The SHAPE Michigan conference, which brings together experts in health and physical education from throughout our region to exchange ideas, get valuable feedback, and form lasting connections. I should also say how much I value the chance to talk one-on-one with other professionals who share my interests on the work that we are doing, both for myself and our health and physical education students here at Northern Michigan University. I am truly inspired by all the conference and SHAPE Michigan has to offer!

I am attending the 2023 SHAPE MIchigan State Conference because there is such a wide variety of topics and sessions being offered this year. The presenters are current or former Teacher's of the Year from around the country. It also provides an excellent opportunity to meet some new professionals, catch up with old friends and network about all of the current trends in our fields. There is definitely something there for everyone.

In the world of Physical Education, many times we are alone on our island within our schools. The convention allows us to network, interact, and share with other educators and professionals.... just like many classroom teachers do every week.

Attending the annual SHAPE Michigan Convention is something I look forward to each year. I have enjoyed getting to know so many different individuals throughout the state in our profession!

Strength-Based Approach to Youth Development:

We know that youth have qualities that make them extraordinary. However, the language we use, how we interact with them, and the environment we create for their development is crucial to their belief in themselves. Together we will explore approaching youth development in classrooms, out of school environment, and at home by focusing on what is good and working well, and how to address challenges with a strength-based approach. Building the mental and emotional wellbeing of our students leads to greater self-confidence and thriving skills.

Omnikin: Have a BALL with Action-Packed Fun for All!:

Whether you are looking for a new or modified team sport, cooperative and community-building activities, fun with fitness or skill development, Omnikin has you covered! This exhilarating and dynamic session will feature highlights of our famous lightweight, non-threatening, and dynamic 14”-48” balls that will generate excitement in your classroom like never seen before! Both your students and you will surely have a BALL! .

Coaching & Having a Growth Mindset:

This presentation is about coaching and the growth mindset! The session will take a deep dive into the growth mindset how a lot of kids are over looked, and my own personal story with it. Too often in both PE and sports, students who want to put in hardwork are overlooked because the teacher or the coach only wants to focus on the stars! Not someone like myself who wants to put forth work day in and day out! There’s a lot of discussion in this presentation too and a lot to take away!

Making Moves in Health Education:

Those Health Education standards are important for our future generation, but tricky to make time for and plan! Come learn how to design your own easy to plan, engaging, concise, and kinesthetic-based health education lessons for your gym and/or classroom learning space! PE teachers will fit in health efficiently while still meeting all physical activity and PE standard requirements and classroom teachers will implement health instruction in short, active, and engaging daily doses! All educators will leave with tools and tips to support school-wide wellness!

Teaching Health Education to Diverse Groups:

Are you looking for more ways to be inclusive in your health classroom? Does the content you teach and the images you show connect to your students? In this session, participants will learn how to make their health curriculum and learning space more inclusive and representative of all students. Topics include socio-economic, LGBTQIA+, race, religion and culture. This session is also a great opportunity to share what works well for you and work together to brainstorm additional ways to support equity and inclusivity in your space.

Implementing a Split-Week Curriculum for Lifetime Activity and Fitness: This session provides secondary physical education teachers with strategies on implementing curriculum that blends units and different teaching models to reach standards and prepare students for lifetime activity and fitness. Examples will be provided on how to effectively blend units weekly to reinforce key objectives throughout the term compared to a more traditional model of units in isolation. The teaching models addressed are Fitness Education, Outdoor Recreation, and Teaching Games for Understanding (TGFU).

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