not judge others as you do know their pain or sorrows”, I would choose to have the super power of being able to get to know the students’ backgrounds, home life or struggles outside of the walls of our school. There are so many kids with different struggles, some of which you never know because they mask it so well, and some you know right away. This would be so great to be able to help or intervene, offer resources, build compassion and self-esteem and concept.
2. Share a funny or shocking story from your years of teaching.
I don’t really have any that are appropriate to share! J I would say I was most shocked when I found out I was the National Health Educator of Year!
3. With teaching there can be good and bad days. What’s a moment in your career that’s made it all seem worthwhile?
I had a student who was extremely overweight, infact she couldn’t even do a single push up. She came to ask me for help, and her parents supported her. I worked with a her before during and after school to work out and track her nutrition. After 3 months she lost 12 pounds and 6% body fat! And, she was so excited about it.
4. If you could go back in time to when you first started teaching what advice would you give yourself?
I would tell Mrs. Wasteney to slow down, enjoy each minute. Take one day at a time and make it the best day you can for each of your students, then you will enjoy the ride too!
5. My students would think I’m (AWESOME) if they knew I (Played a season of roller derby ).
(Ex. My students would think I’m crazy if they knew I base jump off buildings on the weekends.)
6. One of my unhealthy guilty pleasures is ______French fries! (any kind)______.
7. If I wasn’t a PE teacher I would be a ______entrepreneur______.
8. What’s the biggest challenge PE teachers face and how would you change it?
I believe the biggest challenge facing PE teachers is getting people to recognize and acknowledge that physical activity improves kids’ fitness, and lowers risk of obesity. We have research that supports this and shows that kids who take breaks from class work to be physically active during the school day are often better able to concentrate on their school work and do better on standardized tests. My goal would be to continue to advocate that we can’t afford NOT to do this in our schools… all grades, all days, all year!
9. Describe your teaching style in one word. CREATIVE
10. Compare your teaching to that of your own PE experience.
I did not have a “bad” PE experience, however I had a basic team sports and run the mile or jump the rope type of experience and if you weren’t athletic, you probably hated it!
I would say that I try to create a positive learning environment where students learn fitness and motor skills in a sequential path towards becoming physically educated for a life time (not just the time they have me in class). Their participation is more individualized with opportunities to work with others, groups and self. My teaching allows for more cooperation rather than competition, and students who are learning to be lifelong learners… not just athletes!
11. How or what made you become a PE teacher?
I changed my major as a sophomore from Dental Hygiene to Kinesiology- due to a huge disappointment in the oral hygiene of some clients when I worked as a dental assistant in a dentist office. However, I have always enjoyed being active, fit and making healthy choices so I choose to get my teaching endorsement to teach students about my personal passions.
12. Ask your students to describe you in one word. Share a few responses.
Extraordinary. Awesome. Amazing. Fasinating. Sweet. Loving. Fun. Unique. Crazy. Serious. Dedicated. Passionate. Leader. Nice. Smart. Strict. Upbeat. Understanding.