The Feedback That Gets Students Thinking in PE In PE, feedback often tells students exactly what to do. So, the thinking stays with the teacher, not the students. Feedback is a regular part of teaching PE. It is also one of those things that can feel like it is not working as often as it should. Students hear it, go back in, and not much changes. Most of the time, it comes down to one thing: the teacher is doing the thinking, not the student. When we tell students exactly what to do and how...
18 days ago • 3 min read
A Simple Way to Make Assessment Work in PE Assessment in PE can feel harder than it needs to. Here are a few reasons, along with a simple framework that works in a PE class. Ask PE teachers how they feel about assessment and the word you hear most often isn't "useful" or "informative." It's more likely to be "awkward", "ugh", "loss of activity time." For a lot of PE teachers, assessment feels like something tacked onto a lesson that was already going fine. A pause mid-activity, the class...
about 1 month ago • 3 min read
Clarifying a Misconception About Assessment in PE At a nation PHE Canada conference, I ran a workshop on making self-assessment in PE both meaningful and manageable. The room was jammed with people sitting on the floor, lining the walls, even tucked in behind the projector screen. We had everyone there: pre-service PE teachers, K–12 PE teachers, professors, people from education groups, and more. The interest in assessment was real. And the conversations after? Energizing. But one stuck with...
about 2 months ago • 2 min read
Making Feedback Land in PE Assessing in PE Without Demotivating Students Picture this: a teacher watches a student demonstrate a movement pattern they’ve been working on developing. The teacher knows exactly what needs to be corrected but hesitates to give them feedback. If I say something, will they shut down?Will they think they can’t succeed in PE?They’re already not the most enthusiastic student in class. So, the moment passes. The feedback never comes. If you’ve ever felt uneasy about...
about 2 months ago • 3 min read
When Teaching PE Leaves You with Little Left in the Gas Tank Hi Reader, At this point in the year, teaching PE can start to feel different than it did earlier on. Lessons are running. Routines are established. Students generally know what’s expected. Things are working, and that is good. And yet, for many PE teachers, the end of the day now comes with a quiet, familiar thought. “Phew. I got through that.” It is often paired with feeling more tired and sore than they remember earlier in the...
3 months ago • 3 min read
What Irrelevant PD Tells Us About Student Engagement in PE Hi Reader, As physical education teachers, we all know what it feels like to sit through PD that feels irrelevant, unimportant, or completely disconnected from what we want to focus on in our teaching. What if that experience was not occasional?Imagine it was your lived reality every day, for a full semester, or even an entire school year. The topics are chosen for you.The way you are expected to engage is already decided.Your...
3 months ago • 2 min read
If behaviours are so important in PE, why is their role so unclear? Hi Reader, With many of you preparing to return to school, this felt like a good moment to reconnect. I have been quieter since November. During that time, and through the winter break, I intentionally stepped back to reflect on the projects I was involved in and the professional learning spaces I have been building for PE teachers. That pause helped me recalibrate and become clearer on where my energy and focus are best...
4 months ago • 4 min read
Why Subjectivity in PE Assessment Is Actually a Good Thing Hi Reader, What if I told you that being “subjective” in PE assessment isn’t a problem—but actually part of what makes it effective? Many PE teachers worry that assessment and grading are perceived as too subjective. They feel pressure to make decisions that appear objective, even though teaching rarely works that way. This concern is understandable—it reflects a desire for fairness and credibility. Subjectivity is not the problem,...
5 months ago • 2 min read
Want Assessment to Fuel Motivation? Do This It is common in PE to see motivation and assessment as separate parts of class, but what if they actually fuel each other? What if the hopes we have for students, to participate, have fun, grow, and build confidence, are more connected than we think? But first.... Ever wonder why games like Candy Crush, Clash of Clans, or Angry Birds are so addictive? It’s not the graphics, characters, or storylines. These games are often simple, yet they keep...
7 months ago • 2 min read