Gary Zaharatos

Distinguished Physical Education Podcast Episodes

Education EN ↓ 48 episodes

Welcome to the Distinguished Physical Education podcast, the show where highly effective teachers from across the world come to discuss how to create a rigorous, standards-based PE program that is safe and welcoming for all students. This podcast is a great companion for the book, Becoming a Distinguished Physical Education Teacher, which is available on Amazon.

Author

Gary Zaharatos

Category

Education

Podcast website

distinguishedpe.podbean.com

Latest episode

Jun 15, 2026

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Episodes

#48 - The Distinguished PE K-5 Comprehensive Curriculum 15.06.2026

For information on our K-5 Curriculum, self-paced graduate courses, ten-session live virtual course, facilitator certification program, book, or merch, visit www.distinguishedpe.com or email gary@distinguishedpe.com   Click here to download a free sample of the curriculum and for purchasing options. Distinguished PE K-5 Curriculum Implementation Guide   Questions? Email gary@distinguishedpe.com  ...

#47 - Helping Every Student Find Their Thing | Amanda Flohrs 25.05.2026

For information on our K-5 Curriculum, self-paced graduate courses, ten-session live virtual course, facilitator certification program, book, or merch, visit www.distinguishedpe.com or email gary@distinguishedpe.com    Amanda Flohrs has been teaching physical education for 14 years. She is currently a middle school health and physical education teacher in Owatonna, Minnesota. She graduated in 2011...

#46 - Building a Student-Driven Fitness Program | Derek Thomas 11.05.2026

For information on our K-5 Curriculum, self-paced graduate courses, ten-session live virtual course, facilitator certification program, book, or merch, visit www.distinguishedpe.com or email gary@distinguishedpe.com   Derek Thomas is a national board certified PE teacher at Cheyenne High School in North Las Vegas and the 2024 Shape Nevada and 2025 Shape America Western District High School teacher...

#45 - Q&A #1: SHAPE KC, Assessment, PETE Programs, Unit Durations, and More | Jen Smith 27.04.2026

For information on our K-5 Curriculum, self-paced graduate courses, ten-session live virtual course, facilitator certification program, book, or merch, visit www.distinguishedpe.com or email gary@distinguishedpe.com   Distinguished PE has officially launched new self-paced courses! You can take them for graduate credits, for hours toward renewing your teaching license, or simply for your own profe...

#44 - Would You Want to Be on Your Own Team Today? | Liz Potash 13.04.2026

For information on our K-5 Curriculum, self-paced graduate courses, ten-session live virtual course, facilitator certification program, book, or merch, visit www.distinguishedpe.com or email gary@distinguishedpe.com   Liz Potash has been teaching since 2002 and is currently an Elementary PE teacher at Goodnoe Elementary School in the Council Rock School District located in Bucks County, Pennsylvan...

#43 - Assessment and Social Skill Development | Derek Martinez 30.03.2026

For information on our K-5 Curriculum, self-paced graduate courses, ten-session live virtual course, facilitator certification program, book, or merch, visit www.distinguishedpe.com or email gary@distinguishedpe.com   My guest today is Derek Martinez. Derek was born and raised in northern NV, then moved to Boise where he earned a Bachelors of Science Degree in K-12 Physical Education. After teachi...

#42 - Leveraging AI in PE | Bryson Davis 16.03.2026

For information on our K-5 Curriculum, self-paced graduate courses, ten-session live virtual course, facilitator certification program, book, or merch, visit www.distinguishedpe.com or email gary@distinguishedpe.com   Bryson Davis is a passionate K-5 Physical Education teacher at Ridgeview Elementary in Colorado and an active board member of SHAPE Colorado. He is quickly becoming a leading voice o...

#41 - Leveling the Playing Field with Unique Experiences in Secondary PE | Victoria Wink 02.03.2026

For information on our K-5 Curriculum, self-paced graduate courses, ten-session live virtual course, facilitator certification program, book, or merch, visit www.distinguishedpe.com or email gary@distinguishedpe.com   Victoria is in her ninth year of teaching 7-12th grade physical education on Long Island, New York. Three years ago she started teaching a dual enrollment exercise science class wher...

#40 - Just Adapt It: A STEP Framework for Adapting PE So Everyone Can Play | Matt Barker 16.02.2026

For information on our K-5 Curriculum, self-paced graduate courses, ten-session live virtual course, facilitator certification program, book, or merch, visit www.distinguishedpe.com or email gary@distinguishedpe.com   Matt Barker is an award-winning Adapted Physical Education (APE) teacher, author , advocate, and creator of JustAdaptIt.com , a leading resource hub for inclusive PE. Now an itineran...

#39 - Teacher Presence, Tone, and Creating Content and Language Objectives | Chris Kolb 02.02.2026

For information on our K-5 Curriculum, self-paced graduate courses, ten-session live virtual course, facilitator certification program, book, or merch, visit www.distinguishedpe.com or email gary@distinguishedpe.com   Chris earned his Bachelor of Science in Physical Education from Queens College his Masters at Brooklyn College. He has been teaching for 16 years, spanning both general and special e...

#38 - Inclusive PE for All: Practical Ideas from Easy Adapted PE | Sarah Fuller 19.01.2026

Distinguished PE is excited to announce the launch of three, self-paced, graduate level courses! See below for more information on how to sign up.   Come see us this June at the Colorado Health and PE Council Summit. Register here for free!   Interested in facilitating a session at the Colorado Health and PE Council Summit? Submit a proposal for your session here !    Sarah Fuller is an award-winn...

#37 - Reimagining Physical Education Through Pop Culture, Creativity, and Inclusion | David Tian 05.01.2026

Distinguished PE is excited to announce the launch of three, self-paced, graduate level courses! See below for more information on how to sign up.   Come see us this June at the Colorado Health and PE Council Summit. Register here for free!   Interested in facilitating a session at the Colorado Health and PE Council Summit? Submit a proposal for your session here !    In this episode, David Tian w...

#36 - 2025 Year in Review: Highlights and Key Takeaways from the Distinguished PE Podcast 21.12.2025

Distinguished PE is excited to announce the launch of three, self-paced, graduate level courses! See below for more information on how to sign up.   This episode takes a look back at some of the most impactful moments from the Distinguished Physical Education Podcast in 2025.  If you’ve been following the show, this is a great chance to revisit some of your favorite conversations. And if you misse...

#35 - Empowering All Students Through the PE Opportunities for Exceptional Learners (PEOPEL) Program | Janine Wilkins 01.12.2025

Distinguished PE is excited to announce the launch of four, self-paced, graduate level courses! See below for more information on how to sign up.   Today’s guest is Janine Wilkins, a veteran teacher at Carl Sandburg High School in Orland Park, where she’s been inspiring students for more than 23 years. Janine earned her degree in Kinesiology from the University of Illinois at Chicago, along with a...

#34 - Rediscovering the Joy of Movement | Dr. Vicky Randall 10.11.2025

Distinguished PE is excited to announce the launch of three, self-paced, graduate level courses! See below for more information on how to sign up.   Dr Vicky Randall is an educator, researcher and consultant in Physical Education, with over 20 years experience in the field. She holds fellowships in the UK with the Higher Education Academy (FHEA) and the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA) and serves as a...

#33 - Standards-Based, Student-Led Activities | Paddy Bailey 20.10.2025

Distinguished PE is excited to announce the launch of three, self-paced, graduate level courses! See below for more information on how to sign up.   Paddy received his bachelors degree in K-12 PE and a Masters in Physical Education Leadership through SUNY Cortland. He has been teaching elementary PE for 10 years, and is entering year 3 at Van Rensselaer Elementary in the Van Rensselaer City School...

#32 - Prioritizing Skill Development and Challenging the Status Quo | Jake Miller 06.10.2025

Distinguished PE is excited to announce the launch of three, self-paced, graduate level courses! See below for more information on how to sign up.   After teaching elementary PE for three years, Jake has been teaching junior high physical education for the past 17 years. first in Montana, and currently at North Junior High in the Boise school district. Jake has presented at state conferences in Id...

#31 - The Return of the Presidential Fitness Test: Repeating the Past or Reimagining the Future | Kathy Harvey and Jamie Sparks 23.09.2025

Distinguished PE is excited to announce the launch of three, self-paced, graduate level courses! See below for more information on how to sign up ...    In this episode, Kathy Harvey, Jamie Sparks and I talk about the return of the Presidential Fitness Test, whether or not it belongs in a high-quality PE program, and the impact it can have on students. Then we zoom out a bit and explore fitness te...

#30 - Back to School 2025: Creating a PE Program That Welcomes Every Learner | Juli Neace 01.09.2025

Distinguished PE is excited to announce the launch of three, self-paced, graduate level courses! See below for more information on how to sign up ...    This episode is the final installment of the Back to School 2025 series, which is focused on setting a positive tone for the school year and building an inclusive culture in PE that provides meaningful experiences for all students from day one.   ...

#29 - Back to School 2025: Building a Culture of Belonging in PE | Courtney Lukasavitz 17.08.2025

Distinguished PE is excited to announce the launch of three, self-paced, graduate level courses! See below for more information on how to sign up.   This episode is part of the Back to School 2025 series, which is focused on setting a positive tone for the school year and building an inclusive culture in PE that provides meaningful experiences for all students from day one.    Courtney Lukasavitz...

#28 - Back to School 2025: Co-Agreements, Student Voice, and Intentional Routines | Rhys Meredith 04.08.2025

Distinguished PE is excited to announce the launch of three, self-paced, graduate level courses! See below for more information on how to sign up.   This episode is part of the Back to School 2025 series, which is focused on setting a positive tone for the school year and building an inclusive culture in PE that provides meaningful experiences for all students from day one.    In this episode, Rhy...

#27 - End-of-Year PE Reflections: Looking Back and Moving Forward | Adam Mullis 09.06.2025

For all things Distinguished Physical Education: https://linktr.ee/distinguishedpe   It’s the final episode of the first year of the Distinguished PE Podcast — and it’s all about taking time to reflect. In this episode, I sit down with Adam Mullis to talk about wrapping up the school year with purpose: how to reflect on your teaching, your students’ growth, and the moments that shaped your PE prog...

#26 - How the Distinguished PE Virtual Course Transformed Our Teaching | Jessie Erikson, Scott Harris, Byron Robinson, and Jen Smith 28.05.2025

For all things Distinguished Physical Education: https://linktr.ee/distinguishedpe   What happens when four PE teachers commit to growing their practice together? In this episode, I sit down with Jessie Erikson, Scott Harris, Byron Robinson, and Jen Smith - all participants in the Distinguished PE Book Study - to talk about how the experience reshaped their teaching.   We dive into: What sparked t...

#25 - Supporting English Learners in PE Without Speaking Their Language (Yet) | Kelly Donnelly 13.05.2025

What would you do if 200 new students walked into your gym — most of them speaking a language you don’t understand? That’s exactly what happened to Kelly Donnelly, a PE teacher in Denver Public Schools. In this powerful episode, Kelly shares how welcoming a wave of Spanish-speaking migrant students changed her teaching, pushed her outside her comfort zone, and strengthened her belief that movement...

#24 - Highlights and Takeaways from SHAPE Baltimore 2025 | Jen Smith 22.04.2025

For all things Distinguished Physical Education: https://linktr.ee/distinguishedpe   My guest today is Jen Smith, a passionate PE leader and teacher from Denver, Colorado, who recently returned from the 2025 SHAPE America National Convention in Baltimore. Jen has been teaching for over 20 years and is known for her energy, thoughtful leadership, and commitment to elevating the field of physical ed...

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