Award Winning P.E. Teacher: "Meet students where they are"

A well-run gym doesn’t happen by luck. I’m joined by Tom Gelardi, a nationally recognized elementary physical education teacher in New York City, to talk about what strong PE instruction really looks like day to day. We get into the practical challenges every PE teacher faces: big classes, limited space, nonstop movement, and the kind of behavior issues that can derail a lesson fast. Tom breaks down why preparation is the first classroom management strategy, how he sets expectations with students so consequences feel fair, and why a single relationship built outside class can change everything inside the gym.

We also dig into inclusive physical education and student leadership. Tom shares how starting simple (even with something as basic as a balloon) creates early success for all learners, then how he scales equipment and tasks based on observation. He explains how he spots emerging leaders and teaches students to use their talent to help classmates grow, not to show off. Along the way, we talk about skill feedback, purposeful grouping, and why character development and social emotional learning (SEL) often matter more than perfect technique.

Finally, Tom tells the story of how his YouTube and TikTok content grew from rainy-day needs to pandemic remote learning resources, and how being on camera actually made him a sharper teacher. If you’re an elementary teacher, PE teacher, or instructional coach looking for concrete behavior management strategies, inclusive lesson ideas, and real-world professional development, this conversation is packed with tools you can use.

What’s one strategy you want to try in your next class?

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Resources:

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If you picked up a new idea or felt inspired by today’s episode, I’d love to hear from you and if your interested in being a potential guest on the show; email mahperdpodcast@gmail.com Please take a second to follow the show and share it with another educator who’s passionate and let’s keep the conversation going!” 

🗣️PSA******

P.E Teachers: Are you currently seeking graduate credits or professional development hours toward license renewal?​If so, you can receive $25 off any self-paced professional development course or year-long virtual course from my colleague at  Distinguished PE by using the code "nextlevelpe" at checkout. 

Visit www.distinguishedpe.com to learn more and find the course that’s right for you.

Transcript

Jake 0:00

Okay. 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 Tom Gelardi.

Welcome And Guest Spotlight

Jake 0:16

Welcome to the show, Tom. Thanks for having me. Absolutely. Just a little bit about Tom. Tom Gelardi is a distinguished elementary physical education teacher in New York City with more than 15 years of experience inspiring young students to embrace active, healthy lifestyles. He also teaches grades pre-K to 5 and he is known for his dynamic, student-centered approach that blends creativity, enthusiasm, and purposeful movement. His excellence in the field has earned him national recognition, including being named the 2025 Shape America National Elementary PE Teacher of the Year, following top honors at both the state and regional levels. His work has also drawn attention from public leaders and major media outlets, such as the Today Show. Tom Gelardi's impact extends beyond the gymnasium. During the pandemic, he developed engaging online education content, which I'm sure you've seen before, that has reached a broad audience, helping students remain active during a challenging time. Committed to advancing his profession, he serves as an open national trainer and presents at conferences across the United States and around the globe, while also sharing innovative teaching practices with educators through digital platforms. Through his passion, leadership, and innovation, Tom is leading, is a leading voice in elementary physical education dedicated to fostering lifelong wellness in children. Before you get started, Tom, what's making you smile these days?

Speaker 1:43

Well, well, first off, that person sounds pretty amazing.

Jake 1:48

Well he is.

Speaker 1:50

I have a lot going on that's really positive

What Keeps Tom Smiling

Speaker 1:53

in my life right now. I have three beautiful children, I have a loving family. We're moving to a new house. You know, work as far as teaching can't be any better. I have a such a supportive administration. I have a coworker that's as dedicated and as passionate as I am. We have uh we're affiliated with Queen's College, so we have a ton of student observers and student teachers that get to visit and help us along the way. The children are so much fun to teach and be around. So uh couldn't be happier.

Jake 2:22

That's really cool. That's such a great story, and thank you for sharing that. So, Tom, tell us more about how you started your education journey. What's the little background?

Speaker 2:31

Yeah, I was pretty much a kid that played soccer and just did well in school and didn't really focus past that. It wasn't really until I got to college and I had to make a

Finding A Path Into PE

Speaker 2:42

decision on what I wanted to do. And I initially picked exercise science because it would give me like a wide range of things to get into. Um, once I had graduated, my college advisor suggested maybe go into coaching. And that was really my first experience working with children. And I worked in this little gimbaree place where you teach gymnastics and all kinds of sports with really with young children from as ages as four all the way up to 10 years old. And when I started working there, I had recognized that I had this unique way around with children. I had the sensitivity, I had the patience to be around them. I kind of had this gift of meeting them where they were and brought out the best in them. I guess because like I'm kind of a big kid of my own. Once I realized I had this unique way with kids, I thought to myself, what can I do to make more money doing this? And that's where my advisor had suggested maybe go into physical education. And once I realized that was kind of my path and my goal, there was really nothing stopping me at that point. As they say, the rest is history, right?

Jake 3:53

Yeah, the rest is history. So at this gym Bare, they have a place up this way on the East Coast called the Little Gym. I imagine it's similar where they teach them that they teach gymnastics and it's preschool. They have the mom and me classes and they have all the way up to elementary. Yeah, yeah, that's really cool.

Speaker 4:07

I've seen it actually was called the Little Gym.

Jake 4:09

Oh, really? Oh, okay.

Speaker 4:10

Little gym of Port Washington, Long Island.

Jake 4:12

Yeah, okay, all right, okay. So yeah, they franchise, right? Yeah, yeah. So exactly. Yeah, that's cool. So, Tom, you're also an open national trainer. How did you get involved in that aspect? And what exactly do you do as an open national trainer?

Speaker 4:27

Yeah, I went to my state organization when they had the uh state convention. I went to a couple sessions and I went to an open

Becoming An OPEN National Trainer

Speaker 4:35

session, and I just love the energy, and I met a few of the open trainers, and they were such nice people that I'm like, how do I become a part of that? And so I reached out, but at the time, you know, I didn't really present very much and I wasn't really known. So I was on the waiting list to become a trainer. And then when the pandemic happened back in 2020, I started making videos to help my students. And as I shared it on YouTube, teachers from around the country started using them. And I went and I circled back with open and I said, listen, if you ever need me for anything, let me know. And then I was graciously back in 2022, they had interviewed me, and then that's when I became a national trainer. And one of my favorite things about open is that just being around the other national trainers, these are some of the most dedicated and passionate teachers from around the country that only care about pushing this profession forward. And so they it's just a delight spending time with all of them. And then I'm fortunate enough to present in different areas of the country, presenting open content and meeting so many dedicated teachers and is helping me grow as a person. So it's really been a wonderful experience and something that I'm I take pride in being a part of.

Jake 5:53

That's really cool. And the fact that you're with like-minded individuals like yourself that really brings everybody up together, right? That's key. Being around people that have the same type of passion that you do, it only makes every everyone and everybody around you better. So that's awesome. So, Tom, when you give these PDs or presentations, what are some common questions that the participants might ask you? It could be an open training or just be in general. Like what type of what are some common things that teachers ask?

Tom 6:21

Yeah, that's a good question. A lot of times when I'm presenting, I present with a lot of energy and enthusiasm. So a lot of questions I get is like, how do you maintain that enthusiasm? I guess. Or, you know, how do you handle large class sizes? Or typically, if you're around new teachers, is how do you handle time management, classroom management? How do you get the best out of your students? Those are the typical questions I'll get if they stop me in the middle of my sessions. Yeah.

Jake 6:45

Okay, so it really depends on who's asking the question, right? If it's a veteran teacher, it's gonna be different than a beginning teacher. So what advice would you give for, let's say, let's take behavior management? Something that could happen or does happen with teachers of all ages and experience levels. What's one tool or tip or strategy that you like to use?

Tom 7:03

Yeah, I mean, from my experience,

Behavior Management That Sticks

Speaker 7:05

when it comes to behavior management, is is really just make sure you know your content. Like, you know, review what you're teaching before you teach it. You know, make sure you're mentally and physically prepared so that you know where you're going with this lesson. And now you can focus fully on the students. And when you're prepared, there's a really good chance the kids are gonna be prepared. Another thing I do that works well is we set expectations in the very beginning of the year. You know, I'll sit down with my students and I'll say, listen, we got to keep this gym space safe if we're gonna expect to learn anything. You know, help me figure out ways to keep this space safe. What if I tell you to sit down on the floor and now you're spinning around unsafely? Like, what would be the consequence for that? And then have the kids tell you. They might say, Oh, well, sit me out for the rest of the class. And I might be like, ooh, that's a little strict. I feel like for one offense, how about we give you a verbal warning? Let's make that a verbal warning if a mistake's made, and they'll agree to it. I'm like, okay. And if you make that mistake again, maybe we'll take a one-minute break to kind of refocus. And then the third time, maybe that's the time where you need to take a longer break and maybe take notes on the sideline uh of what we're learning because you may not be physically involved in the lesson, but you're you'll still be involved in that you're watching. And then once all the kids agree, it's it's binding. And then throughout the year, when a kid makes a mistake, I'll say, you know, listen, I told you to work with the soccer ball safely, and you're clearly not. This is going to be your verbal warning. And if you do this again, you're going to have to take that one-minute break. And they agree to it because this is something we agreed upon in the beginning of the year.

Jake 8:50

Right.

Tom 8:51

Another thing is this is the last thing with classroom management that I would say that really has helped me, is try to find that student who is the most unfocused, or the ones that tend to just want to do the exact opposite of what you're teaching. And recognize that you can't fix that issue within the time you have them in class. So are you willing to put into work after the bell rings to spend some time with that child and connect with them, either at recess, before, after school? Are you willing to commit that time to get to know that child and build some kind of relationship with them and then bring it back into the class? We had a student one time that just really wanted nothing to do with physical education. And when I went outside, I'd found out that that he likes taekwondo. And I said, Well, what belt are you working towards? He said, The red belt. I said, That's amazing. When are you up for it? He says, About the end of the month. I'm like, I'd love to check it out. And I went and I got to see him earn that belt. And then when I had class with him later that week, I had brought it up. I'm like, dude, I never realized how motivated you were in taekwondo. That was unbelievable. And once he saw that I was interested in what he was all about, he slowly started becoming interested in what I was all about. And that works well with upper elementary kids. When you're working with younger ones, like primary grades, let's say you're a first grader, and they don't want to be part of your class, you could figure out what they're into. Like I had one student that was obsessed with SpongeBob SquarePants. And I said, okay, the very next class, I put SpongeBob SquarePants theme song as part of our warm-up. Or if we're working with a soccer boy, put Spongebob SquarePants stickers on his or her particular ball. And it's just enough to spark something in them to be included in part of my lesson. And then we just go from there. Once they do part of the lesson, then next thing you know, they're doing a little bit more, a little bit more. It does take a little time and effort, but I'm telling you, if you put the work in early by the end of the year, your classroom management that it wouldn't be an issue.

Jake 11:04

What a great story. And I think the key here is building those relationships. Like you said, beyond the bell when the bell is over, when the class is over, recess, lunchtime. Uh, you know, we all have duties after school or before school school. So trying to build those relationships and connections. And I love that story about the Taekwondo. So I'm sure he was psyched to see you there, right? At his gym and then to get there, earn that belt, and earn that because it's a lot of work. Martial arts.

Tom 11:28

A lot of work. And you know, it's funny because I thought it was gonna be a half-hour thing, next thing you know, it was there for three hours. But you know, you don't have to go to every single event, just go one time, and you'll be amazed on the impact that it will make on that child. And if you haven't tried it, give it a try. Trust me. Yeah, that's awesome. Give it a try, right? I figured at some point I'd say, I didn't think I'd do it this early, but yeah.

Jake 11:50

That's all right. There'll be other opportunities. So you kind of went into our next question a little bit, which is how do you develop or encourage leadership in your students? And you you explained how you co-create the rules with your students, and I think that also is a way to develop leadership. But um,

Growing Student Leaders In Class

Jake 12:06

what other things might you do or have you done in the past that have given students maybe the opportunity to shine in a different way in like a leadership role, whether it's a coach or a that's an excellent question.

Tom 12:17

I think the biggest thing I try to do while I'm teaching, at least during the school year, is try to expose my students to as many varieties of different activities as possible and giving them time to explore and practice. And while that's happening, I'm actively observing them. Every kid is so unique. And if you if you're starting a volleyball unit and working on a bump and set pass, you'd be amazed on kids, even at the elementary level, they just have this unique, it's almost like a talent where they just pick up things quicker than others. And so when you have this unique ability, I always tell my students, well, what are you gonna do with this? Are you going to show off to the other kids how amazing you are? Are you going to just brag and say I'm better than you and look at me looking at not at you? Or are you going to use that talent, use that ability as a way to help others grow and learn? That's what leaders do. You can only get so far on your own. And you come across as a very good volleyball player. But if you want to get great, the next step is to help your neighbor, help your fellow classmate. And so we encourage students that have that uniqueness in them, either they play volleyball on their own or they just have this kind of unique gift to at times during the lesson put their volleyball down and assist the people next to them. Or we group them up with purpose, we group them up with a student that just really has never played before and use that as an opportunity to teach them how to how to be a leader and help others. And when you give kids a variety of different activities to do, each and every lesson it tends to be a different leader at that particular time. Yeah.

Jake 14:05

Right. So it kind of happens organically with the fact that you're promoting the variety of different units and topics and putting them also in in opportunities to practice. Like you said, they're a beginner with somebody who's more advanced, and that gives them a chance to work on his or her leadership skills. So that's great. So, Tom, we both know as PE teachers that we see all types of students in the classes. What is something that you do to make sure that it's inclusive for everyone? Either the lesson or the unit or just the environment.

Tom 14:34

You know, you know, right now we're in our volleyball unit, and the key is to keep it simple and keep

Making PE Inclusive For Everyone

Tom 14:40

it basic in the beginning. You know, we're working on the forearm bomb pass, and I start off with giving every child a balloon, which anyone with experience will say, well, this is too novice for me. I'm more advanced in this. And I get that, but everyone can practice at the most simplest level. Showcase that you're able to do more. I'll see it through my observation, and I'll either give you a beach ball or a trainer ball or a volleyball based on what I'm seeing, or I'll pick you, I'll tell you to put the balloon down and help the others to have them catch up to your ability. But I always start with the softest and easiest piece of equipment that's works for all children. And then based on my observation, we build off of that and we change up the equipment, the space, based on how well they're doing. And that's why it's so important that you know where your lesson's going and it gives you enough time to really spend time observing and helping them along the way.

Jake 15:39

In addition to that, Tom, just to follow up, I think giving them everybody a balloon, they all start with a success. Now, maybe they're on a travel team or whatnot, whatever the unit is, but at least everybody's successful in that task. Whereas if you start at too advanced level, as you know, it's going to lead to frustration, then they're not going to like the activity. It just spirals. So that's a great strategy and a great tip for teachers to utilize. Um, and then you also mentioned observing them. So you're observing their skills, you're observing their social skills, you're observing their their technique and their biomechanics. So it's it's not just random observation, right? You're you're really pinpointing.

Tom 16:16

Yeah, and a lot of my student teachers always ask me, like, how do I observe them safely? And I said, Well, if the kids are in motion, like if they're moving all around,

Observing Skills And Grouping Well

Tom 16:28

then you have to be on the outside of the playing area observing. You can't be in the middle because, particularly with elementary students, your back would be to certain kids. So you have to be in a spot where you're on the outside. I always tell them it's always like you're a lifeguard and everyone inside are swimming. You know, would the lifeguard be in the pool with them or would they be on the outside really scanning? Right. And so that's what we do when kids are in motion, when they're moving around. But a lot of the times, particularly when you're working on skill skills, a lot of them are in personal space and working in their own space. Right. And so once we agree upon we're gonna work on our space in our space, there's some trust, giving me the opportunity to have my back to certain children, right? Obviously, kindergarten is a little different. You got to be careful, always watch them. But if I'm with upper elementary students, I'm able to work with certain groups of kids while my back is turned to others because they're working independently. So if I show them how to do the forearm bump, I will then give them three to four minutes of practice. And with purpose, I'll go up to a set of children on one side of the gym and I'll take the ball away and I'll say, Do you remember the skills and the cues we went over? Okay, great. And each of them, I'll practice at least one bump with them to see where they're at. And then I'll go to the next group of students, I'll do the same, and then I'll go to the next group. By the time I'm done, it's been about two to three minutes, and I'll sit the entire class down and I'll review what I've observed because there's always common trends, like, oh, maybe a kid's bending his arm too much. Maybe they're not, maybe they're flat footed, they're not on their toes. So then I'll sit them down, I'll go over what I've seen and what we need to work on, and I'll tell them let's practice for a couple more minutes, and then I'll go up to another set of children. What's great about that is that I get to have one-on-one moments with each child, every lesson, regardless if it's 20 students or we have up to sometimes 70 kids. I'll still have that one-on-one time, and I'm able to really gauge how they're doing and where they're at in the lesson, so that in the following lesson, I can group them up accordingly. But the biggest thing is kids have to do their best. Sometimes you have a student that can do it so easy that they start fooling around or they just don't, they're not as focused because it's too easy for them. And I always try to tell them that if you do that as an observer, it confuses me. And I start to think that maybe you're truly a beginner. So you have to be disciplined enough throughout the two to three minutes or four minutes, however long you're practicing, to take it unbelievably seriously so that when we get to a culminating activity at the end of the unit, I can appropriately put you in the right groupings to play so that we don't have all the experienced players together and all the beginners together. We want to have a nice mix, but it's hard to mix kids up if we're not taking this part of the lesson seriously.

Jake 19:29

I like that approach because it puts the responsibility back on the student, right? They have to take responsibility for their own actions, their own behavior. And it's three or four minutes is not a long time to stay focused on a task, right? I mean, if they can do that in math and science and all the others, they can definitely do it in our subject. And I like that they also that they get put in groups based on what you observe, right? So it's a deeper methodology going on here. It's not just random grouping. Oh, let's play a game today and put Johnny, Susie, and Mike or whoever together, but it's all planned out specifically for what you're trying to achieve. That's great. There's a there's a lot to that, what you said. Yeah. So, Tom, let's talk about a success story. It can either be with a student or a teacher. What's one thing, what's a story that stood out with you? I know you mentioned the student with the taekwondo um visiting his school, but is there another success story um

Patience And Meeting Kids Where They Are

Jake 20:18

that has kind of stayed with you in your career? And if not, it could be a teacher too, whatever kind of comes to you.

Tom 20:25

I don't think I have a particular success story that's really jumping out at me, but I have a tremendous amount of patience. What I find is I'll have kindergartners and first graders. Some of them will come in and you know, they have they come in so unfocused. Uh sometimes they're they're inadvertently rude, they get, you know, just they make the lesson difficult. And I just am so consistent with them and I find ways to bring out the best of them, even though each and every lesson it's always a challenge. But I just stick with it. I'm consistent, I focus on what I can control, and I help this child the best I can, and then I just wait it out. And sure enough, by the time they get to fourth, fifth grade, something clicks in them and they become a different child. And so sometimes it's even even throughout the years with me, they haven't gotten together. But 10 years go down, 10 years down the road, when they're in high school, I run into them and they're like the nicest and greatest kid, and they're so focused. And so one thing I would say for all teachers out there is just meet kids where they are. Teaching can be frustrating at times, but just take a deep breath and understand that you're working with children and everything takes time. And if you're consistent and you're always positive and you always teach good character in front of them, before you know it. Things will turn around and um you just gotta stick with it. So I don't know if that helps answer your question.

Jake 22:05

No, it does. So you're talking about not one event in particular, but just a kind of style and approach about meeting students where they're at, being consistent and just doing the best you can with them to try to bring out the best in them, as you said. So no, that's great.

Tom 22:19

That's yeah, I have I have an amazing, amazing co-worker, and he he didn't believe it. And he's now been with me four years, and he's like, I can't believe it. These children that have just you know, you take a deep breath when they come into the gym when they were younger. Now it's like they're there's a pleasure to be around, and it's because of our consistency and our positivity and our on our focus on character. That's awesome. Really hit home with them.

Jake 22:43

Yeah, they're I'm sure they're lucky to have you and your co-workers, so that's awesome. So, Tom, let's move on to social media. So, you're on many different platforms, right? Instagram, TikTok. Um, are you on anything else? YouTube, YouTube. Sure. So when you post your videos, I'm

Social Media And Pandemic Teaching

Jake 23:00

just curious what's kind of your thinking behind the post. Is it to share a strategy? Is it to share a tip? Is it to to answer a question? Take us through like kind of your mindset about how you post it.

Tom 23:11

I mean, there were there were definitely phases of how I brought out content. You know, I would say about 2017, 2018 was when I made my first video. And my inspiration was being stuck in the classroom because of a it was a rainy day and I lost my gymnasium because of a book sale. And now I'm in this classroom, and every classroom has a smart board. So I'm thinking, let me do a warm-up, let me go on YouTube, and I looked up a follow-along dance video, and something popped up, and I hit play, and the kids were into it. I'm like, this is cool. And I just thought to myself, like, I can make one of those. I do fitness workouts with the kids in the gymnasium. Why can't I do it on the screen? And I just I encourage all listeners, if you feel that same like, hmm, I think I can do this, do it. Do it. So I remember making my first dance video in the gymnasium. I just took a tripod, I had a speaker that I would blast the music onto my iPad because I didn't really know anything about tech, and I figured this is the way to go. So I just blast the music full blast onto my iPad and I would videotape myself doing the steps. I didn't even know how to edit. So you just see me running to the iPad, pressing the button, running back. And I put it on YouTube and I made uh my first video on my YouTube channel. And the very next time I was stuck in the classroom, I played myself. And it was just wonderful to see the students respond. Like they were just so shocked that I was on the screen. Like, that's our gymnasium. That's I can't believe it. Even the teachers were surprised to see me. And that just it just motivated me to just continue to make dance videos. So I started making a dance video once a month. And then in 2020, COVID 19 happened, and now the entire school was shut down. And because I started making these dance videos, I had about a library of about 25 dances. So I went on Facebook and I said, listen, if you're struggling to find ways to get kids to move, here's my YouTube channel. Here's some of the things I've done. And the feedback I got from teachers from all around the country, it was just incredible. They were just playing my dance videos for their students, and it wasn't what I initially intended. You know, I was under the delusion that that phys ed teachers would look at my dance move and then they would just copy those steps for their own children. I never thought that they would just click me and I would be kind of in a way teaching their students as well. So it was just an amazing experience. And then once we found out we had to go to remote learning, and this was going to be a long-term thing, I was just very blessed to have a basement where we were refurnishing. So we had no couches, we had space in the basement. And I went on at the time, I think it was Twitter, but X, and I saw teachers from around the country doing at-home videos with paper, with socks. And I had this thing of like, I think I can do this too. And so I made my first video in my basement using a piece of paper, crumbling it, and just kind of volleying it in the air with my hands. How many times can you do that? And when I posted it on my YouTube channel, I went to sleep. I woke up the next day. I think I had like 18,000 views.

Jake 26:34

Wow.

Tom 26:35

I remember calling my dad. I'm like, Dad, I'm a little nervous. Like, I don't know who these people are, I don't know what they're expecting. And my dad's like, just be yourself and just do what you feel is right. This is your channel. People don't think this is good content, they'll go to a different venue, a different channel. But if they they think what you're doing is helpful, then do it. So then I thought to myself, this is an opportunity. This is an opportunity to make a huge impact in this profession in such a positive way. So I started making these videos. I remember I'd spend one day writing out at-home activities. The next day I would film it, which was like the most fun part. And then I had to deal with the boring part of editing it. So it was like a three-day process, but I would try to push out a video once or twice a week. And I think what separated me from a lot of other teachers is that when the summer came, I had this feeling that COVID wasn't going anywhere. So I dedicated my summer to continue to make videos throughout the entire summer. So that when September came, I had like a library of 15, 20 videos to roll out to help not only my students and other teachers. And that was when I started making YouTube. And then once the once the pandemic started to slow down and everything went back to normal and everybody went back to school, I had recognized that there were a lot of young people, teachers, that their only experience being mentored was virtual through Zoom because when they were student teaching, they weren't allowed to be in the gym. They had to learn through Zoom. And so they went into the gymnasium having their first job after the pandemic with little to no practical experience. So I figured why not use TikTok as an as a platform to share basic tricks. And I think I remember one of my first tips was like, hey, if you're going to use a whistle in your gymnasium, make sure it's plastic and if it's around your neck, because if it's metal and you're doing a jumping jack to demonstrate, there's a chance that metal whistle might hit you in the face and possibly chip your tooth. Use plastic, give it a try. And I remember I had like two likes, and I think it was my wife and I. And I'm like, it doesn't matter. My reason for doing this is to help young people. I'm just gonna stick with it. And consistency was the key. But here's the biggest kicker: I was doing this to help other people, not realizing that this was actually helping me. I have gotten so comfortable in front of the camera that it helped me with my own instruction with children. Like I'm able to get to the point without stuttering, without saying without any of those filler words, because I had worked on it so many times when I was videotaping myself. I also recognize the type of energy that I need to get my point across on camera. And I provide that same energy when I'm around my children, and it's just been so helpful. So it is not only am I doing my best to help young people, but I'm finding it's helping my own learning as well.

Jake 29:43

And you're yeah, that's what a great story. You're going above and beyond, you're doing these videos, you knew that COVID wasn't going anywhere, so you spent the time and the discipline to create all these resources, and then it ends up not only helping people who didn't have a chance to go into the gymnasium, like these new teachers, but also veteran teachers alike, and also your own teaching. So it's kind of like the full circle moment where it's helping everybody, and just that's awesome. So really cool.

Tom 30:09

I really appreciate it. You know, listen, I didn't have like everything go well in my career from the get-go. I had some bumps along the way, but my dedication to grow and learn and my personal development has always been on the forefront. And doing that for 15 years before COVID had happened, I really truly believe prepared me for this situation. And I'm just very blessed that I was ready, that I had the experience, that I had the dedication for something like this to have happened, and to use it as an opportunity to help help so many people in physical education and beyond. And my ultimate goal is to get young people that are uncertain about what they want to do in their career, to hopefully see me on camera and say, wow, this guy has a lot of energy. He looks like what he's doing is a lot of fun. Let me see what this physical education is all about. Because I think what we need to do as a profession is really focus on getting the right people entering this profession. I think we need a lot of young people that are have enthusiasm, that are good with kids, and that are dedicated to being the best that they can. And if we could have every physical education teacher like that, I don't think we'd have to worry about advocacy. I think that um we wouldn't have to worry about funding. I think that's the biggest goal. And I think when I get an email from a young person out of high school saying, Coach Gillardi, I didn't know what I wanted to do, but you know, I saw your energy and I decided to go into physical education. Now I'm in my second year teaching and I couldn't be happier. It just makes me realize that making all of this really was the right way to go. I'm just I couldn't be happier.

Jake 31:58

Yeah, having a huge impact on people. That's awesome. And you just answered my next two questions, which was what advice would you give to someone new entering the field? And also, what do you hope to see in the future? What goals do you have? You kind of just talked about it, you know, with with your

Get Uncomfortable And Keep Improving

Jake 32:11

yeah, I like their ramble. No, no, no, that's fine. No, that's great. No, it's it's painting a picture and sharing your story, and it's really impactful, obviously, to many, many people. I mean, I don't know.

Tom 32:25

You have any I have another tip for young people because I'm very blessed to to work with a lot of young people, and it's it's you got to get out of your comfort zone. I've worked with so many young teachers that tend to do things their way, and they're not as open to try new things because they're worried to fail. And it's like, well, you're going to fail. And my biggest thing is I'm always afraid to be a hypocrite. Like, how can I tell a student to try things, even if they're gonna fail, if I'm not even willing to try things and fail? You know, we have to lead by example, and you got to do things that are completely uncomfortable. It wasn't comfortable for me to start videotaping myself in the very beginning. I didn't like how my my shiny head and like how my, you know, I have a lisp. I didn't like how I sounded on camera. But it's not about that, it's about getting better for your for your students, and there's always room to grow. And the quickest and fastest way to grow is by doing something as videotaping one of your lessons and and and having the willingness to do that, no matter how uncomfortable it is. You know, I I'll do like a dance program and and I'll run into teachers that are like, listen, dancing isn't my thing. I'm like, do I look like a dancer? I'm not a dancer, but you know, it's you have to get out of your comfort zone to grow and learn. And I think it's important to do that.

Jake 33:46

Absolutely. And you're also talking about reflection too. When you're analyzing your video, you're reflecting on what worked well, what didn't work well, and what can I do differently next time? Those are all things that are that are part of getting out of the comfort zone and being improving ourselves, right? Improving our teaching capabilities and our craft.

Tom 34:03

Yeah, and to add on to that, it's like you know, sometimes you watch yourself and you think you're amazing. And that's where you need to have like a mentor or a network of friends. And that's why I love open. I also have on Twitter X a Friday Night Family, where we have these amazing teachers from around the country that every Friday night we go on Zoom and we just kind of hang out. It started during COVID. And I have these just amazing people that if I'm like, listen, I think I did this great, but if I send them the video, they're like, Tom, I think I would have done this differently, I think I would have done that differently. And it's so helpful to get that feedback. But are you willing to share that content with others? It's kind of hard because some people are afraid to get judged. You know, listen, we're gonna get judged. If we're not getting judged by other professionals, we're gonna get judged by our administrators, but most importantly, we're gonna get judged by the kids. So if we're not putting in the work, these kids are gonna be like, oh, this teacher doesn't know what he's doing.

unknown 35:04

Right.

Jake 35:04

You know, something like that you bring up a good point. Yeah, we're we're being watched, we're we're kind of like in that fishbowl, so to speak, right? And so yeah, we got to do the best job we can for not only our students, but also to raise the profession further, which you obviously you're doing and have done. So, I mean, kudos to you. As we come to a close, Tom, any final words of wisdom you can give to both our veteran teachers and our new teachers?

Tom 35:30

The best advice I can say is meet kids where they are and be mentally and physically prepared and just

SEL And Character Over Skills

Tom 35:43

do your best. And I think character development sometimes takes precedence over skill development. You know, focus on the SEL part of it and build kids' characters, like teach them the power of having confidence, to persevere, to have integrity. You know, integrity is something that can be taught. Like I didn't have a ton of integrity when I was a kid. I I would act one way in front of the teacher, and then I'd act a complete clown when the teacher would turn his back. I lack that integrity. And I see it in a lot of my children that I teach and I try to address it and say, listen, regardless if I'm standing over you or if I'm far away, you have to still commit to growing and learning. It's a commitment. And what makes physical education so unique is that we have the time to do that. Like we have those teachable moments that tend to happen in class where we really could address being kind to others, you know, winning with grace, losing with grace, and and having those teachable moments to develop character. If we can focus on that, I think we'd be making a world of difference in a positive way. And I think that's the way to go in physical education.

Jake 36:58

Great tips, great advice. We definitely have the right venue for it with all the with our topics and whatnot. So great advice. And then finally, Tom, how could our listeners connect with you? I mean, obviously, the YouTube and social media is email a possibility if people have questions, teachers have questions, or I'm just gonna hyperlink everything. So is that fine with you?

How To Connect And Closing

Jake 37:17

Yeah, absolutely.

Speaker 37:18

I have a YouTube channel. If you go on my channel, you'll see that my email is there.

Jake 37:23

Okay.

Tom 37:23

I try my best to respond back to anyone that contacts me on Instagram or TikTok. So don't be afraid to contact me, and I will do everything in my power to help or at least guide you in the direction that can help whatever questions you have for sure.

Jake 37:38

That's awesome, Tom. I appreciate it so much. Tom, thank you so much for saying yes to this podcast and sharing your expertise with us. It was great to have you on.

Tom 37:46

Thanks for having me.

Jake 37:48

Absolutely.

Tom 37:48

Continue to do what you're doing. It's this great for the profession.

Jake 37:51

Appreciate it. Thank you so much. And listeners, if you have any questions, you can always email us at mafordpodcast at gmail.com. We'll have this episode uploaded soon. We're also asking our listeners to rate and share this podcast if it has helped you in any way. Thank you all for listening. Have a great week, and we'll be back soon.