SHAPE MICHIGAN
Email: shapemichiganoffice@gmail.com
Website: www.shapemichigan.us
Phone: 866-980-4284
Facebook: facebook.com/SHAPEMICHIGAN
Twitter: @SHAPEMI
So I Was Thinking
Anybody just sit and think? Reflect? I have been doing a lot of reflecting lately. I have been thinking a lot about my past, our upcoming year, and the future. I have been thinking a lot about what I have been doing for me. I am thinking about what I can do for my students. What am I doing with all this thinking?
Personally, my journey into thinking began after our school shooting in 2021. I thought about being more present. How could I do that? I wanted to be there for my own (biological) kids. My students needed me but so do my children. How could I be supportive of my own children and my students? At the time, I worked 30 minutes from my house on a good day. I have always put my students high on a priority list. And now, my students and I had been through the unthinkable so they needed to come first in the aftermath of the tragedy on my campus.
But after the initial shock, grieving and rebuilding, I had to continue my thinking journey. My students and my professional passions are very important but the thought of not being with my own children was and is unthinkable. A job opportunity came up in the district where my children attend and it happens to be my alma mater. Could I move schools? I planned on retiring from Oxford. I could never leave, especially now. I cried. I thought. I wavered. I could only think about starting over. New friends. New job. New life. New students. Did I want that? How could I leave? How could I leave those students and my colleagues? Every day it was getting harder to do my job. It was harder to be who I was a teacher when I first began this journey 20 plus years ago. More non-teaching responsibilities to make sure everyone felt safe. More blaming and fighting and negativity in the school and community Everything was about everyone else. It was time to think about what I want, what will make me happy, what I need. I finally made the decision for myself, what was best for me. I switched schools after 22 years and couldn’t be happier.
This, again, got me thinking as I was writing my curriculum for the next school year. What resources do I have to support my professional development? How have I kept myself current across my two plus decades of teaching? Do I have a network of professionals to help me be the best teacher possible? The one constant that played over and over in my head was that the programs, products and services I needed were available through MAHPERD which evolved into SHAPE Michigan.
I have meeting after meeting about increasing membership of SHAPE Michigan. How do we get more people involved? How do we recruit these amazing teachers to show us their passions and what kids love? How do we get people to be involved and help us advocate for what is arguably the move MOST IMPORTANT CLASSES EVER TAUGHT IN SCHOOLS TODAY? I love what I do. I don’t always practice what I preach but I love watching kids fall in love with something. I love watching them find their passion. In two different school districts I am seeing a huge decline in “finding what they love” in PE. PE and health are topics we use every single day of our life. We use physical activity, nutrition, decision making, goal setting….. every single day. PE is about learning about themselves, finding what they enjoy, and maintaining a healthier lifestyle. What is happening to our culture of physical education and health education? We concentrate on how to fix it instead of how to prevent it. I keep thinking, how can we change this culture? We have come so far from rolling out the balls. We need more.
So this is what I am challenging you to do: If you aren’t a member or you are a lapsed member, join us today. Regardless, start THINKING about what you can do, in your school, to change the culture of thinking about health/physical education and physical activity? How can we advocate for these healthier lifestyles? What role can YOU play at the local, district, regional and state level? If you aren’t sure where to start or you need a jump start to start your THINKING, come to the state conference in November or join us for a networking session online or contact me!
For me, I challenge myself to stay involved at the state level. I will continue my roles past my presidency to help our organization that helped me become the best I can be and I will present at our State Convention in November. In my district, I will fight to not be compliant, I will fight for what is right for our students. I want our district to be the best of the best, an exemplar. I want kids to have fun, be knowledgeable, and continue to be healthy active humans in the future. In my classroom, I will be the best I can be, introduce what is relevant and relatable to our students. Please join me on my journey of thinking, reflection, and changing our PE/Health Culture of being a proactive leader in our community. Together I don’t THINK, I KNOW we can impact ALL Michiganders through our promotion of healthy, active lifestyles.
S & S's September Fitness Challenge Calendar is here! Back to School is just around the corner, and our printable calendar is a great resource that teachers can share with students in the classroom. It can also be shared with parents to encourage.
https://www.ssww.com/blog/september-printable-fitness-challenge-calendar/
Did you know Michigan offers a free, confidential, evidence-based program to help teens quit vaping or smoking? It’s called My Life My Quit. Teen participants receive 5 one-on-one weekly coaching sessions. Coaches combine cognitive-behavioral techniques with motivational interviewing to help teens develop a quit plan, identify triggers, practice refusal skills and receive ongoing support for changing behaviors. Coaches are available by phone, text message, or online chat. A printed, watermarked certificate is mailed to the teen once they’ve completed 5 coaching sessions. Students can re-enter the program as many times as needed. To enroll, students just text “Start My Quit” to 36072.
Let’s face it… teaching 9-to-13-year-old students about puberty is hard. It’s also a blast!
If you are a puberty teacher who wants to talk to other puberty teachers, please join us for 60 min of part education, part conversation… this free, monthly webinar is made for you!
Check out upcoming webinars here.
Join the Facebook group here.
One day workshops will be presented in collaboration with Michigan School Health Coordinators Association (MiSCHA) to support, rejuvenate and jumpstart physical education programs across the state. SCECH'S will be offered.
Topics include:
- Articulating the Mission of Physical Education with the WSCC Model
- Content Resources: Center for Disease Control, Michigan Department of Education
- Basic Curriculum Structure
- Program Assessment: HSAT/MiCIP
- Motor Skill Selection, Instruction and Assessment: Task Analysis
- Fitness Assessment: Moderate to Vigorous Physical Activity (MVPA)
- Social Emotional Assessment: Incorporating CASEL in PE
- Incorporating Michigan Model for Health in PE
- Program Resources: Grants, Fund-Raising Opportunities in Michigan
- Advocacy/Professional Development: Program Promotion, Current Legislative Efforts and SHAPE Michigan
Contact your local ISD for additional on site information. Sessions will be staged throughout the year in different regions of the state.
The first three sessions are scheduled at:
Cheboygan-Otsego-Presque Isle ESD- Oct 3- Contact Helen Craig
Bay Aranec ISD- Oct 6- Contact Barry Schmidt
Jackson ISD- Oct 16- Contact Eric Swihart
General questions about this training? Contact Dr. Deb Berkey at shapemichigandirecotr@gmail.com.
