Distinguished Physical Education Podcast Episodes

#25 - Strategies to Support English Language Learners in Physical Education with Kelly Donnelly

Secure your spot for the 2025-2026 DPE Virtual Book Study, facilitated by Gary Zaharatos and Jen Smith. Buy tickets here! Feel free to email gary@distinguishedpe.com for group discounts or any questions. 
 
My guest today is Kelly Donnelly.
Inspired by the Girls on the Run curriculum, Kelly changed careers and has been teaching physical education in Denver Public Schools for seven years. She is passionate about using movement to teach standards-based social skills to her students. Kelly earned her Master of Science in Kinesiology from Oregon State University, with certifications in Physical Education Teacher Education and Adapted Physical Education. She spent three years teaching middle school before transitioning to Ashley Elementary, where she has taught for the past four years. During the 2023-24 school year, she had the unique opportunity to welcome over 200 migrant students—primarily monolingual, Spanish-speaking learners—doubling the school’s population within two months. This experience brought both challenges and gifts, from rapidly learning Spanish to adapting her approach to teaching PE and finding new ways to build connections through shared learning and understanding.
In this episode, Kelly and I discuss the challenges that come with teaching english language learners, how to overcome being nervous or anxious about teaching students who speak a different language than you, strategies and techniques for teachers in similar situations, strategies for quickly learning key words and phrases in another language, and other topics. 
It’s been a pleasure to support Kelly over the years, though all the credit goes to her for her dedication to learning Spanish and implementing strategies to support her English language learners. Rather than seeing language as a barrier, she embraced it as an opportunity to grow as an educator and strengthen her connections with students. I’ve been fortunate to feature incredible teachers from across the country on this podcast, and it’s always a joy to welcome a Denver teacher back.
 
Second Annual Colorado Health and Physical Education Summit 2025
 
This is a free professional development event. The Summit supported and developed by the Colorado Health and Physical Education Council, the council consists of health and physical education district coordinators and other partners from across the state of Colorado. This summit promises inspiration, networking opportunities, and a shared commitment to fostering healthier futures. 
 
June 4 & 5, 2025 - 8am-4pm
Jefferson High School
2305 Pierce Street
Edgewater, Co., 80214
Register here!
 
Want to be a guest on the podcast? Click here to connect!
 
If you haven’t already, be sure to join our Facebook group where we have assembled quite the group of experts, always willing to share their insights and help out colleagues with their problems of practice. Simply search for Distinguished Physical Education.

#24 - SHAPE Baltimore 2025 Conference Recap with Jen Smith

Secure your spot for the 2025-2026 DPE Virtual Book Study, facilitated by Gary Zaharatos and Jen Smith. Buy tickets here! Feel free to email gary@distinguishedpe.com for group discounts or any questions. 
 
Second Annual Colorado Health and Physical Education Summit 2025
 
This is a free professional development event. The Summit supported and developed by the Colorado Health and Physical Education Council, the council consists of health and physical education district coordinators and other partners from across the state of Colorado. This summit promises inspiration, networking opportunities, and a shared commitment to fostering healthier futures. 
 
June 4 & 5, 2025 - 8am-4pm
Jefferson High School
2305 Pierce Street
Edgewater, Co., 80214
Register here!
---
Find DPE merch, including t-shirts and hoodies here. 
---
Want to be a guest on the podcast? Click here to connect!
---
If you haven’t already, be sure to join our Facebook group where we have assembled quite the group of experts, always willing to share their insights and help out colleagues with their problems of practice. Simply search for Distinguished Physical Education.

#23 - Techniques for Incorporating Yoga into Your PE Curriculum with Kristen Santos

The Yoga Curriculum for Physical Education - https://www.yogainphysed.com - Use the code DPE25 for 25% off!)
 
My guest today is Kristen Santos, a dedicated physical education teacher in Massachusetts since 1998. She started her career in Framingham and has spent the last 20 years teaching PE at Hopkinton Middle School. Kristen is also a certified yoga instructor with over 200 hours of training, a Registered Children's Yoga Teacher, and a Yoga Alliance Continuing Education Provider.
Beyond the classroom, Kristen is a Yoga Teacher Trainer for the ChildLight Education Company, where she leads courses like Yoga and Mindfulness for Athletes and Yoga for PE Teachers. In 2024, she was recognized as the Massachusetts Middle School PE Teacher of the Year. She also travels the country presenting at conferences and providing professional development for school districts, helping educators integrate yoga into their PE programs.
In this episode, we discuss what sparked Kristen’s passion for yoga, the benefits of incorporating yoga into physical education, strategies for aligning it with standards-based instruction, how yoga can help create a more positive and inclusive PE environment, and other topics. 
 
Second Annual Colorado Health and Physical Education Summit 2025
 
This is a free professional development event. The Summit supported and developed by the Colorado Health and Physical Education Council, the council consists of health and physical education district coordinators and other partners from across the state of Colorado. This summit promises inspiration, networking opportunities, and a shared commitment to fostering healthier futures. 
 
June 4 & 5, 2025 - 8am-4pm
Jefferson High School
2305 Pierce Street
Edgewater, Co., 80214
Register here!
 
Resources
https://www.yogainphysed.com - Use the code DPE25 for 25% off!)
Yoga Curriculum Book (K-5) - Amazon
Yoga Curriculum Book (6-8) - Amazon
Instagram: @yogainphysed
X: @KSantosYoga
 
Want to be a guest on the podcast? Click here to connect!
 
Secure your spot for the 2025-2026 DPE Virtual Book Study, facilitated by Gary Zaharatos and Jen Smith. Buy tickets here! Feel free to email gary@distinguishedpe.com for group discounts or any questions. 
 
If you haven’t already, be sure to join our Facebook group where we have assembled quite the group of experts, always willing to share their insights and help out colleagues with their problems of practice. Simply search for Distinguished Physical Education.

#22 - Planning the Ultimate Field Day with Drew Burris

Secure your spot for the 2025-2026 DPE Virtual Book Study, facilitated by Gary Zaharatos and Jen Smith. Buy tickets here! Feel free to email gary@distinguishedpe.com for group discounts or any questions. 
 
My guest today is Drew Burris.
Drew received a Bachelor of Science in 2009 and Master of Science in Kinesiology in 2015 at the University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg, Missouri. With 14 years of teaching experience and 12 years of coaching under his belt, Drew has worked with students ranging from PreK to 9th grade. For the past six years, he’s been teaching PreK through 2nd grade at Ridge View Elementary. 
Drew is not only dedicated to his students but also to sharing his expertise with the broader PE community. He’s been published, runs a popular X account, and is growing a YouTube channel—both of which are linked in the episode description. Over the past decade, he’s earned several awards, but the one he’s most proud of is being named the Missouri SHAPE Elementary PE Teacher of the Year in 2021. He’s also part of the OPEN National Trainers group, helping PE teachers across the country enhance their practice.
 
Drew and I discuss what the weeks leading up to field day look like for him and his students, the impact of utilizing standards based social skills in the lessons leading up to field day, the benefits of having a theme to your field day, how to recruit volunteers, and other topics. 
 
Resources
X: @project_physed 
YouTube: @ProjectPhysEd
Website: projectphysed.weebly.com 
 
Want to be a guest on the podcast? Click here to connect!
 
Second Annual Colorado Health and Physical Education Summit 2025
 
This is a free professional development event. The Summit supported and developed by the Colorado Health and Physical Education Council, the council consists of health and physical education district coordinators and other partners from across the state of Colorado. This summit promises inspiration, networking opportunities, and a shared commitment to fostering healthier futures. 
 
June 4 & 5, 2025 - 8am-4pm
Jefferson High School
2305 Pierce Street
Edgewater, Co., 80214
Register here!
 
If you enjoy this podcast and are interested in learning more about how you or the PE teachers in your district can earn licensure renewal credits through a facilitated book study based on the book Becoming a Distinguished Physical Education Teacher, please fill out this form or email gary@distinguishedpe.com.
 
Find DPE merch, including t-shirts and hoodies here. 
 
If you haven’t already, be sure to join our Facebook group where we have assembled quite the group of experts, always willing to share their insights and help out colleagues with their problems of practice. Simply search for Distinguished Physical Education.

#21- The Value of Dance in Physical Education with Victor Spadaro

Secure your spot for the 2025-2026 DPE Virtual Book Study, facilitated by Gary Zaharatos and Jen Smith. Buy tickets here! Feel free to email gary@distinguishedpe.com for group discounts or any questions. 
 
My guest today is Victor Spadaro. 
Victor received a bachelor of Science in Education and a Masters in Leadership at SUNY Cortland. He is currently in his 7th year of teaching in Arlington Public Schools in Virginia. Victor teaches PreK-5th grade at Abingdon Elementary. Besides being an educator, Victor serves as an OPEN National Trainer and was recently named 2025 Southern District Elementary Physical Education Teacher of the Year. A former Dance Vice President of Virginia AHPERD, he attends and presents at many conferences and is proud to have advocated for high quality health and physical education by attending Speak Out Day.
In this episode, we discuss how PE teachers can become more comfortable incorporating dance into their curriculum, why dance is a valuable component of a high quality physical education program, how to make dance accessible to all students, the impact that attending and presenting at conferences has had on his practice, experimenting with new teaching methods, and other topics. 
 
Follow Victor on YouTube!
 
Find DPE merch, including t-shirts and hoodies here. 
 
Second Annual Colorado Health and Physical Education Summit 2025
 
This is a free professional development event. The Summit supported and developed by the Colorado Health and Physical Education Council, the council consists of health and physical education district coordinators and other partners from across the state of Colorado. This summit promises inspiration, networking opportunities, and a shared commitment to fostering healthier futures. 
 
June 4 & 5, 2025 - 8am-4pm
Jefferson High School
2305 Pierce Street
Edgewater, Co., 80214
Register here!
 
Want to be a guest on the podcast? Click here to connect!
 
If you enjoy this podcast and are interested in learning more about how you or the PE teachers in your district can earn licensure renewal credits through a facilitated book study based on the book Becoming a Distinguished Physical Education Teacher, please fill out this form or email gary@distinguishedpe.com.
 
If you haven’t already, be sure to join our Facebook group where we have assembled quite the group of experts, always willing to share their insights and help out colleagues with their problems of practice. Simply search for Distinguished Physical Education.

#20 - Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Adapted PE with Brad Hunter

Secure your spot for the 2025-2026 DPE Virtual Book Study, facilitated by Gary Zaharatos and Jen Smith. Buy tickets here! Feel free to email gary@distinguishedpe.com for group discounts or any questions. 
 
My guest today is Brad Hunter. 
Brad has been working with students in a physical activity capacity for 19 years. First, with a non-profit whose mission was to bring meaningful play to schools, then 9 years as an Elementary PE teacher, and currently is in his 6th year as an Itinerant Adapted PE teacher for Baltimore City Public Schools. Brad serves on the Board of SHAPE Maryland, is the President of the Maryland Adapted PE Consortium, and  is Co-Chair of the Maryland State Department of Education Standards and Framework Validation Committee. Brad is the 2023 SHAPE Maryland Adapted PE Teacher of the Year and 2025 Eastern District Adapted PE Teacher of the Year.
In this episode we discuss why it’s important for PE teachers to develop an adapted PE skill set, strategies for making physical activity accessible for students with diverse abilities, creative equipment adaptations that make a positive impact on student learning, how PE teachers and APE teachers can have a productive and collaborative working relationship, adapted PE resources, and other topics. Brad is a true expert in the field of adapted PE and it was a pleasure to learn from him. And now I bring you, Brad Hunter.
 
Resources and National Convention Sessions
Why All Physical Education Teachers Need an Adapted PE Bucket
https://blog.shapeamerica.org/2025/03/why-all-physical-education-teachers-need-an-adapted-pe-bucket/
 
Baltimore 2025
Adapted PE = High Quality PE
Wednesday April 2nd
3:15-4:15pm
 
Why We All Need An Adapted PE Bucket
Thursday April 3rd
8:00-9:00am
 
Just Adapt It - Brad Barker
 
Find DPE merch, including t-shirts and hoodies here. 
 
Second Annual Colorado Health and Physical Education Summit 2025
 
This is a free professional development event. The Summit supported and developed by the Colorado Health and Physical Education Council, the council consists of health and physical education district coordinators and other partners from across the state of Colorado. This summit promises inspiration, networking opportunities, and a shared commitment to fostering healthier futures. 
 
June 4 & 5, 2025 - 8am-4pm
Jefferson High School
2305 Pierce Street
Edgewater, Co., 80214
Register here!
 
Want to be a guest on the podcast? Click here to connect!
 
If you enjoy this podcast and are interested in learning more about how you or the PE teachers in your district can earn licensure renewal credits through a facilitated book study based on the book Becoming a Distinguished Physical Education Teacher, please fill out this form or email gary@distinguishedpe.com.
 
If you haven’t already, be sure to join our Facebook group where we have assembled quite the group of experts, always willing to share their insights and help out colleagues with their problems of practice. Simply search for Distinguished Physical Education.

#19 - Elevating Instruction Through National Board Certification with Patrick Noel

Second Annual Colorado Health and Physical Education Summit 2025
 
This is a free professional development event. The Summit supported and developed by the Colorado Health and Physical Education Council, the council consists of health and physical education district coordinators and other partners from across the state of Colorado. This summit promises inspiration, networking opportunities, and a shared commitment to fostering healthier futures. 
 
June 4 & 5, 2025 - 8am-4pm
Jefferson High School
2305 Pierce Street
Edgewater, Co., 80214
Register here!
 
My guest today is Patrick Noel. 
Patrick received his Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Education from St. Bonaventure University, and his Masters of Arts in Kinesiology with a PE emphasis from Fresno Pacific University. He is in his 19th year of teaching for Fairfax County Public Schools, the largest school system in Virginia and 11th largest in the nation. He has taught at the elementary level for 16 of those years with the other 3 years coming at the high school level. He has taught at 5 different elementary schools, 1 high school and has been at his current school, Colvin Run Elementary since 2020. This past December, he earned his National Board Certification in Early and Middle Childhood Physical Education. 
 
In this episode we discuss the importance of Speak Out Day and how teachers can advocate for high quality PE programs, what the process of earning national board certification looks like and the impact it can have on one's teaching, and other topics.
 
TikTok - @MrNoelsTrickShots
Twitter/X - @pm_noel
YouTube
 
Resources
CLO Check For Understanding Questions
 
Want to be a guest on the podcast? Click here to connect!
 
Find DPE merch, including t-shirts and hoodies here. 
 
If you enjoy this podcast and are interested in learning more about how you or the PE teachers in your district can earn licensure renewal credits through a facilitated book study based on the book Becoming a Distinguished Physical Education Teacher, please fill out this form or email gary@distinguishedpe.com.
 
If you haven’t already, be sure to join our Facebook group where we have assembled quite the group of experts, always willing to share their insights and help out colleagues with their problems of practice. Simply search for Distinguished Physical Education.

#18 - Motivating Secondary Students Through Student Choice with Austin Olsen and Caitlin Schoville

Second Annual Colorado Health and Physical Education Summit 2025
 
This is a free professional development event. The Summit supported and developed by the Colorado Health and Physical Education Council, the council consists of health and physical education district coordinators and other partners from across the state of Colorado. This summit promises inspiration, networking opportunities, and a shared commitment to fostering healthier futures. 
 
June 4 & 5, 2025 - 8am-4pm
Jefferson High School
2305 Pierce Street
Edgewater, Co., 80214
Register here!
 
My guests today are Caitlin Schoville and Austin Olson. 
Caitlin graduated from the University of Northern Iowa with a Bachelor's in Physical Education and a minor in Health Education. She has earned a Master’s degree in Teacher Leadership through Lamar University and is finishing up a second Master’s degree in Health and Physical Education through Northwest Missouri State. Caitlin was named SHAPE Iowa’s middle school teacher of the year in 2022 and SHAPE America’s Teacher of the Year for the Central District in 2024. Caitlin has been teaching 7th and 8th grade health and physical education for 12 years at Pleasant Valley Junior High in eastern Iowa. 
Austin graduated from San Diego State University, and earned his teaching credential and Masters at National University. He has been teaching for 23 years and was named Shape America’s TOY for the Western District and CA MS teacher of the year in 2023.  He has taught grade Pre-k through 8th grade. Currently he teaches at Pacific Trails Middle School and teaches 8th graders. He will celebrate his 20th wedding anniversary this year with his wife Sarah. They both have 2 girls, 14 and 11. 
In this episode we discuss the benefits of student choice in PE, motivation strategies for middle school students, how to incorporate standards based social skills into your units and lessons and the impact that they have on student engagement and learning, and other topics. 
 
Join us over at The Health and PE Collective! 
 
Want to be a guest on the podcast? Click here to connect!
 
Find DPE merch, including t-shirts and hoodies here. 
 
If you enjoy this podcast and are interested in learning more about how you or the PE teachers in your district can earn licensure renewal credits through a facilitated book study based on the book Becoming a Distinguished Physical Education Teacher, please fill out this form or email gary@distinguishedpe.com.
 
If you haven’t already, be sure to join our Facebook group where we have assembled quite the group of experts, always willing to share their insights and help out colleagues with their problems of practice. Simply search for Distinguished Physical Education.

#17 - From College to the Gym with Christina Collins

My guest today is Christina Collins. Christina is the founder, owner, and franchisor of NeverStopMoving365, an organization dedicated to providing physical education beyond the school day to help combat sedentary lifestyles and childhood obesity. She holds a Master’s in Sport Science from the United States Sports Academy and has over a dozen years of experience as a full-time health and physical education teacher.
In addition to her work in PE, Christina has completed more than 60 graduate credits in the Psychology of Behavior Change and Growth Mindset and is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Educational Leadership, focusing on the joy of movement in children as a pathway to developing physically literate individuals. She also teaches in the Master of Arts in Teaching PE and Sport Pedagogy program at Manhattanville University.
Outside of her professional work, Christina is an ultra-endurance athlete powered by a plant-based diet, a proud mother of two boy, and the wife of a firefighter. She brings passion and energy to everything she does, including her work as a keynote speaker. 
 
In this episode, we discuss what future professionals are learning at the college level, including how to intentionally plan for transitions, strategies for getting students to freeze when in the possession of equipment, the impact of standards-based social skills on students, how to advocate for your PE program, how to address student behavior that breaks a class rule, the benefits of instant activities, strategies for reflecting on your practice, and other topics … 
 
Email: christina@neverstopmoving365.com
IG: neverstopmoving.365
 
Find DPE merch, including t-shirts and hoodies here. 
 
Join us over at The Health and PE Collective!
 
If you enjoy this podcast and are interested in learning more about how you or the PE teachers in your district can earn licensure renewal credits through a facilitated book study based on the book Becoming a Distinguished Physical Education Teacher, please fill out this form or email gary@distinguishedpe.com
 
Want to be a guest on the podcast? Click here to connect!
 
If you enjoy this podcast and are interested in learning more about how you or the PE teachers in your district can earn licensure renewal credits through a facilitated book study based on the book Becoming a Distinguished Physical Education Teacher, please fill out this form or email gary@distinguishedpe.com.
 
If you haven’t already, be sure to join our Facebook group where we have assembled quite the group of experts, always willing to share their insights and help out colleagues with their problems of practice. Simply search for Distinguished Physical Education.

#16 - Preparing for a Physical Education Job Interview

In this episode, get advice for how to prepare for a physical education job interview by focusing on a growth mindset and clearly communicating the various ways in which you establish a safe and welcoming culture in your gym, how you incorporate state and national standards into your lesson, including standards based social skills, and how you differentiate for the various needs of your students. 
 
Find DPE merch, including t-shirts and hoodies here. 
 
Want to be a guest on the podcast? Click here to connect!
 
If you enjoy this podcast and are interested in learning more about how you or the PE teachers in your district can earn licensure renewal credits through a facilitated book study based on the book Becoming a Distinguished Physical Education Teacher, please fill out this form or email gary@distinguishedpe.com.
 
If you haven’t already, be sure to join our Facebook group where we have assembled quite the group of experts, always willing to share their insights and help out colleagues with their problems of practice. Simply search for Distinguished Physical Education.