type

  • Feature Article
  • Podcast
  • Research

theme

  • Instant Activity
  • Food Literacy
  • Outdoor Learning
  • Physically Active Learning
  • Social Emotional Learning
  • Cross-Curricular Learning
  • Models-Based Approach
  • PHE Community
  • Healthy School Communities
  • Fundamental Movement Skills
  • Dance Education
  • Digital Literacy
  • Health Education
  • Financial Literacy
  • Physical Education
  • Sex Education
  • Educational Leadership
  • Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
  • Teacher Education
  • Mental Health
  • Substance Use
  • Truth & Reconciliation

Search Results

SORT BY:

Teacher to Teacher: Members' Q&A

October 2, 2015
a physical education teacher standing on an outdoor basketball court holding a clipboard. They are wearing a blue polo, grey pants and are smiling at the camera. In the background you can see students playing basketball.

Previously published in Volume 81, Issue 2

Being a health and physical educator is rewarding. Your work has an impact on the lives of your colleagues, your students and their parents.

But it’s also a career with its challenges. We want our members to be able to connect and share how they handle the issues that come up in their classrooms and schools so we can all continue to learn and build our professional repertoires together.

With that in mind, we’re proud to introduce a PHE Journal section, called Teacher to Teacher. Every issue we’ll pose two questions based on teacher comments we’ve heard in conversation, through social media or by email.

Question #1
Over the years, I have had students in my class with disabilities. This year I have a student in my class with Down Syndrome. How can I support her learning in my physical education class without centering her out?
Note: she has an educational assistant that comes to class with her.

Mary Neal (@MrsNeal0), Peel District School Board, Ont.: 
First, build a class culture that fosters inclusion. In my experience students at the elementary level are able to handle this. This could involve having students form new groups or pick new partners regularly. You might also need to change the rules of the game to build in inclusion or appropriate challenges.

Second, consult the student and give her a choice of activities. Get to know her and find out what motivates her and what agitates her. Find out what she likes and fears about physical education class.

I run a "Fitness Friends" intramural program for Variety Village in Toronto, Ontario. This links students together during lunchtime intramural activities with students who have special needs. Our students look forward to this. The philosophy of Fitness Friends is to continue this friendship on the playground at recess. If the student doesn't go out at recess, he can invite students from class to play inside instead.

Finally speak with parents, consultants and the special education team to develop and revise a gross-motor learning plan. Never make assumptions and don't focus on what she can't do. Instead, ask her what she can do.

Question #2
I am getting pressure from a parent to “take it easy” on their child because they have a big game that night. The parent has also at times asked me to excuse their child from physical education on game nights. How do I respond to this parent?

Ken Holley, Brooks Secondary School, Powell River, B.C.: 
Here at our high school, students who are enrolled in a PE program do not have to make up classes for participation marks if they are away due to a competition, be it school or community team. However, if he or she misses a run or something else during that class, they still have to make it up by arranging with the instructor. In our department, we agree that participation in a team or individual sport compensates for immediate time missed, but other parts of the program cannot be made up by these sports.

However, students cannot replace sport team work out of class with a PE mark. We treat PE the same as any other class in our school. Time away from class must be made up on the student’s own time and documented. This has worked quite well for a number of years for us, as long as all members of the department follow-up on this.

Mary Neal: 
I think I'd like to understand the whole child. So I would talk to the parent to learn what this student does after school and on weekends. I think it's important to develop a supportive relationship with the parents by listening, probing for more information and offering a professional opinion on what options would be best for this child. Share with the parents that in PE class, the child is exposed to different sports and cross training, so participation should not impede performance in after-school activity. Finally, explain to the parents that the student is learning self-regulation. Teachers can remind the student of this if he or she is going too hard, to the point of injury, especially since our first rule in PE class is safety. Finally, when PE class is 40 minutes long, including instruction, entry and exit, I think there is no risk of overtraining.

For our next issue
We invite you to respond to one or both of the questions below for our next edition of Teacher to Teacher. Your answer could be featured in the next issue of the PHE Journal.

  1. Bullying has become prevalent in my school. I witness it happen and hear about it from students. There are all sorts of bullying going on from verbal to physical. What are bully-proofing strategies I can use in the HPE classroom? Are their games I can use as an intervention strategy?

  2. In our high school physical education program, we have uniforms for students to wear to class. Sometimes, students do not show up in their school phys ed uniform, but still are able to actively participate in my class.

I’ve been told you can’t assess students based on their uniform so why do I still see teachers assessing that way and taking marks away for not being in school-specific clothing?

Have a question to send us?
If you’d like your colleagues’ input about a challenging situation in the classroom, please email us your question at [email protected].

Recent Posts

wooden blocks with faces drawn on them
Creating a Mindful Community: How Parents, Teachers, and Students Can Work Together to Promote Mental Health
[ Feature Article ] Mental health is a critical aspect of a student’s overall well-being, and emphasizing the importance of mental health aligns with the “Living Well” facet of the Canadian Physical and Health Education Competencies (Davis et al., 2023). Creating a supportive, mindful environment that engages teachers, parents, and students can make a world of difference.
Authored by: Brenna Wyman
child catching a balloon
Balloons: Adding Accomplishment, Joy, and Challenge for Physical Education Students
[ Feature Article ] Balloons are an often-overlooked gem in the world of Physical Education (PE). Not only are they inexpensive, but they stay afloat for much longer than most balls, giving students ample time to strike, catch, and improve their coordination. Balloons are also versatile and offer a fun way to develop physical literacy while playing games that are engaging for students of all ages.
Authored by: Dr. John Byl
A woman engages with a group of individuals in a library setting, fostering discussion and collaboration among them.
Emerging Scholars – Where are they now?
[ Feature Article ] Since 2015, PHE Canada’s Research Council has honored graduate students with the Emerging Scholar Award for excellence in teaching, research, and leadership. As the 2025 Research Forum approaches, past recipients shared how the award shaped their careers, their proudest recent work, the value of staying connected to the Council, and advice for future scholars.
Authored by: Martha Gumprich
children playing soccer outdoors
Connecting Communities Through Movement: There’s Strength in Numbers
[ Feature Article ] During the early days of the pandemic, I pitched my idea to the administration at Larkhall Academy: an initiative designed to keep our school community engaged in movement. This initiative would be simple enough for anyone—students, staff, or community members—to participate in, and it would take very little time to complete. I named it Time to Move.
Authored by: Jody Worthman
1 teacher and 8 students behind her
The True Sport Experience: A values-based tool for educators
[ Feature Article ] Can you tell us a little about The True Sport Experience and what inspired the development of this resource? The True Sport Experience is a three-volume resource designed for educators working with...
Authored by: Sarah Bennett
Several people in canoes are positioned on the shore, engaging in recreational activities by the water's edge.
Sharing Teaching Experiences (Part Three): Logistics of Studying PHE Abroad
[ Feature Article ] This is the third and final article in a series about two teacher education programs, Western Norway University of Applied Sciences (HVL) in Norway and Mount Royal University (MRU) in Calgary, collaboration in the field of Physical and Outdoor Education in teacher education. Written by three teacher educators, these articles are useful to those in the PHE field(s) in schools and in higher education. They demonstrate how there is much to learn from looking beyond our own borders through international partnerships engagement which can support everyone’s professional development, practice and pedagogy, philosophies of learning and teaching, and friendships.
Authored by: Dr. Shannon Kell