Health & Physical

Education:
Teacher-Researcher
Portfolio
By: Rachel Hsieh (PJ 261)
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHECKPOINT #1 CHECKPOINT #2
01 Initial Beginnings & 02 Health Education & Food
Positionality Literacy

CHECKPOINT #3
03 Evidence-Based Practice &
Educational Research
START!
#1: My beliefs, attitudes, values,
& experiences with Health and
Physical Education
My Starting Point
From my experience as a student in Health and Physical
Education, I began with a positive invitation into
physical activity and movement. Many of my memories
consisted of watching others play sports at a young age
and I had supportive parents who helped me pursue
potential hobbies such as gymnastics, ballet, and
soccer. However, the sports that I ended up loving the
most were basketball and track when I was introduced
to them in grade 4 gym class. In general, I felt the
freedom in trying out these sports on more formal
school teams up to grade 8. Throughout those 5 years,
there were pivotal moments in learning the value of
teamwork, communication, collaboration, respect, and
time management. Looking back at these experiences, I
realize that I am living proof of what research shows of
how balanced amounts of physical activity propelled
my success academically as I was better able to focus Here are two snapshots of an All About Me
and self-regulate during my time at school poster I created in Grade 3; highlights being
notes on loving gym, playing soccer, and
(Temertzoglou, 2015).
wanting to be a teacher!
However, I experienced a shift in my physical literacy journey after I had a basketball injury in
grade 8 and transitioned into high school. After recovering, I became hesitant to continue
participating in sports generally not only due to physical harm from injuries, but due to an
atmosphere of competition and rigour. I quickly realized that I began attributing my self-worth
and approval from others based on my athletic success, which was extremely pressurizing and
harmful to my well-being. In addition, due to the specialized academic program I was enrolled in, Here is a photo of the ribbons I
I was not given the choice to continue health & physical education beyond grade 9. And so, being received from playing basketball
affirmed on the competitive and demanding standards, I felt like it was my time to step away and participating in track & field
from grade 4-8!
from my fast-paced athletic experience.
 My Starting Point (con’t)
Since high school, my alternative to keeping active includes daily
habits such as enjoyment in walking and working for camps every
summer where I get to be outside with kids. I found that many of my
habits and skills that I developed in elementary school were naturally
transferable to summer camp settings and I was able to keep up due
to the stamina and endurance I experienced in competitive games or
events. I enjoy spontaneous moments of tag or basketball with kids
every summer and found that being in a leadership role helped me
regain my comfortability with playing sports again.

In all, these lived experiences make me grateful for all that I learned
as a student and that both the successes and obstacles in my
physical literacy journey helps me empathize with the experiences of
my future students. I particularly resonate with Fletcher &
Temertzoglou’s (2010) article that states “Teaching involves a process
of deconstruction and reconstruction of our experiences in order to
create visions of teaching and learning deemed appropriate for today’s
classrooms” (p. 21). I have learned that my experience can be used as
an asset to not only replicate good practice, but to relate to my
students and promote fun and healthy lifestyles.
 References
Fletcher, T. & Temertzoglou, C. (2010). Looking forward, looking back: Shaping professional

visions of HPE through critical reflection. Physical and Health Education Journal, 76(1),

20-24.

https://www.proquest.com/openview/f2449b76672c255f79e1058438cef95b/1?pq-origsi

te=gscholar&cbl=42913

Temertzoglou, T. (2015, November 20). What is physical literacy and why does it matter? CBC

Parents.

https://www.cbc.ca/parents/learning/view/what-is-physical-literacy-and-why-does-it

-matter?__vfz=medium%3Dsharebar
 KEEPING
THE PACE!
#2: Health Education & Food Literacy
 Health Education & Food Literacy
A significant learning that occurred for me during this course was the presentation on “Reimagining
Nutrition Education in Schools” by Amy Skeoch and Andrea Kirkham. Prior to this workshop, I had assumed
that I had a sufficient working knowledge on how to teach units on healthy eating; however, I quickly
realized that there has been more much research and resources that I was not aware of for elementary
school teachers. Many of the modelled activities in the workshop allowed me to reflect and connect theory
to my own experiences, combining the personal and the practical aspects of teaching content together. In
particular, I found that the My Food Story activity was really informative in helping me realize how I have
taken some of my family traditions and customs with food for granted. Additionally, I was able to identify
multiple factors such as stages of development or parental / familial influence that has continually
impacted the way I see food in both positive and negative ways. I believe this could be a great launchpad
activity for students to begin recognizing and articulating their food habits and customs from the forefront
in order for them to potentially develop a healthier relationship with food. Furthermore, looking at
documents like the new Canada’s Food Guide and the CDEFs of Nutrition Education are very useful
resources to facilitate student discussion and partnership towards attitudes in healthy living. As a student,
I would have been able to understand proportions and willingness to try a variety of foods so much better
with the visuals and components highlighted in the mentioned documents; as a teacher, I am able to
become more empathetic and considerate towards the questions my future students might have in
determining healthy choices with eating.
 Health Education & Food Literacy (con’t)
In terms of practical teachability, I was encouraged to know that there are explicit
and direct ways I can set up my future classroom or schedule to foster a culture
that cares about food. For example, I was inspired by the OPHEA H&PE Curriculum
Resources: Grades 1-8 which provides exploration opportunities for learners to
educate one another on diverse, cultural food choices in artistic design activities.
I believe that there is so much value in the lived experiences that students
already have, which inherently emphasizes the positive message of children eating
a variety of foods according to Canada’s Food Guide (NEC, 2019). As an educator, I
look forward to using activities that showcase multicultural food palates,
following the division of responsibility between adults and children, connecting
food knowledge back to the environment, and simply ensuring that there is
enough time for students to enjoy eating (NEC, 2020). Thus, in light of learning
about food literacy within the health education stream, I have become much
more critically informed on what I, as an educator, can bring into the classroom
and that caring about a student’s food literacy is ultimately supporting their needs
for optimal learning.
 References
NEC. (2019, March 28). Canada’s new food guide: What educators need to know part 1.

Nutrition Education & Consulting.

https://www.nutritioneducationconsulting.ca/learn/2019/3/25/canadas-new-food-guid

e-what-educators-need-to-know-part-1

NEC. (2020, March 15). Teaching healthy eating: Did you know that how we eat is important

too? Nutrition Education & Consulting.

https://www.nutritioneducationconsulting.ca/learn/2020/4/21/teaching-healthy-eating

-did-you-know-that-how-we-eat-is-important-too
FINISH!
#3: Evidence-Based Practice &
Educational Research
 My Topic of Inquiry

A topic of inquiry I have in HPE is on teaching spirituality in health education. As someone who
identifies as a person of faith, I have always wondered about how my beliefs not only influence
the way I teach, but how the topic of spirituality can be embodied and understood by students
in various ways (Anderson, 2007). And so, my inquiry question is:

To what extent can health & physical

education be an ideal method for
teaching students about spirituality in
public, academic, and / or educational
settings?
 My Topic of Inquiry (con’t)

From the article “Seeking spirituality through physicality in schools: learning from ‘Eastern movement forms’”, the notion that physical
practice activates self-cultivation suggests that physical education is the main doorway for students to experience spirituality. Drawing
from Eastern movement forms such as yoga and Tai Chi Chuan, Brown explains how teaching students through physicality helps them
understand their inherent value and connect with their inner well-being (2013). The meaning for physical education becomes more
about the process rather than an end result or level of attainment. I was very compelled by this idea as learning about spirituality
eliminates feelings of competition, performance, or comparison between students since the journey is deeply personalized and
subjective. Furthermore, religion through physicality is an effective way to incorporate diverse worldviews into the classroom and
allows students to share their lived experiences. Additionally, spiritual exercise helps young learners develop discipline and self-control
while intersecting spiritual practices in secular spaces, such as movement in nature (Brown, 2013).

In addition, the research behind spiritually developmental movements reminds me of mindfulness practices in the classroom. For
example, the act of identifying emotions involves separating and naming thoughts, which mirrors the tendencies in focused breathing.
As a result, students can live more purposefully in life due to an awareness of how negative feelings can hold them back as a form of
‘symbolic death’ (Brown, 2013). In contrast, the value of direct experience with spirituality validates sensory experiences, activating a
sense of flow and deep concentration that invites participation rather than passive listening to instruction. Finally, the relationship
between body-self is strengthened with consistent practice and exposure to spiritually inspired movements in safe environments such
as warm-up and cool-down exercises or drop-in sessions during the school day, making these opportunities transferable to academia.
In all, this article deepened my curiosity and hope with introducing and using physical education to help students learn about their
own identity through a lens of spirituality.
 My Topic of Inquiry (con’t)

The teaching resource I selected is the Project School Wellness website

(https://www.projectschoolwellness.com/what-is-spiritual-health/), more
specifically their video on Spiritual Health
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gZ_JbDgERs&t=142s). This website
provides lessons plans, ideas, and blogs on a variety of themes in health &
physical education. The “What is Spiritual Health?” video is an informative
student-friendly viewing of many key ideas about spirituality and how
teaching about spirituality can help evaluate a person’s physical,
emotional, and mental state. In addition, the connection to social health
and relatable sample scenarios are easy for learners to understand in a
school setting, especially regarding spiritually healthy habits.
 References
Anderson, A. (2007). Spirituality as an integral part of education for health. Physical and

Health Education Journal, 73(1), 14-17.

https://www.proquest.com/docview/214328193/fulltextPDF/DE842D8B39FE4614PQ/1?a

ccountid=14771

Brown, D. H. K. (2013). Seeking spirituality through physicality in schools: Learning from

‘Eastern movement forms’. International Journal of Children’s Spirituality, 18(1), 30–45.

https://doi.org/10.1080/1364436X.2013.776521

Project School Wellness. Spiritual Health.

https://www.projectschoolwellness.com/what-is-spiritual-health/
THANK YOU!
Digital Portfolio:

https://teacherrachelhsieh.weebly.com/