The Legacy We Leave: Teaching with Purpose and Impact

What's up PE Nation!

I've been thinking about legacy a lot lately. I think it matters in education because our impact extends far beyond our teaching careers, affecting how students approach life long after they've forgotten specific lessons. here's how I plan on leaving a legacy that matters:

• Be present by greeting students daily, learning their names, showing genuine interest in their lives, and putting away digital distractions
• Create meaningful experiences students won't forget through shared joy, personal engagement, and memorable activities
• Innovate constantly like Edison by refreshing curriculum, writing grants for new equipment, and developing activities that meet current student interests
• Focus on relationships rather than recognition, understanding students will remember how you made them feel more than what you taught

What legacy will you leave?

Dave

-my article on "The Legacy We Leave"

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Chapters

• 0:00 Introduction to Legacy in Teaching
• 1:36 The Principal's Forgotten Legacy
• 3:25 The Mr. Holland's Opus Dream
• 5:02 Be Present With Your Students
• 7:07 Bring the Joy to Classroom
• 8:35 Innovate Like Edison
• 12:18 Cowbell Tip and Closing Thoughts

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:10

Hello and welcome to the Supersize Phys Ed podcast. My name is Dave and today I want to talk about legacy the legacy we leave, and it's just something I've been thinking about a lot as I've gotten older in my teaching career and, hopefully, wiser. I guess we'll see about that. So let's talk about it. Let's go. All right, everybody, welcome in today. I appreciate you being here.

Speaker 1: 0:49

So there's a plaque that I think about a lot, that I look at a lot. It's in my pavilion and it's dedicated to a principal that was there, I guess, near the beginning of the school being set up. My school started in 1988, so it's been there a long time and I didn't teach there until 2021. So there's a lot that happened before I was there and a lot that will happen after I'm gone, I'm sure. So the pavilion, and there's another place as well, another, at least one place like a garden or something like that that's dedicated to the principal that was there from 1995 through 2006.

Speaker 1: 1:36

And you know, I've Googled her before and I honestly can't find much about her on the internet. And you know I mean I know, you know, pre pre 1995, you can find things about people I just can't find really much about her. I'm sure she was amazing person. I don't even know if she's still alive. She might be. You know, I saw that she brought our school to an A during her tenure and you know. Here's my question why doesn't anybody know who she is and doesn't remember her? Now, maybe some people do. I've never really asked a lot of people. I think I've talked about her before to a few people and they might remember her a little bit or something, maybe whatever about her, but most people have never heard of her before. So and I'm not downplaying what she did to for our school I'm sure she was amazing, but why am I obsessed with that plaque and why does this matter? And I think it goes back to one word guess what? Legacy.

Speaker 1: 2:46

And so I have a confession I love Mr Holland's opus. I do. It's whatever teacher dreams of. It's inspiring students, teaching for a career at one school and leaving an impact on others. And, by the way, having that surprise party, retirement party where thousands of people from your past come back and honor you and talk about how wonderful you are.

Speaker 1: 3:11

And I just realized it's not very realistic. I mean, I taught for nine and a half years at my former school and I quit in the middle of the year because I just had to get out of there and I thought that was it for me in physical education and I never got my Mr Holland's opus moment. You know, I see my former students around town or I'll see them somewhere at the arena or wherever that I work at. But you know most at this point now I've been gone long enough where even the kindergartners that were there when I was there are now either fifth graders or in middle school. So I mean, I'm not really known as well as I was back then. And you know that's okay. I don't have a plaque on the field in my honor and that's okay.

Speaker 1: 4:02

But why does this matter to me? I guess it's because I want to be remembered. You know I want, I want my life to matter. I want to know that I taught and made a difference in these kids' lives. You know I want every day to be filled with joy and laughter and learning. And I was like well, how can I make this happen at my current school? Because I just finished up my fourth year at my current school and, by the way, I wrote an article on this and it's in the show notes. I'll put it in the show notes if you want to take a look at the dedication plaque and just some things I'm talking about in there just as a visual.

Speaker 1: 4:40

But I thought of three things and there's many more, but three things that I can do that maybe you can do to leave a lasting legacy at your school. So I'll make this a boomer. So first boomer, first one. Here we go. All right, number one is be present.

Speaker 1: 5:02

Take time each day, greet your students. I work at one of the entrances, the biker walker gate, and I do the open gate, which is like a security thing, and you know, greet each student that comes in. You don't know what kind of morning they had or night before. You know, treat them like they were one of your children. You don't know what kind of morning they had or night before. Treat them like they were one of your children.

Speaker 1: 5:25

Here's some of the things that I try to do, and I'm not perfect, but I try to do these every day. First of all, smile and greet them. Like I said, give them a high five, a fist bump, a hug or handshake. Now, you don't have to, but some kids like that. Some kids don't Call them by their names. Now that's the hardest part for me. It's always been the hardest part for me because I have a thousand names and I just have trouble with that, especially the younger ones especially. But I'm always trying to study the yearbook and memorize faces and names and just playing name games in the beginning of the school year, especially with kindergarten first graders that's the hardest part for me. But know their names, ask them about their weekend, attend one of their games or events, if you can. I used to do that more when I was single and I'd have my own children. But now I bring my children to games like their own flag football games and stuff like that, and I'll see other kids and I'll try to catch their games as well, things like that.

Speaker 1: 6:25

And one of the main things is ditch the cell phone. Just get rid of the cell phone in your hands while you're talking to anybody, or your AirPod and it's like, oh my gosh, that's one of my biggest pet peeves, and that's not just with teachers, that's with anybody. Be present and that won't give you your Mr Holland's Opus moment. But kids will remember you if you treat them kindly and you're present for them when they are speaking and you're actively listening. So that is number one Be present. Number two is bring the joy. So, yes, I care about if my students learn about nutrition. I cover the standards, of course, but they're not going to remember that. I mean, I hope they do and I hope they remember bike safety and water safety and all that stuff. But they'll remember more about how you treated them and if things were fun or boring.

Speaker 1: 7:27

So my goal is to create memorable experiences, to laugh with them, to share funny stories and memories with them, share your passions and have fun, like join in the games. I'm not saying all the time I don't always join in the games, because a lot of times I have to be like really watching. But you know, on free days I might play hockey with the kids and you know, sometimes, especially in the past, I would play like capture flag with the kids. Um, you know now you had got to watch, you got to be present, you got to be making sure everything's going smoothly. But join in and, especially, with the experiences, create some things that they're never going to forget. I don't think they're ever going to forget our mascot, webster. They just won't. They won't forget the Chookball Tournament or some of the other games and fun we had with them. You know the reindeer games like, things like that. They're not going to forget that. So join in the fun, have a great time with them, create experiences and bring the joy.

Speaker 1: 8:33

Number three is innovate, like Edison. So I'd like to think I've changed my games up and added new things to our curriculum every year, our program. Now, I want to suit their interests and their needs the children, and this includes, you know, time in the quote unquote lab, like Edison creating. I'm in the quote unquote lab, like Edison creating. I've created some games that just haven't worked or games that I phased out because they weren't current with the times or they weren't current with my philosophy on PE. You know I've made changes where I needed, you know, but I didn't stop and I suggest to you and to myself to keep at it, keep creating, keep innovating. One of the ways I do that is by writing grants every year.

Speaker 1: 9:23

So last year I got a gaga ball pit and I was a kind of a gaga ball or an anti-gagaall person for a little bit there, because to me it's borderline dodgeball and we don't play dodgeball but it's the ankles or it's the feet, and so I'm like, okay, I get it and the kids love it, but I add things to it different strategies, different tactics, different standards. We talk about things, stuff like that, but gauge their interests, look for ways to bring in new ideas. We also brought in Frisbee golf targets. Um, in fairness, I had some. They were like sitting on the woods for like 20 years and all rusted and they were. They literally were a hazard when they were bad. So, because I have a really, I think, positive relationship with our PTO, um, they asked me, like, what do you want? What kind of equipment do you need? And I said, well, how about some new Frisbee golf targets? So we got those this year and not only did we use those for golf, we use those for, like, football targets. Um, I have a few games for next year we just didn't have time this year that I want to add to the mix. Um, using the Frisbee golf targets, things like that.

Speaker 1: 10:35

Like innovate, create new games even with the equipment. You already have Put in the work in the quote-unquote off-season. Now, for me, the off-season is the summertime. Create new games, add new ideas. One of the things I want to do, this I want to work on this summer and bring to my program. Next in the fall when I say next fall, it's like in a couple months is my next level leadership program, and I did a whole podcast on that. So definitely check that one out if you're interested. But you know, that's something new, that's something brand new that the kids have never done, and I want to reward and empower the students with this program brand new that the kids have never done. And I want to reward and empower the students with this program. I also want to do almost like an amazing PE race, which I've done before, but I didn't do it justice. I didn't do a very good job, but I want to create something new and exciting for them.

Speaker 1: 11:28

So always be innovating. Don't teach the greatest hits from 1980s. Constantly improve, innovate. I do have some staple games that I play every single year because they work, they're good, they're great even, and the kids love them and they're really good for rainy days and things like that. So there are a few of my greatest hits, but I try not to do that. I try to innovate and create all the time. So innovate like Edison.

Speaker 1: 11:52

That is number three, and now it is time for your cowbell tip of the day. All right. So your tip of the day is to kind of review the things that might help you leave a legacy. Now, I know some people don't care about legacy and you know I do. I'm sorry I do. I care that my time on this earth matters and I want it to impact other students, other people. So think of ways that you can bring the joy, create like Edison, be present or anything else that can help you do the best you can for your students and leave the impact you want to leave on your school. And that is your cowbell tip of the day.

Speaker 1: 13:00

Thank you everybody for tuning in today. I really do appreciate it. As always, go to supersize phys for more information or follow me on substack or medium. Check the show notes for all sorts of things in there, like my book high, high Fives and Empowering Lives. There's a simple e-book and there's also a paperback book for your reading pleasure and I'd love for you to check it out. So with that, pe Nation, have a great day, week, weekend, whenever you listen to this, and let's keep pushing our profession forward. Thank you.