A Day in the Life of a SHAPE America National Health Educator of the Year

(Interview by Stefanie Brady, pelinks4u Editorial Assistant)

Heidi Stan is the Wellness Department Chair at Riverside Junior High School in Fishers, Indiana and has been with the district for over 7 years. Last year, the Society of Health and Physical Educators (SHAPE America) named Heidi its 2014 National Health Teacher of the Year.

Stan loves to teach. But her favorite part is finding new ways to teach creatively using a hands-on approach. Kids love being actively engaged in their learning and it excites me to watch them grow and learn. What especially motivates Stan is the way in which her knowledge about health and physical education is constantly expanding. “I love being able to educate students on things that will matter in their lives, 5, 10, 30, or even 50 years from now.”

Heidi routinely uses hands-on learning experiences and project-based learning in her classroom. She often spends one day of classroom learning and instruction, then follows up the next day with practical learning projects where students have the chance to apply what they’ve learned. This type of learning approach allows her students to explore ideas and possibilities beyond just Googling the answer. It gives the students a new way besides on paper and pencil, to demonstrate what they have learned. Stan believes project-based learning is a wonderfully effective teaching strategy because, “We remember more of what we are taught when we experience it, not just hear and see it.”

Examples of recent learning projects Heidi has introduced in her classroom include First Aid Kits and Fit Stan (based on the book Flat Stanley). The theme of the first nine-week unit was focused around learning and applying fitness, nutrition, and FITT training principles. The character would travel somewhere different and train with a friend. This helped encourage the students to become more active, while having fun with a beloved story character.

“Hands on learning is crucial to their (students’) education because it is real life. It involves problem solving and is inquiry based.” Heidi enjoys this non-traditional way of teaching. In the classroom her students may do some reading, take notes, and listen to brief lectures but never for more than one period in a row. Then it is off to putting theory into practice. Stan tries to finds models, labs, projects, apps, and anything else that students can personally participant in and use their own hands and imagination to experience the learning. The feedback from the students is always positive: They love being actively engaged in the learning process.

Stan has some advice for other professionals in the health and physical education fields. She encourages us to invite administrators into the classroom and gymnasium. “Don’t just tell them what you are doing but show them and get them personally involved!” Stan also suggests being willing and open to learn and change. When teachers become stagnant, student learning gets stifled. She’s discovered that students like helping teachers learn especially when it comes to technology. “Be open to not only teaching your students, but learning from them too.”

Health and physical education are very dear to Stan’s heart and she believes they both should be a core subject in every student’s K-12 school experience. Health and physical education are two subjects that will determine a child’s future. “If young people don’t take care of or learn how to take care their bodies, what they learn in other subjects won’t matter as much later in life.”

Stan is a graduate of Indiana University Bloomington, IN with a degree in Kinesiology and an education endorsement and health education minor. She originally went to college for dental hygiene but soon realized that wasn’t for her. After taking a few HPER classes she realized her heart was in health and fitness.

Stan has a strong passion for health and physical education, which has led to her being awarded Indiana AHPERD Heath Educator of Year and Midwest AHPERD Health Educator of Year, and Indiana AHPERD/SHAPE America Physical Educator of Year. Even after that recognition, Stan was still in shock when she was awarded the 2014 SHAPE America National Health Teacher of the Year Award. “How is that possible? There are four other amazing health education teachers here around me. Did she really just say my name?” Stan’s husband and table had to cue her to standup to accept the award.