MAHPERD "Voices From The field"
In this podcast, you will hear from educators and professionals in the field sharing their insights and experiences in the HPE (Health Physical Education) and allied fields. I hope you find this podcast informative, and inspiring. Learn about best practices and tools that you can implement in your teaching practice. We want to know not only what you do, but also the action steps you took to get you where you are. The Status Quo is not in our vocabulary folks, my guests are leaders in the field who are taking action to make an impact in their respective fields. If you have any questions or would like to be a guest on the show email mahperdpodcast@gmail.com
"If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always got" Henry Ford
MAHPERD "Voices From The field"
Purposeful PE: Insights on a quality program
When you think of physical education, do you picture students mindlessly kicking balls around a gymnasium while a teacher blows a whistle? Dave Carney is on a mission to transform that outdated perception. With 14 years + of PE teaching experience following nine years in the classroom, Dave brings deep insight into what makes physical education truly meaningful.
"PE with a purpose" forms the cornerstone of Dave's philosophy. Instead of simply "rolling out the ball," he creates structured learning experiences aligned with standards and clear outcomes. Whether managing classes of 80-90 students with the help of paraprofessionals or implementing innovative programs, Dave demonstrates how intentional teaching elevates physical education beyond mere play.
The conversation explores Dave's most successful teaching initiative - a Sport Education model centered around Thouckball, a lesser-known European game played with rebounders. This approach transforms students into active leaders through authentic roles: referees, scorekeepers, equipment managers, and team captains. The culminating tournament features announcing, themed team entrances, and student-created banners, creating an equitable environment where everyone starts as a beginner.
Looking ahead, Dave shares his excitement about launching a martial arts-inspired leadership program where students progress through different colored "belts" (wristbands) by demonstrating responsibility, sportsmanship, and initiative. Beginning in third grade, students can earn increasingly prestigious roles within the school community as they advance through the belt system, developing character alongside physical skills.
As an author of "High Fives and Empowering Lives" and host of the "Supersized PhysEd" podcast (250+ episodes), Dave exemplifies his own advice to "never stop learning." Whether pursuing a bike program, advocating for archery instruction, or creating themed activity days, his innovative spirit shows how modern physical educators continually evolve their practice.
Connect with Dave through his podcast, on social media @PE_Dave1017, or at www.supersizedphysed.com to learn more about creating physical education experiences that truly matter.
Hello and welcome to Voices from the Field, a MAHPERD podcast where we talk with educators in the field to hear about their perspectives and experiences. My name is Jake Bersin, Advocacy Chair for MAHPERD, and today I have the pleasure of speaking with Dave Carney. Dave Carney is a physical education teacher in Fort Myers, Florida, grades K-5. He's taught PE for 14 years and had previously taught in a classroom for nine years. He is an author and host of the Supersized Physed Ed podcast. His website is www. supersizedphysed. com
Jake:Welcome
Jake:Thanks, Jake, I appreciate you having me here. Absolutely, it's a pleasure. It's really exciting to connect with you Before we get started. What's making you smile these days?
Dave:You know what? It's summertime and I get to spend time with my family. We haven't done a lot yet as far as vacation stuff but we just spend a lot of time together and did some small things here and there. I just went golfing with my son this morning and my brother and his son, but I'm still keeping busy enjoying summer, but keeping busy, yeah, it's been great.
Jake:That's great, yeah. As teachers, we need that kind of downtime, that rest time, right, yeah, definitely.
Dave:So, dave, tell us more about who you are so well. Yeah, like I said, I have a son. He's actually going into 10th grade, so he's been training hard for football this summer, kind of getting some workouts in. My daughter she's going to eighth grade and they, uh, she's actually taken up flag football pretty, pretty hard, so it's been great. Um, and volleyball Um, she used to be in gymnastics, like travel gymnastics and competitive and uh, so it's been great to see her, see them both uh, go into different fields and sports and uh, my son's getting really good golf and other things and just just spending time with them has been great.
Dave:I've been married for it's good. It's actually me, our, my wife and I are my, our 20th anniversary this year. So yeah, I'm getting old. Thank you, I appreciate it. Yeah, I mean I. This is my second school for PE, I guess my second stint. I taught for nine and a half years at my first school it's actually right next to my house pretty much and then I moved schools and now this is my. I guess I'm going to my fifth year at my current school, so I'm really enjoying it. I think I need the change.
Jake:It's been really good and they're both been elementary schools, right. Elementary school, okay, awesome. K-5. Yes, really cool, yeah. So how would you describe quality physical education? You know, being in the field, your length of time. You've seen and heard a lot of things, right. So how would you describe it?
Dave:Well, I think it's PE with a purpose. I think that's the main thing. It's it's having standards and having great level outcomes and and and structuring units and uh, you know, you know having questions ready for the kids and you know having them. You know we don't it's hard because of the, the large groups I've always had. But you know assessments, uh, even if it's just peer assessments or you know whole group quick assessments, at the end it's just having a purpose and not just. I don't want to keep I don't use this phrase again, but you know the people use but the roll out the ball.
Jake:But I see it a lot.
Dave:I do. I see it a lot, either online, just random things. People are posting, like you know, they see a game online and the next day they're like, hey, let that's it. It's having a purpose, and I think that's what to me and I see a lot even in my district like just a lack of of clarity of where we're going as a physical education field, I guess, and you know, and so I, you know, I definitely try to advocate for that even cause we don't get to my district't get together. Well, we get together once a year as a as a whole, and that's in the pre-service week, and some years, like this year, I haven't someone told one of the pet, just told me that we're not actually even getting together. It's like a half day voluntary. So I'm I'm working on getting a group together that really wants to, you know, work on some things and plan out the year a little bit and throw some ideas out there. So again, I'd just say physical education with a purpose is the main thing, right?
Jake:Yeah, I'm glad you said that. That's actually one of my mottos. "Movement without a purpose is just going through the motions. And you mentioned the standards and you mentioned also the amount of students you have. How many students are in a typical class?
Dave:Yeah, I'm actually quite lucky. Now it's come down a little bit now. When I was at my previous school, it was like kind of crazy and I'd never taught pe before I'd always been the classroom and all of a sudden I had like five to six classes at a time with, uh, three parents, so it was like four of us and like six classes. You're talking like 150 kids, 140, 150 kids, which is crazy. Um, and I know I'd help, but still, when I came to this school, my current school, it was like basically four classes for three of us. But last year and then this year it's going to, I think it's going to work out pretty well where it's it's basically three classes and myself and two paras. So it's my whole career I've been.
Dave:Basically I would teach two classes by myself and I, you know, my paras would each get like a class, and so it's been nice. Actually, last year was my first year I had like one class by myself. It was kind of crazy. I really it was. It was weird. I mean, we do have some split classes mixed in so I might have 31 kids at the most. Um, but it's, it's been nice because I'm not used to that. So I guess to answer your question like basically three classes at a time with some splits in there. So I mean it could be up to 100 now, but it's usually a little less like 80 to 90.
Jake:So that's a whole way of thinking about transitions and class management and getting the teachers what do you call them? Teacher's aides on board. Yeah, the paras yeah, the paras Right. That's a whole another way of thinking.
Dave:So yeah, the paras it's a, that's a whole nother. And I hear that a lot from my other teachers that I talked to in the district that they're like, oh, my paras don't do anything, or my paras you know whatever. And I'm like it's hard. And fortunately I've had some good pairs I have. I don't think they're going to listen, I don't think they listen to my podcast, so I hope they're listening to this. But I have two pairs right now. They're both males, which I didn't like because I always liked to have a female there, just in case with the number of kids and just, you know, safety stuff.
Jake:You know what I mean.
Dave:And whatever. But right now I have a pair that's been there a year longer than me and him and I have had our ups and downs. He's a very strong personality but I think we found our common ground and he I kind of you know, I kind of let my paras do like I play to their strengths. Like I have a young para that it was his first year last year and he did fine, but there were times when we had to. You know, I had to work with him a lot and then I've, you know, I I try to play their strengths and I know a lot of people don't have paras, but that is a whole nother thing.
Dave:When you come into a situation like I did both my schools, uh, both my PE situations, I came into an already established group of adults there and you, you gotta be a leader. And sometimes I don't like that and sometimes, you know, and I'm not a confrontational person at all, but I have a program and I have a vision for my program and it might conflict with them sometimes, but it's getting them on board, I guess. Yeah, that's really key.
Jake:You know, especially you mentioned you know strong personalities, when you have adults that have done certain things a certain way for so long. But again you have adults that have done certain things a certain way for so long, but again you have your vision, you have your philosophy and how you want to run the program. So it sounds like you're you're doing a great job, kind of encouraging them, motivating them and playing to their strengths. So that's really cool.
Dave:So yeah, like, like I said it's, it's a. It's a tough balancing act sometimes it really is, and I've tried to help other pe uh teachers in the district with that Again, just trying to talk to them with hey, how, maybe have them do this. Or, like my one of my paras she's actually at my again my former school, but she was my para and she's now the teacher there, the PE teacher, which is great and we're still good friends. You know she was a semi-pro soccer player so guess what I had her. You know that's one of the units she led. You know, I mean, like the player, their strengths, right, I mean it sounds like, yeah, absolutely, things like that that's cool.
Jake:So this next question I have is kind of broad but and you could answer any way you want but what are some ways you engage and support your students?
Dave:um, I think, given them again I'm some cliche again, but giving them that voice and choice, um, I mean, but it also I think it starts at the door, though I mean I, I do the with it, I do the biker walker gate, the, the. I don't know if you have this in your school, but like an open gate system where it's like they go through like a metal detector kind of thing.
Dave:Oh, really no, I don't have that, no, okay well, they started that like, uh, about a year and a half ago, like in the middle of uh, yeah, two years ago. And either way, I see them come in, you know just, I think it starts there, just greeting them. You know the high five, the fist bump, the hey, how was your weekend? Just getting that. And I know some kids are very shy and some kids are, they don't want to talk or they had a rough weekend or whatever.
Dave:But I think, starting there, and then I'd say in the, in the Google classroom I set up for them, they I don't I don't usually do this with the younger students, although I could I give them a form to fill out, like a Google form in the beginning of the year, like an interest form, just things they enjoy. It's not all PE related, but some things, some games, some activities or just something they you know. Hey, what's the one thing you want coach Carney to know? So, getting that maybe give them and then going through that, don't just leave that, you know.
Dave:Go through that and find some commonalities, find some things that, you didn't know about a student or you don't engage with them with that um, and I don't say like I go to well, because my, my own children play sports. You know, try to go to some of the and I've gone to a lot of kids and plays or their whatever their soccer games, or, or I'll see the kids at my daughter's flag football game or something like that. Like, just try to engage with them in the public or you know wherever, and their parents Right, right.
Jake:So that's cool, you're, you're supporting them in and out of school and it starts before they even start the PE class. It sounds like greeting them at that gate you were talking about. So yeah, that's so important.
Jake:So, Dave, in your work with other folks, what are some common misconceptions that you hear, and then how might you address those misconceptions in regard to PE?
Dave:I think it's again, this goes back to our you know our profession and what again, yeah, what people perceive, and it starts with us. I mean how we you know our profession and what again, yeah, what people perceive, and it starts with us. I mean how we, you know what we're teaching and is it, is it meaningful PE? And you know, I, I know I was telling you this before we started, but, like you know, my dad and my brother are like well, what are you going to do? Just play basketball today, or just play dodgeball, like you're, you have an easy job, kind of thing. I mean, they're not being mean, but they're just, they don't know, right, they think it's it's 1980s pe and it's.
Dave:That's not what I do, you know. I mean there's, there's been many times, even at uh, like family get-togethers, where my brother will give that famous uh, I know it's not just from school of rock, but uh, the, you know, those who can't do teach and those who can't teach teach PE, right, Dave, you know, and I'm like, ha ha ha, you know it's, it's. It's that kind of thing that really burns and burns me up, honestly. But I just like, okay, I get it whatever, but you know. So I try to keep families aware, not just my family, but of what we're doing.
Dave:I have a like a PE Facebook page of just you know. You know I'll post kind of what we're doing or you know this, whatever the score of a tournament we're doing, like I guess I'll talk about our shoot ball tournament in a minute, because that's one of the things I love to talk about. But you know, it's things like that. I try to keep parents and families involved and they know what's going on and so they don't just think you know they're just, I don't know, running laps or they're just playing whatever, just rolling out the ball and go, that's good you have that Facebook page too, because if we don't teach them or educate the parents on what's happening, they kind of make up their own right and have their own misconceptions about what's happening, maybe from their own past.
Jake:So that's really good to have that awareness for them. So, speaking of Facebook and whatnot, you wrote a book called High Fives and Empowering Lives. Tell our listeners a little bit about that, yeah.
Dave:So.
Dave:So again, it was originally called the Teacher, the Chef and the Hockey Player and I changed it because it was maybe a little misleading as to what it was. I was trying to be clever, so it's really. It's almost semi-autobiographical as far as there's a few main characters and I guess the main struggling PE teacher named Jay, which is, by the way, my brother's name I kind of stole some names from people in my family and stuff like that and he's a struggling PE teacher and that was me, especially when I was a struggling just teacher in the classroom. I was not good, I really wasn classroom. I was not good, I really wasn't. I was not a good first couple year teacher, I just and I see some really good teachers come in like first year teachers now, but I was not a good first year teacher and I wasn't a great, not even probably a good first year PE teacher. So it's just about him struggling and he finds some mentors Savannah's the main mentor and she's a seasoned vet and, by the way, that's my daughter's name.
Dave:So I stole that one and she introduces him to other, like the chef, which is a made up character, but I just love chef shows and things like that they really intrigued me.
Dave:So I made up a chef and the hockey player is based on a hockey player I work at. I know you probably know this, but I work at the local arena where they have hockey games, concerts, all that stuff, and there's a hockey player named Zach. That was that I talked to more than other players, a lot of players. I just kind of say hey, but I talked to him a little bit and got to know him and his dad actually, and his dad's in the book, but you know different names and different things and stuff. So, um, yeah, I just um it really the j character and the savannah character are really me as a not a great beginning teacher and a better, I guess, season teacher and uh, just kind of seeing him go through his journey and becoming a better version of himself and that's, um, you know what I'm hoping to put out to the world, I guess that's really cool.
Jake:Yeah, I actually picked up the book on amazon right and, uh, it's, it's, it's a great read, so I highly recommend it. So, thank you, thank you for putting that book together actually the sequel already written.
Dave:I'm just uh editing the editing process.
Dave:yeah, are you gonna share the name? When's it gonna come out? I don't know what the name is gonna be, honestly, because, uh, and I don't, I'm not positive I'm going to try to put out, hopefully by the end of the year. I got to get another editor and all that stuff and cover and design and I always have trouble with the title and like I did with the first book, so I'm not sure it's going to be named yet, but it's. It's good. I think. I think it's better because I think I've gotten better as a writer. Just, I mean, I write almost every day now and back then, when I wrote the book you read, I think I think it was pretty good. But my wife even said, you know, she liked it, but maybe go more in depth with the characters and stuff like that. And I think I've done that with the second book. It's longer. It's definitely longer. That was my next question. Yeah, how long is it?
Jake:So cause? The first one's what? 135, 36 pages. It's an easy read. The second one's an easy read also, but it's a little longer. It's probably about 200 pages. So I'll let you know. Yeah, looking forward to it. Definitely, let me know. Thanks. So, dave, moving on, let's talk a little bit about PE content. What's your favorite unit to teach and why?
Dave:All right. So I'm always going to go with my Thoucballl unit. It just I feel like I talk about it way too much, but it's, I'm very proud of it, and it's not because of me, it's because of the students. I remember saying this in front of, and I guess I'll explain in a moment. But so let me actually let me back up. I will explain it because it'll probably be easier. So it's a like a sport education Chuk ball unit and it's a sport education. Again, just if anybody doesn't know, it's like the students get a job. They, they have jobs on their team. They're there, they play, but then we're not, they're not playing, they have a job Like they're they referee, like the other game going on, or they they're scorekeepers or they're timekeepers, or they're fitness trainers or equipment managers and captains, and so they really take hold of it and the and I want to choose a game that no one wasn't like an all-star at like, no one plays Thouckball unless you're in Europe. Um, it's um again. Do you? Do you know Thouck ball?
Jake:yeah, I do. It's a really unique game. Um, I like it. I played it before. So, yeah, okay, yeah, I'm familiar with it, but, uh, I don't know whether our listeners are so okay so so yeah, just briefly, it's, if you can picture the rebounders, like a?
Dave:uh, soccer rebounder, a baseball rebounder, uh, students throw a ball off there. Let's say, the blue team throws it off, the rebounder, the red team has to catch it, or it's a point. Uh, that'd be the. I know that there's a lot, there's actually a lot of rules, but that's the basic version of it and I love.... Well, the first year I did it it was I thought it was just amazing. I didn't wasn't sure what was going to happen and it just came together and I just I felt like it was just and I actually said this to my students, my fifth grader I do this fifth grade every year. Like we created our masterpiece. Like this is it? It's not my masterpiece, it's everybody's. Like, everybody contributed, all the students.
Dave:Like you know, we, we help referee in the beginning and then they are refereeing. Like we're, we're more of the. We call like the eye in the sky, like, like in the NFL. Like we're like the Gene Serators or whatever. Like we're the guys in New York, the referees in New York, or whatever. You know, just if they need us. But you know they take hold of everything and then we have a culminating game, which is just amazing. We used to turn our cafeteria into like an arena and now my current cafeteria isn't big enough for that, so we do it outside. But you know we have I I'm talking, I could talk forever about this, but like I pick a couple of announcers. We do like a halftime show, we do the national anthem, like it's a big deal. The kids come running through, like out to they pick their themes I'm sorry, the theme song. They come running through like crashing through, like a big banner, like a big poster and it's amazing.
Jake:Yeah, the roles you're talking about, like the player, the, the scorekeeper are they there in this role the whole game or can they switch too? Is everybody a player at some point, or can they stay in the roles?
Dave:you know what I mean yeah, so what what they do is and the, the kids have trouble with this in the beginning too, because they're like well, wait a minute, do I? Am I refereeing while my team's playing? It's like no, when your team's not playing, your referee, so I do. I set up two games. Uh, basically, in one class there's like 14, there'll be four teams per class, okay, so two are, let's say, teams one and two are playing. Teams three and four are doing the jobs, got it, and then, after we do about eight minute games, then they switch. So when one and two are done, they do the jobs in three and four play okay. So, um, but that we do photographers, we do like we do everything, we do like a medic and say, okay, somebody gets hurt, not that that happens a whole lot, but you know it's a really good job, right, yeah?
Dave:they, they really take ownership of it and they make these amazing posters, like these team posters, and they're they've team chants and I mean it's just, it's awesome, that's so cool. It's cool names too that's awesome.
Jake:Yeah, that sounds like a great, a great activity too, because it levels a playing field. It's not like a typical game where most of the kids know about it right, you have to teach them the rules. It's unique to um, to the us um. Where is it more common in in what I?
Dave:think it's switzerland was where it was um originated and then, yeah, they play it. I don't want to say throughout Europe, but, yeah, definitely in Europe, in Europe, okay, and yeah, so it's. I play a little bit more simplified rules. There are a couple extra kind of rules that I don't play, but that's for another time, I guess.
Jake:But you know kind of simplify it. It's great learning about it. So, dave, moving on, different folks have yeah, that's a great question.
Dave:You know I've used it before for like lesson planning and generating ideas for games and activities and skills. I really I enjoy it. Honestly, I know people are a lot of people are nervous about it I was at first. I honestly use it a lot with my writing, just helping with the headlines. Titles I don't write have them, I don't have them write the whole article To me that's cheating, but just generating ideas. And I know we could do that with other things in PE as well. I know we could even I haven't done this yet, but I know it can even help analyze if you film a student with a huddle or coach's eye, let's say swinging a baseball bat or whatever or serving volleyball, and then maybe you know to analyze it. You know things like that. So I haven't done a lot with it in PE except kind of like lesson planning and you know ideas, which is still a lot, but I do more. I do a lot with it with my writing as well, though.
Jake:So it's, you're basically utilizing it as a tool right To help kind of automate some of these things that take a long time Right. Yeah, that's cool. So, dave, are you working on any projects or initiatives in regards to physical education?
Dave:Yeah, I don't know if you saw this, but I think we kind of hit on this before we start talking my this leadership program. I want to. I don't know if you know about this or not, but it's involved with like belt system, like a black belt system or white belt. I'm really excited about this.
Dave:I came up with this idea right before school ended and it's kind of like the like using martial arts but gamifying it and doing levels where students can earn different responsibilities and different things throughout the school. Well, I mean, I'm in control of, or I'm the head of safety patrol, so I can, if they get to a certain belt level, they can be like, maybe, a safety patrol, the safety patroller, or they can help with field day, or they can be a captain in a game or you know, get extra kind of responsibilities, and I'm really excited about it. I, if not, I could it to you or you could put it in the link or whatever, but yeah, I'm really excited about it. So, basically, I'm going to get wristbands where I think because I'm picturing like a pyramid, like a lot of people and like any sport or even martial arts, like you and I both were in martial arts there's a lot of people that can get white belts and you know a little bit higher, and then it starts. It's like a pyramid, right.
Jake:They drop off. They drop off as the belts get higher. Yeah, it's harder.
Dave:And so I'm picturing this as like a three-year uh system, a three-year uh goal or program. I'm going to start it in third grade Now some kids will be grandfathered in think, because they're currently my current coming up fourth and fifth graders and uh, I'm gonna probably get, I think, for the first couple levels, like almost like if you picture, hospital wristbands because they're a little cheaper where they're like plastic little plastic ones.
Dave:Yeah, yeah, yeah, um, and so that'll be. I think we'll start with no belt, like the first week or so, and just talk about it, and actually I'm gonna shout out andy vasily, who, who's amazing OG in our field. He gave me an idea of, you know, having the students co-create it with me, cause I do have some set things, but if the students are involved in it and we could definitely talk about it, I could add some things to it. And you know, just so they understand, this is the. This is the highest honor I could give them. Is it like a black belt in this? Like to me, and so some of the kids will really take hold of it. Um, so I'm gonna try to make a long story short on this, but so I think the but I want to give them a quick win. Like, I think white belts will come pretty fast. Like the kids who already are well behaved, they participate, they uh, you know they're respectful, responsible, safe, all the good stuff they'll probably, you know, white belts will come fairly quickly and.
Dave:And then it's going to take a little bit. You know, martial arts takes a little bit. It's not going to be every week.
Dave:You're not getting a belt because there's different criteria and you know, one of one of the ones to be a black, I put for black belt is, you know two years of leadership, of being like a stage patrol member, or you know field day helper, or you know captains referees Like or field day helper or captains referees. I do have kids during free time. They're hockey players in my school. I'll be like, okay, you're the referee, you can play, but I want you to ref for the game if I'm over here and I can't see everything. So there's leadership availability possibilities for them. And then these are also the kids. I tell them this all the time, even if they're not black belt. But some of these kids I can trust them with my, my car keys and be like hey, can you go to my wallet? Here you go. Those are the kinds of kids I want, like like I'm. I want to train good people.
Dave:I want to not train, but I want to you know, develop, develop, develop, develops the better word I want to develop good, good people and, yeah, I want, of course, them to be able to have all the skills, the PE skills and knowledge. But to me this is I don't know. I'm hoping it's a bigger thing.
Jake:Yeah, I love that idea. Dave. For our listeners who might not know the belt system, what are your thoughts on the belt system? I mean, karate is different than taekwondo, Taekwondo is different than tai chi. So how many belt systems are the students going to go through?
Dave:Well, taekwondo is different than tai chi, so how many belt systems are the are the students going to go through? Well, I only did I, yeah. No, you're right, um, and I didn't actually do it in my uh, because I know you're taekwondo, I'm karate. Um, I didn't actually use the exact colors either I think I did.
Jake:I don't have in front of me, I think it's only five, okay.
Dave:So it's white, I think, green, orange, purple, black, okay, and so I mean it doesn't. I'm not saying it doesn't matter, but I just kind of it doesn't. It's not a set thing, right? I mean it's not a. It doesn't have to be a certain color, is what I'm saying. So I'm picturing giving again white and green will be like more of the hospital bracelets. They're like I don't know on Amazon, like I don't know, 30 hundred of them or whatever and then after a certain amount of time they can move up a level again, based on a lot of things. It's based on also good sport being a good sport.
Dave:Right, that's a big thing, cause I've, I've kids that are really, really they're good kids, but they just can't handle like the winning and losing with grace piece of it. You know what I mean.
Dave:And so I'm hoping this will help, you know, and you know also being prepared for class, like one of our big things when it's and again, I know a lot of people teach inside, but you know we teach outside when it's like I mean, when I say it's 100 degrees, I'm not kidding, it's 100 degrees, uh and we have to go inside when it's 104, the heated next, but you know we try to. We have shade, no pavilion and stuff, but you know we try to get those kids to bring water bottles. We have water, but it's like, you know, if you bring water bottles, it's that much, you know.
Dave:We're trying to encourage them to do stuff like that and I'm hoping that this, you know it'll, it'll encourage them to be more responsible. I guess right to wear the right shoes, to bring a water bottle, to dress appropriately and I don't mean that bad way. I mean, like some kids are wearing jackets, like heavy, heavy jackets, when it's a hundred degrees out and we're like I don't want to fight this battle, you know what I mean. Like so, just it, just that kind of stuff. And but it's also helping the kindergartners walk to class and being kind to others and being helpful and help.
Dave:You know, some kids, they on their free time, I'm not kidding you, they like to pick up trash around the outside of there. I'm like that's awesome, that's so nice of you to have to do that, but just try to get them to show initiative. So you know again, this is not going to be a perfect system right away. But and no one's going to start at black belt, even my fifth graders there's they might start at like what I put. I guess purple maybe, but I think black belt might be the, you know, around Christmas time or something.
Jake:Well, Dave, it sounds like a really fun and unique program. I can't wait to hear more. We have to have a follow-up about this.
Dave:Sorry, I took a long time on that one. No, that's okay, I'm excited. No, this is great.
Jake:This is great. It is unique, so I've never heard of anything like that before, and it's cool, so that's really cool. So, dave, do you have any advice you can share with our listeners? Is there anything?
Dave:that you'd want them to take away. Yeah, I mean a lot actually, but I'd say the main thing is like never stop learning and try and improve yourself, improve your craft. You know, again, I'm all for, you know summer break and stuff, but every day I'm still. It's just me. I mean, I'm not knocking, taking a break, trust me. I've watched a couple seasons of certain shows already, right, but, you know, keep reading, keep, yeah, right, keep reading. Keep listening to, you know, podcasts, like yourself, hopefully, like mine. You know, listen to books, you know, or reading books. My wife gets mad at me because she reads a lot of books physical books and I listened to a lot of books. I still read, though, but she reads a lot of books physical books and I listen to a lot of books. I still read, though, but she reads a lot more than me. Um, you know, just never stop improving yourself and trying to get better for your students and yourself. Right, you know, and nice dave.
Jake:So how many for our listeners who don't know, dave has his own podcast. But how many podcasts are you right now? I mean you're over 200, right?
Dave:yeah, it's uh in the 250s 250s.
Jake:When did you start? How many years even doing this, I think?
Dave:oh gosh, now you're putting a spot I'm just kidding. I think it was around two, I think, okay, I think, if you actually look at my because I looked at this before my my website might say 2018, but okay, I think it was before that. I think it was 2016 or 17. Wow, because I moved it from one platform to the current one that we're both on, which is buzz, buzzsprout. Yeah, yeah, I love.
Dave:Buzzsprout, but I think it was just kind of sporadic in the beginning and you know, I was actually podcasting with other people at the time and it was I kind of broke off and did my own thing. So yeah, I enjoy it.
Jake:Yeah, that's awesome. Yeah, I hope folks, our listeners, take a listen. Supersize Phys, ed, right, yep Name, name of the podcast Awesome. So, dave, what do you hope to see in the future? What goals do you have? These can either be personal or professional, one or the other.
Dave:Yeah, that's a good one.
Dave:I'd say, you know, first for myself again, just keep, I'm real excited, obviously, about that program and just adding new things, like I was. I really am looking forward to another thing I want to do, like another and actually, michael, another shout out to Michael Tedesco, who I interviewed around the time I interviewed you. He was talking about how he did an amazing race and and how he really had it organized. And I want to do something like that this year, I think with my mascot. I was called Webster space race, so I've ever seen my mascot, with my red mascot, something like that. But so you know, I want to keep getting stuff for my school, not just stuff, but, you know, opportunities for my students. I want to.
Dave:I think we might have talked about this before, but you know I had a bike trailer. I didn't I didn't personally have one, but there was a rotating one that went around the district and then they the funding got cut for that a while ago and so I was talking to my principal about, you know, just building our own bike trailer, like if I don't have a lot of space, but if we can get like a shed and get, I mean honestly, a lot of people would donate bikes. My own son has a bike that hasn't used in forever and things like that. Scooters bikes. Get some helmets, you know. So I want to keep expanding what we're doing and the opportunities for the children at my school and I definitely get archery. I keep trying to. You're an archery guy, I know you sent me stuff.
Dave:No one wants me to do archery All my principals ever worked for. Like, I don't know about archery, so archery, that's what I want to do.
Jake:They see, they see the, you know the liability, but you know, according to the people, that's a hundred percent safety rating. They teach you how to be safe. You use a whistle, there's a whole test you have to take. There's all these safety structures set in place so no one gets hurt. I don't think it's like what people seem. There's seven people going at a time, the rest of the class waits and then they rotate through stations. But it is safe. So I hope you get it. I'm trying, man, I'm trying, I'm trying man.
Jake:I'm trying. Yeah, it's, I get it, though it's sometimes some asks are big. Right, but we'll get there, but that's great. So, Dave, how can our listeners connect with you? Are you on social media? Email the best way.
Dave:What's the best way to reach out? Yeah, there's a few things I can give you. Definitely they can reach out on my email. And then I'm still on Twitter. I've been there for a while, so it's PE underscore Dave, I think. I can't remember now. I think it's PE underscore Dave 1017. That's my birthday and it's that on Instagram too. So I'm trying to think of which one it is on Twitter, but I can send you the links. Oh yeah, perfect, Definitely, Instagram and Twitter are probably the ones I do. Instagram and Twitter are probably the ones I do.
Dave:I just joined blue sky, though I um, so you know, just to kind of branch out a little bit and so we'll see how that goes and you know, like my website, I can send you all that stuff, but yeah, I'd love to hear from your listeners or any questions. Um, love to hear it, love to keep talking PE, as you can tell you, and I could talk PE for a long time right?
Jake:Yeah, we definitely can, and we'll have to have some other shows too. So appreciate your time, dave. You've expanded my mind and I thank you for sharing your experience and expertise with us. Listeners. If you have any questions, you can always email us at mahperdpodcast@ gmailcom. We will have this episode uploaded soon, but we're also asking our listeners to leave a review if this podcast has been helpful in supporting you in any way, as it does help other folks find it. Dave, thanks so much. I appreciate it. Thank you, jake, I appreciate it.
