The staff room is a place where educators can come together to socialize, prep, support, and share with one another. Welcome to the virtual staff room.
The Staff Room provides links to PHE Community discussion groups and forums, PHE advocacy supports, along with personal and professional development opportunities and programs available. Find tips and strategies to maintain your personal well-being, and keep your mind engaged with e-learning courses and presentations that will serve you now and into the future.
PHE Community
- PHE Cross-Canada Check-In – virtual staff meetings of the PHE Community, coming together to share, learn, and discuss current challenges and opportunities, emerging topics, tips and strategies for personal and professional development, and innovative approaches to physical and health education during this pandemic. Join the meetings and review previous discussions.
- PHE Learning Centre Facebook Group – need to connect with PHE colleagues in between Check-Ins? Join the PHE at Home Facebook Group. Post questions, share success stories, and keep informed on what is happening in the physical and health education landscape.
Quebec Success Stories
The province of Quebec was the first in Canada to reopen schools after COVID-19 shut down schools nation-wide. Students outside the Montreal region headed back to class in mid-May.
In June, Sylvie Beaudoin, professor at the Université de Sherbrooke and Quebec Representative on the PHE Canada Board of Directors, invited three Quebec teachers, David Lizotte, Jessica Brideau and Dave Morin, to sit down and discuss the lessons learned from their experience teaching PHE face-to-face in the context of COVID. Although initially concerned, their experiences are most positive and have truly demonstrated their enthusiasm and resilience in teaching. From the students' perspectives, as Jessica described it, "I was amazed at how open-minded the students were to learn new things." Watch the full video below.
Advocating for Physical and Health Education
COVID-19 has disrupted education as usual, but perhaps no subject more than physical and health education. At a time when it is needed more than ever, let’s make sure quality physical and health education remains a priority for the education sector.
Share your support for #PHEatHome during this time by clicking below to download and share your #WeSupportPHE digital badge. You can also download the personalized badge and add your photo as well! Follow these steps below to add your voice to this campaign.
- Step 1: Download the #WeSupportPHE badge or personalize your badge
- Step 2: Upload your badge(s) on Twitter, Facebook and/or Instagram
- Step 3: Add your unique voice to your post
- Step 4: Tag PHE Canada and your teaching colleagues as well as local decision-makers and include #PHEatHome #WeSupportPHE in your post.
Sharing PHE Advocacy Letter
Along with provincial PHE partners, PHE Canada is urging educational ministries to include physical and health education in at-home learning efforts. You are welcome to download the general advocacy letter, and share the letter with your education ministry, school board, and broader educational network.
PHE Advocacy Blogs
Putting the E in Online Physical Education: Thinking Beyond Push-Ups and Jumping Jacks
by Ross Campbell
Health and Physical Education in the Midst of a Pandemic
by Doug Gleddie & Lauren Sulz
Self-Care
These are unprecedented and challenging times. We want to make sure that you are also taking care of you during these uncertain times and beyond. Find tips and strategies to support mental health.
- ABCs of Resiliency
- Teacher Focused Wellness Tips
- Work Life Balance: Can we get it?
- Care for Caregivers: Tips for Families and Educators
- How to make stress your friend
- Promoting the Well-Being of Teachers and School Staff
- Meditation Awareness Training
Find more tips and strategies at www.teachresiliency.ca.
Professional Development
For some, this time of social distancing has presented an opportunity to self-reflect and promote personal and professional growth. Find opportunities to grow and keep your mind active and engaged while advancing your knowledge and capacity to deliver the best possible PHE programming for your students and school community – now and beyond COVID-19.
PHE Spotlight Series
The PHE Spotlight Series is a series of free, virtual professional development workshops to support and advance quality physical and health education – both now, under the current at-home learning environment, and when we return to school.
For a current list of workshops, dates and times, and to register, visit phecanada.ca/spotlightseries.
PHE Canada e-Learning Certification Courses
- An Introduction to Models-Based Practice
- Physical Literacy; An Introduction
- Physical Literacy and All Abilities
For more information on PHE Canada e-Learning Certification Courses, visit https://phecanada.ca/activate/training-and-certification.
Free professional development webinars and presentations: