MAHPERD "Voices From The field"

Send us Fan Mail Some students walk into the gym ready to compete. Others walk in scanning for the closest exit, hoping the ball never finds them. That gap isn’t just about effort or attitude. It’s often the environment we’ve built and the narrow set of “right ways” we’ve allowed students to participate. We’re breaking down Universal Design for Learning (UDL) for physical education with practical,...

Send us Fan Mail One “high-quality” lesson can still leave students out, and that’s the problem Dr. Katie Novak helps us solve. We sit down with one of the world’s leading voices on Universal Design for Learning (UDL) to talk about how inclusive education actually works when you design for real human variability. If you teach PE, health, or any subject where confidence and belonging matter, this c...

Send us Fan Mail   One of the most valuable teaching insights we've heard recently is surprisingly simple: if learning only happens while you're lecturing, a single interruption can bring the entire class to a standstill. In this conversation, I sit down with Toni Rose Deanon to explore the Modern Classrooms Project and discuss how educators can redesign instruction so students continue...

Send us Fan Mail If you’ve ever walked into a gym with 80 plus students and thought, “How am I supposed to teach real skills, keep everyone safe, and still meet state standards?” you’re not alone. I sit down with longtime educator Wendi Daniels to unpack what it actually takes to run a high-quality elementary physical education program and why  “just rolling out the ball” remains a damaging practi...

Send us Fan Mail If you’ve ever heard a student say, “We just played tag,” and felt that sinking feeling, you’re going to want this conversation.  In this episode, I talk with Dr. Hilary Glencross, PE teacher educator, curriculum designer, and founder of UBD Movement Lab, about how to make physical education look and feel like real learning without losing the joy of movement.  We dig into Understa...

Send us Fan Mail When a school tries to solve student wellness one office at a time, everyone burns out and kids fall through the cracks. I’m joined by Dr. Jeanie Alter, Executive Director of the American School Health Association (ASHA), to talk about what changes when we treat school health as a coordinated team effort across counselors, nurses, teachers, administrators, families, and community...

Send us Fan Mail 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 fa...

Send us Fan Mail A majority of teachers experience this, but what do we do about it? Apathy doesn’t start as laziness. It starts when good teachers feel drained, unheard, and stuck in systems that keep adding more while taking away the parts of school that actually feel human. I sit down with retired physical educator and lifelong P.E.  advocate Colleen Wegimont to talk about what educator apathy...

Send us Fan Mail Most people think of the school nurse as the place you go for a stomachache. Then you hear what Tami Hale BSN, RN, NCSN actually does before the first bell and all day after that, and the whole picture changes. Tammy is a Worcester Public Schools nurse with decades of experience, and she walks us through the reality of student health in a busy K-12 building where “normal” rarely e...

Send us Fan Mail What if the fastest path to better teaching, stronger leadership, and happier learners starts in the brain? We sit down with Dr. Lisa Riegel—educator, researcher, and author of NeuroWell and Aspirations to Operations—to unpack how biology and context shape behavior, attention, and achievement, and how simple shifts can unlock agency and joy in classrooms and teams. We dive into Ne...

Send us Fan Mail What if physical education shifted its focus from selecting standouts to elevating every learner? In this conversation, we sit down with Jarrod Robinson —founder of ConnectedPE and the original The PE Geek —to explore how a learning-first philosophy can reimagine PE as a space where all students thrive, not just the most athletically gifted. Jarrod reflects on his journey from tho...

Send us Fan Mail What if PE class felt like a place where every student belongs—and every choice builds confidence? We sit down with veteran elementary PE teacher Will Westphal to unpack a practical, research-driven approach that turns movement into meaning. Will’s core promise is simple and bold: movement can make your life better. From there, he shows how autonomy, challenge, and connection crea...

Send us Fan Mail What if schools stopped rewarding quiet compliance and started designing for how kids actually learn? We sat down with Shannon Milliken—founder of Play Education and former P.E teacher turned systems leader—to unpack how movement, health, and belonging can shift classrooms from survival mode to true learning. Shannon’s story traces the arc from overachieving student to educator to...

Send us Fan Mail Tired of  PD that doesn’t fit your teaching space? We sit back down with educator  Kristen Santos to unpack a practical, standards-aligned approach to yoga in PE that strengthens bodies, focuses minds, and gives teachers a clear roadmap. From a high school curriculum built on 54 foundational poses and nine targeted breaths to teacher-friendly guides and visual cue cards, Kristen s...

Send us Fan Mail Feeling stretched thin or stuck on autopilot? We take a deep breath, slow the pace, and work through five reflective questions that help teachers, coaches, and PE leaders move from scattered to intentional.  We start by unpacking a lesson that landed: teaching cardiovascular endurance with relevance, clear cues, and a visual pacing scaffold that helped students focus on sustaining...

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

Send us Fan Mail We sit down with Gopher Sport’s assistant marketing manager, Michael Ewen, to dive into the systems that help teachers deliver better lessons with less stress: a true satisfaction guarantee, teacher-designed equipment, and a ton of free professional development opportunities that are practical. Michael traces his path from videographer to brand lead, showing how listening to educa...

Send us Fan Mail A surprise job interview at a Blockbuster counter set Will Potter on a path to becoming a national voice for quality elementary PE—and the spark behind a family‑powered movement that now advocates for programs across the country. We sit down with Will to unpack how a teacher‑first mindset, inclusive design, and open‑source sharing can turn a P.E. class into a community engine for...

Send us Fan Mail When Dr. Neutzling managed physical education classes with 52 students in a Florida gymnasium, she never imagined that experience would lay the foundation for her pioneering work with artificial intelligence in education. Now serving as Associate Dean for the College of Education and Health Sciences at Bridgewater State University, Dr. Neutzling brings a unique perspective to the...

Send us Fan Mail As the 2025 Shape America National Adapted PE Teacher of the Year, Brad brings a refreshing perspective to adaptive physical education. Rather than focusing on what students can't do, he zeroes in on what standards are truly asking students to learn. "When you start opening yourself up to what am I actually being asked to teach the student—not what may be implied from ou...

Send us Fan Mail Melanie Levenberg's journey from P.E. teacher to global movement educator is inspiring. She reimagined her relationship with movement, eventually creating Dance PL3Y—a program that has transformed physical education for over 4.1 million children across 13 countries. What makes Melanie's approach unique is her philosophy. Rather than starting with technical instruction or...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when a physical education teacher prioritizes relationships over rules and student choice over standardized instruction? Nick Morse, a  health and physical education teacher at Hartnett Middle School, reveals how his innovative approach is transforming how students experience physical and health education. Nick's journey begins with a pivotal childhood experience...

Send us Fan Mail Meet Adam Joyce, a passionate Project Adventure teacher who's transforming physical education at Watertown High School. Coming from a family of educators , Adam discovered his calling after initially pursuing history education. Today, he's dedicated to creating meaningful experiences that teach students crucial life skills through experiential learning. At the heart of A...

Send us Fan Mail When passion meets purpose, learning transforms. Tiana's story begins at sixteen, teaching ballet, tap, and jazz to preschoolers and special education dance classes—experiences that kindled her love for teaching long before formal education training. Now teaching third grade in East Hartford, Connecticut, she brings this dance background directly into her classroom through st...

Send us Fan Mail 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 pu...