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What does empathy look like in a skills-based health education curriculum? In today's episode, I share two activities (visible thinking routines) that ask students to consider perspectives different than their own and then demonstrate skills that put that understanding into action. Resources Mentioned (in order): Adolescent Empathy Influences Bystander Defending in School Bullying: A Three-Level Meta-AnalysisRevamping a Unit Assessment: "Fill the Gaps" (Episode 18)Common Sense Media Lesson: "Upstanders and Allies: Taking a Stand Against Cyberbullying"Circle of Viewpoints (Visible Thinking Routine)A Perspectives Communication ChallengeStep Inside (Visible Thinking Routine)Step Inside Food Insecurity ActivityGreater Boston Food Bank: Stories of HopeAlso, as a personal note: I try to get in a groove with releasing episodes; in the past, that's been two weeks on, one week off, or every other week. This fall has been busier than usual, so I'm sharing information when I can. Have a question for me? Fill out this Google Form! Don't forget to sign up for my free email newsletter: Newsletter Sign Up AI Disclaimer: I outline or script my podcasts; all words are my own. I ran this script through AI to see what holes it had. Send Jeff a message!

In today's episode, I open up my (virtual) Question Box to answer two questions submitted by health education teachers. I give my take on teaching about financial literacy in health class and share resources for teaching students with cognitive disabilities. Resources From This Episode: A Practical Guide for Teaching Health Education to Students with Intellectual Disabilities (Haley Kavanagh in JOPERD)YouTube Playlist: Sex Ed for People With DisabilitiesSexual Health & IDD Resources (Kennedy Krieger Institute)Have a question for me? Fill out this Google Form! Don't forget to sign up for my free email newsletter: Newsletter Sign Up AI Disclaimer: I outline or script my podcasts; all words are my own. Send Jeff a message!

In this episode, I talk through the changes I'm going to try out in my classroom this year. And, because I missed this opportunity while recording, imagine this as the introduction to this episode: "Health teachers talk about changes a lot, but this isn't a puberty episode..." (or something like that). Submit your questions for me to answer here! Question Form Don't forget to sign up for my free email newsletter: Newsletter Sign Up Send Jeff a message!

A conversation with a confused student, combined with a lesson created by two student teachers, led me to rethink the skill of advocacy. Resources Mentioned in This Episode: Circles of Action Visible Thinking RoutineSubmit your questions for Jeff to answer here! Question Form Don't forget to sign up for my free email newsletter: Newsletter Sign Up AI Disclaimer: I outline or script my podcasts; all words are my own. Buzzsprout auto-generated the transcript. Send Jeff a message!

In today's episode, I explain what teaching the same skill across multiple grade levels could look like. I share how we teach advocacy in grades 6, 7, and 8 at our middle school. Other NHES skills, such as interpersonal communication and analyzing influences, are also taught at multiple grade levels and are mentioned here. Submit your questions for Jeff to answer here! Question Form Don't forget to sign up for my free email newsletter: Newsletter Sign Up AI Disclaimer: I outline or script my podcasts; all words are my own. Buzzsprout auto-generated the transcript. Send Jeff a message!

I start every class with a review of what we went over in the previous class, and if we completed any skill practice, I make sure to include examples in my review. Today's episode covers the "This or That?" activity I use to review at the start of health class. Resources Mentioned in This Episode "This or That?" ExamplesSubmit your questions for Jeff to answer here! Question Form Don't forget to sign up for my free email newsletter: Newsletter Sign Up AI Disclaimer: I outline or script my podcasts; all words are my own. Buzzsprout auto-generated the transcript. Send Jeff a message!

In this "Summer Session," I share a set of skill cues for teaching the skill of advocacy in a skills-based health education classroom. Resources From This Episode: SHAPE America National Health Education StandardsRMC Health: Advocacy Submit your questions for Jeff to answer here! Question Form Don't forget to sign up for my free email newsletter: Newsletter Sign Up AI Disclaimer: I outline or script my podcasts; all words are my own. Buzzsprout auto-generated the transcript. Send Jeff a message!

In this "Summer Session" episode, I talk about the "Jotter Box Handout," which replaced mini white boards in my classroom. It's an absurdly simple, basic, low-tech document that I call a "Swiss Army Knife" and use for a variety of purposes in my classroom. Resources Mentioned in This Episode: Click here for a Jotter Box Handout Template (it's literally just a Google Doc with boxes on it).Andy Milne's Question Matrix ActivitySend Jeff a message!

After a two-month break, I'm back! As part of my "Summer Sessions" series, I'm revisiting email newsletters I sent out before I started my podcast and recording them as podcasts, with updates as needed. Today's episode is a brief look at skill transfer and how you can keep your end destination the same while having multiple paths to get there. Submit your questions for me to answer here! Question Form Don't forget to sign up for my free email newsletter: Newsletter Sign Up AI Disclaimer: I outline or script my podcasts; all words are my own. Send Jeff a message!

A few years ago, I was looking to revamp my summative assessment for a sixth-grade unit. This unit focuses on the skill of interpersonal communication and uses the content area of anti-bullying/seeking support from adults. This unit was initially challenging to create a summative assessment for because there were so many sub-skills within the skill of communication that I wanted students to demonstrate. Communication skills were used in a conversation, including verbal and nonverbal. There was a specific method of seeking support from a trusted adult in there. Students learned I-Statements, too. I needed to fit all of those into a project where students actually demonstrated all of those skills.  In today's episode, I walk through the history of a sixth-grade project and how it's changed over the years before sharing advice about how you can use this approach in your classroom. Send Jeff a message!

You can improve your skills-based health education teaching and curriculum without a major overhaul. In today's episode, I go over 7 strategies you can use in order to "level up" your SBHE teaching and/or curriculum. These strategies work for both new and veteran teachers alike. Resources Mentioned In This Episode RMC Health: Skill CuesThe Essentials of Teaching Skills-Based Health EducationSubmit your questions for me to answer here! Question Form Don't forget to sign up for my free email newsletter: Newsletter Sign Up AI Disclaimer: I outline or script my podcasts; all words are my own. Send Jeff a message!

I recorded this in a different location than usual, so the audio quality might not be what it usually is. When the SHAPE America National Health Education Standards were revised in 2024, I mourned the loss of an oft-used performance indicator from Standard 1. In today's brief episode, I celebrate its replacement and share details about how my units have changed as a result of this new performance indicator. NOTE: I initially shared some of this in an email newsletter back in August 2025 Submit your questions for me to answer here! Question Form Don't forget to sign up for my free email newsletter: Newsletter Sign Up Send Jeff a message!

I want to encourage you to think about a mindset shift. A mindset shift relating to your curriculum. A shift relating to your students. Ultimately, a shift in how you decide to teach health education. This shift is based on changes made to the SHAPE National Health Education Standards in 2024, specifically the addition of "...the health and well-being of self and others" at the end of every standard. Old: "How do I stay healthy?" New: "How do my actions, choices, and skills affect both me and others?" Traditional health education focuses on improving individual outcomes. I would argue that even traditional skills-based health education is focused on improving individual health outcomes. That is shifting, though.  In today's podcast episode, I talk through how to make that change: using information from the NHES to help you, what it could look like for each skill, and why we should make this mindset shift. This is very much a work in progress for me, but as I continue to work on it, things become clearer. I'll be honest: I ramble a little in this one. It could be a little tightened up. Heck, I barely talked about the language shift in the NHES I mentioned in the opening paragraph of this email. But, I think you'll get the picture. Submit your questions for Jeff to answer here! Question Form Don't forget to sign up for my free email newsletter: Newsletter Sign Up AI Disclaimer: I outline or script my podcasts; all words are my own. Send Jeff a message!

In this "sprint" episode, Jeff tackles a topic in under five minutes. Today, Jeff reviews a concept known as FIRME Action, developed by Research for Better Teaching. This checklist can be used during instruction or between classes, whenever you're reviewing formative assessment data. Send Jeff a message!

Want a simpler, stronger way to build real health literacy? In today's episode, I make the case for teaching one National Health Education Standard skill per unit, pairing it with relevant content and using the skill-development model to deliver focused practice and actionable feedback. The twist: while classrooms thrive on focus, life blends skills, so we can also map the natural connections students will encounter beyond school. Episode Resources National Health Education Standards Skills GridNational Health Education Standards: Educator KitSubmit your questions for Jeff to answer here! Question Form Don't forget to sign up for my free email newsletter: Newsletter Sign Up AI Disclaimer: I outline or script my podcasts; all words are my own. Buzzsprout's "Cohost AI" created the title and chapter markings, put together a transcript, and wrote the description for this episode. Send Jeff a message!