The Legacy We Leave: Teaching with Purpose and Impact

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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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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:10):
Hello and welcome to the Supersize Phys Ed podcast.
My name is Dave and today Iwant to talk about legacy the
legacy we leave, and it's justsomething I've been thinking
about a lot as I've gotten olderin my teaching career and,
hopefully, wiser.
I guess we'll see about that.
So let's talk about it.
Let's go.

(00:31):
All right, everybody, welcomein today.
I appreciate you being here.
So there's a plaque that I thinkabout a lot, that I look at a

(00:53):
lot.
It's in my pavilion and it'sdedicated to a principal that
was there, I guess, near thebeginning of the school being
set up.
My school started in 1988, soit's been there a long time and

(01:13):
I didn't teach there until 2021.
So there's a lot that happenedbefore I was there and a lot
that will happen after I'm gone,I'm sure.
So the pavilion, and there'sanother place as well, another,
at least one place like a gardenor something like that that's
dedicated to the principal thatwas there from 1995 through 2006

(01:35):
.
And you know, I've Googled herbefore and I honestly can't find
much about her on the internet.
And you know I mean I know, youknow, pre pre 1995, you can
find things about people I justcan't find really much about her
.
I'm sure she was amazing person.

(01:56):
I don't even know if she'sstill alive.
She might be.
You know, I saw that shebrought our school to an A
during her tenure and you know.
Here's my question why doesn'tanybody know who she is and
doesn't remember her?
Now, maybe some people do.
I've never really asked a lotof people.

(02:17):
I think I've talked about herbefore to a few people and they
might remember her a little bitor something, maybe whatever
about her, but most people havenever heard of her before.
So and I'm not downplaying whatshe did to for our school I'm
sure she was amazing, but why amI obsessed with that plaque and

(02:39):
why does this matter?
And I think it goes back to oneword guess what?
Legacy.
And so I have a confession Ilove 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 onothers.

(03:00):
And, by the way, having thatsurprise party, retirement party
where thousands of people fromyour past come back and honor
you and talk about how wonderfulyou are.
And I just realized it's notvery realistic.
I mean, I taught for nine and ahalf years at my former school

(03:22):
and I quit in the middle of theyear because I just had to get
out of there and I thought thatwas it for me in physical
education and I never got my MrHolland's opus moment.
You know, I see my formerstudents around town or I'll see
them somewhere at the arena orwherever that I work at.
But you know most at this pointnow I've been gone long enough

(03:43):
where even the kindergartnersthat were there when I was there
are now either fifth graders orin middle school.
So I mean, I'm not really knownas well as I was back then.
And you know that's okay.
I don't have a plaque on thefield in my honor and that's
okay.
But why does this matter to me?

(04:04):
I guess it's because I want tobe remembered.
You know I want, I want my lifeto matter.
I want to know that I taughtand made a difference in these
kids' lives.
You know I want every day to befilled with joy and laughter
and learning.
And I was like well, how can Imake this happen at my current
school?
Because I just finished up myfourth year at my current school
and, by the way, I wrote anarticle on this and it's in the

(04:28):
show notes.
I'll put it in the show notesif you want to take a look at
the dedication plaque and justsome things I'm talking about in
there just as a visual.
But I thought of three thingsand there's many more, but three
things that I can do that maybeyou can do to leave a lasting

(04:49):
legacy at your school.
So I'll make this a boomer.
So first boomer, first one.
Here we go.
All right, number one is bepresent.
Take time each day, greet yourstudents.
I work at one of the entrances,the biker walker gate, and I do

(05:09):
the open gate, which is like asecurity thing, and you know,
greet each student that comes in.
You don't know what kind ofmorning they had or night before
.
You know, treat them like theywere one of your children.
You don't know what kind ofmorning they had or night before
.
Treat them like they were oneof your children.
Here's some of the things that Itry to do, and I'm not perfect,
but I try to do these every day.

(05:29):
First of all, smile and greetthem.
Like I said, give them a highfive, a fist bump, a hug or
handshake.
Now, you don't have to, butsome kids like that.
Some kids don't Call them bytheir names.
Now that's the hardest part forme.
It's always been the hardestpart for me because I have a
thousand names and I just havetrouble with that, especially
the younger ones especially.

(05:50):
But I'm always trying to studythe yearbook and memorize faces
and names and just playing namegames in the beginning of the
school year, especially withkindergarten first graders
that's the hardest part for me.
But know their names, ask themabout their weekend, attend one
of their games or events, if youcan.

(06:11):
I used to do that more when Iwas single and I'd have my own
children.
But now I bring my children togames like their own flag
football games and stuff likethat, and I'll see other kids
and I'll try to catch theirgames as well, things like that.
And one of the main things isditch the cell phone.
Just get rid of the cell phonein your hands while you're
talking to anybody, or yourAirPod and it's like, oh my gosh

(06:34):
, that's one of my biggest petpeeves, and that's not just with
teachers, that's with anybody.
Be present and that won't giveyou your Mr Holland's Opus
moment.
But kids will remember you ifyou treat them kindly and you're
present for them when they arespeaking and you're actively

(06:57):
listening.
So that is number one Bepresent.
Number two is bring the joy.
So, yes, I care about if mystudents learn about nutrition.
I cover the standards, ofcourse, but they're not going to
remember that.
I mean, I hope they do and Ihope they remember bike safety

(07:19):
and water safety and all thatstuff.
But they'll remember more abouthow you treated them and if
things were fun or boring.
So my goal is to creatememorable experiences, to laugh
with them, to share funnystories and memories with them,
share your passions and have fun, like join in the games.

(07:39):
I'm not saying all the time Idon't always join in the games,
because a lot of times I have tobe like really watching.
But you know, on free days Imight play hockey with the kids
and you know, sometimes,especially in the past, I would
play like capture flag with thekids.
Um, you know now you had got towatch, you got to be present,
you got to be making sureeverything's going smoothly.

(08:00):
But join in and, especially,with the experiences, create
some things that they're nevergoing to forget.
I don't think they're evergoing to forget our mascot,
webster.
They just won't.
They won't forget the ChookballTournament or some of the other

(08:20):
games and fun we had with them.
You know the reindeer gameslike, things like that.
They're not going to forgetthat.
So join in the fun, have agreat time with them, create
experiences and bring the joy.
Number three is innovate, likeEdison.
So I'd like to think I'vechanged my games up and added
new things to our curriculumevery year, our program.

(08:42):
Now, I want to suit theirinterests and their needs the
children, and this includes, youknow, time in the quote unquote
lab, like Edison creating.
I'm in the quote unquote lab,like Edison creating.
I've created some games thatjust haven't worked or games
that I phased out because theyweren't current with the times

(09:04):
or they weren't current with myphilosophy on PE.
You know I've made changeswhere I needed, you know, but I
didn't stop and I suggest to youand to myself to keep at it,
keep creating, keep innovating.
One of the ways I do that is bywriting grants every year.
So last year I got a gaga ballpit and I was a kind of a gaga

(09:28):
ball or an anti-gagaall personfor a little bit there, because
to me it's borderline dodgeballand 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 Iadd things to it different
strategies, different tactics,different standards.

(09:50):
We talk about things, stufflike that, but gauge their
interests, look for ways tobring in new ideas.
We also brought in Frisbee golftargets.
Um, in fairness, I had some.
They were like sitting on thewoods for like 20 years and all
rusted and they were.
They literally were a hazardwhen they were bad.
So, because I have a really, Ithink, positive relationship

(10:11):
with our PTO, um, they asked me,like, what do you want?
What kind of equipment do youneed?
And I said, well, how aboutsome new Frisbee golf targets?
So we got those this year andnot only did we use those for
golf, we use those for, like,football targets.
Um, I have a few games for nextyear we just didn't have time
this year that I want to add tothe mix.
Um, using the Frisbee golftargets, things like that.

(10:35):
Like innovate, create new gameseven with the equipment.
You already have Put in thework in the quote-unquote
off-season.
Now, for me, the off-season isthe 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.

(10:56):
Next in the fall when I saynext fall, it's like in a couple
months is my next levelleadership program, and I did a
whole podcast on that.
So definitely check that oneout if you're interested.
But you know, that's somethingnew, that's something brand new
that the kids have never done,and I want to reward and empower
the students with this programbrand new that the kids have
never done.
And I want to reward andempower the students with this

(11:18):
program.
I also want to do almost likean amazing PE race, which I've
done before, but I didn't do itjustice.
I didn't do a very good job,but I want to create something
new and exciting for them.
So always be innovating.
Don't teach the greatest hitsfrom 1980s.
Constantly improve, innovate.
I do have some staple gamesthat I play every single year

(11:39):
because they work, they're good,they're great even, and the
kids love them and they'rereally good for rainy days and
things like that.
So there are a few of mygreatest hits, but I try not to
do that.
I try to innovate and createall the time.
So innovate like Edison.
That is number three, and now itis time for your cowbell tip of

(12:09):
the day.
All right.
So your tip of the day is tokind of review the things that
might help you leave a legacy.
Now, I know some people don'tcare about legacy and you know I
do.
I'm sorry I do.
I care that my time on thisearth matters and I want it to
impact other students, otherpeople.

(12:31):
So think of ways that you canbring the joy, create like
Edison, be present or anythingelse that can help you do the
best you can for your studentsand leave the impact you want to
leave on your school.
And that is your cowbell tip ofthe day.

(13:00):
Thank you everybody for tuningin today.
I really do appreciate it.
As always, go to supersize physfor more information or follow
me on substack or medium.
Check the show notes for allsorts of things in there, like
my book high, high Fives andEmpowering Lives.
There's a simple e-book andthere's also a paperback book
for your reading pleasure andI'd love for you to check it out

(13:24):
.
So with that, pe Nation, have agreat day, week, weekend,
whenever you listen to this, andlet's keep pushing our
profession forward.
Thank you.