This new Philly PE instructor is serious about wellness

Philadelphia Higher Faculty for Girls’ actual physical instruction instructor Alicia Mannino knows that persons feel that her college students get to play all working day.

Sure, her course is a lot of entertaining — there’s tunes, there’s dancing — but it is also so much much more. “I have a curriculum, not just sports,” Mannino explained to Chalkbeat. “I teach motion skills, health and fitness, and wellness, not just online games. And it’s Bodily Schooling, not ‘gym course.’” 

Mannino, who has taught for 13 many years, believes actual physical education is the basis of a wholesome life-style — the birthplace of wellness and the finest aspect of a student’s working day. (A recent Condition The united states analyze confirmed that most higher school pupils have a good view of health and PE lessons.)

This is Mannino’s initial yr at Girls High, in the Olney section of Philadelphia, but the Bucks County indigenous taught beforehand at Feltonville College of Arts and Sciences and, ahead of that, at Eugenio Maria de Hostos Constitution Faculty, a bilingual K-8 school in Huntington Park.

Expanding up, Mannino was a triple-sport athlete by the time she was a senior in large college, winning 1st group All-Catholic in equally soccer and lacrosse. She also performed on nationally rated travel soccer and baseball groups. Mannino, who went on to get her diploma at Rowan College, explained she “lived and breathed opposition.” 

“Going from athlete to instructor, I get to utilize my ideal bodily skills and enjoy all working day,” she reported. “Yes, there is an abundance of data and information received from a terrific PE program, and at times, I’m absolutely exhausted, but I can not reiterate this more than enough, I get to be a huge kid all working day.”

In addition to teaching PE, Mannino runs Women High’s Homosexual Straight Alliance club, or GSA. The corporation offers learners in the LGBTQ+ group a risk-free room that facilities positive associations, equality, and peer acceptance. 

“Identifying as lesbian myself, the pupils really feel a lot more protected because I can relate my past ordeals to things they may possibly be likely by means of,” she explained. “Homophobia exists all over the place, unfortunately. Numerous of my learners are fearful to come out/identify as what they want since it’s still not culturally recognized.”

From the initial working day at Feltonville Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Mannino shown how considerably she genuinely cares about every pupil, stated John Piniat, the principal there. 

Extra yet another former colleague, teacher Blair Downie: “She cares deeply about inclusion of college students with disabilities and has developed college-degree applications to raise alternatives for students in self-contained unique education courses to commit additional time with their friends.” 

Mannino spoke not long ago with Chalkbeat. 

This interview has been frivolously edited for size and clarity.

Why is engagement so critical for the classroom, and what are some techniques you maintain college students engaged?

This is likely to audio serious outdated university, but I test to hold technology out of the gymnasium as much as probable. Now, hold with me in this article because I know you are almost certainly rolling your eyes. Social media is almost everywhere! Most students have access to a mobile cell phone, which prospects to YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, etcetera. As a physical educator, there are lots of ambitions, but if I had to slim it down, the objective is to get up and go. Place the phones down, let us get some confront-to-encounter social conversation.

Numerous of the games [we play] are based mostly on seasonal sports activities this sort of as football in the tumble, basketball in the winter season, but there are also so several features to a comprehensive PE application. We enjoy cooperative games that incorporate teamwork, positive communication, trouble-resolving capabilities, and significantly additional. These are vital to study and grow into a constructive member of the community. There is also a perception of being a huge kid at coronary heart. I play, dance, get the “tea” every single working day, and it lets for good associations to grow. When I present them that I am fascinated in the game titles and that I give it my all, they observe my guide. When you exercise what you preach each day, it is contagious for the students not to latch on and get fired up to walk into my gymnasium each individual day.

How have you utilised your personal ordeals to assistance the college students in your classroom and/or faculty neighborhood?

This query has two sides that I want to deal with. A person, my own experiences and upbringing are of the middle class — a far more privileged outlook than what our students pretty much see on a day-to-working day basis. So, I try to pay attention to what is going on to them fairly than sharing my privileged upbringing. There are often going to be classes in existence that we have skilled that we relay to our students for the reason that it’s just purely natural for educators to share pieces of on their own. The 2nd facet is that I share my ordeals in a constructive way. I make sure my pupils know that I am not fantastic and that my activities in lifestyle are only instructed to them to give them info to make conclusions in their day to day daily life. I’m in this article for them — gimme the “tea,” inform me what’s likely on. When you hold a classroom wherever the students call it a “vibe” you know you are doing something suitable.

What has been your biggest hurdle in returning to in-particular person discovering?

To be trustworthy, I am so glad that we are back again to in-man or woman understanding. Whilst digital understanding was required because of to the pandemic, staying in a position to play games and have social interaction past breakout rooms is where I want to be and continue to be.

What are some of the factors you discovered from educating college students with special demands that other teachers can just take into the classroom?

1 of the factors that I am most proud of is known as gym buddies. Each calendar year, we would decide one particular team of college students, usually an eighth quality class, and we invite them to sign up for our tailored course to use socialization among both of those [typical learners] and distinctive ed students. The principal cause Health club Buddies began was to create a constructive setting where by pupils can get to [know] 1 a further. A group of selected eighth graders would go away their lunch period as soon as a 7 days to interact with learners of unique disabilities. We believe that this socialization really aided out our college community simply because now our pupils are exchanging social media accounts, gamer names, high-fiving in the hallway, and disrupting adverse behaviors from other students in direction of the pupils with disabilities. I also emphasize the district’s no-bullying coverage. I enable it be regarded in the beginning of the college 12 months that most people is equal, and no person in this article is improved than any one else, no subject how gifted you are in athletics.

What’s the most effective advice that you can give to new instructors?

We believe our “work” is the career we go to or the area we get a verify from. No. Your function is the really exclusive issue that you insert to this entire world. Your eyesight, your light-weight, your enjoy, what you share, what you build, how you make individuals come to feel, and many others. That, my mates, is actually our do the job.

Bureau Main Johann Calhoun covers K-12 universities and early childhood training in Philadelphia. He oversees Chalkbeat Philadelphia’s instruction coverage. Get in touch with Johann at [email protected].