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About Coach Green

Once upon a time, I was a college graduate, living at home with my parents and delivering pizzas, when I decided to begin coaching baseball at Malibu High School. It was there that I discovered my passion for working with kids and adolescents. Shortly after, I began substitute teaching at Conejo Valley Unified School district in Southern California, where it became more and more clear that teaching is what I wanted to do. I pursued my teaching credential at Cal State University Northridge and three long semesters later, I was a credentialed teacher. I applied for teaching jobs all up and down California, and told myself whoever wanted to hire me… it would be meant to be. When several schools in Napa Valley Unified School District showed interest, I was immediately intrigued because my sister and baby nephew lived in Sonoma. One of the most amazing feelings that I have experienced in this life was hearing the voicemail left on my phone while I was in my last semester of student teaching, which informed me Silverado Middle School in Napa was ready to hire me for the 2016-2017 school year. I moved up to Northern California and never looked back.
After four wonderful years at Silverado Middle School, during which I learned an incredible amount about teaching and gained invaluable experience, I was transferred to my true dream job in 2020 - teaching PE and coaching baseball at Napa High School. With the help and advice of my great friend, fellow NHS baseball coach and teacher, and current fellow cohort member, Jason Chatham, I decided to pursue my Master’s degree in Innovative Learning at Touro University heading into the 2020-2021 school year. The timing for this could not have been better. With the COVID-19 pandemic in full swing and the start of a new school year featuring an unfamiliar model of hybrid learning approaching, it was tough to know where to begin with teaching PE virtually.
This Touro Master’s program in Innovative Learning has taught me so much and has truly opened my eyes to the possibilities of incorporating technology and innovative strategies into teaching. I know I am better prepared with the tools to maintain my teaching philosophy, whether online or in-person. I believe in the importance of lifelong learning, health, and fitness for my students. Most importantly, the goal is to instill in my classroom a focus on team sportsmanship, respect, effort, social skills and responsibility. Simply put - my class is the place where kids learn how to “play nice!”
After four wonderful years at Silverado Middle School, during which I learned an incredible amount about teaching and gained invaluable experience, I was transferred to my true dream job in 2020 - teaching PE and coaching baseball at Napa High School. With the help and advice of my great friend, fellow NHS baseball coach and teacher, and current fellow cohort member, Jason Chatham, I decided to pursue my Master’s degree in Innovative Learning at Touro University heading into the 2020-2021 school year. The timing for this could not have been better. With the COVID-19 pandemic in full swing and the start of a new school year featuring an unfamiliar model of hybrid learning approaching, it was tough to know where to begin with teaching PE virtually.
This Touro Master’s program in Innovative Learning has taught me so much and has truly opened my eyes to the possibilities of incorporating technology and innovative strategies into teaching. I know I am better prepared with the tools to maintain my teaching philosophy, whether online or in-person. I believe in the importance of lifelong learning, health, and fitness for my students. Most importantly, the goal is to instill in my classroom a focus on team sportsmanship, respect, effort, social skills and responsibility. Simply put - my class is the place where kids learn how to “play nice!”
Touro University's Innovative Learning and My TPACK Journey
I was lost. When I think back to where I was at regarding my pedagogy, almost exactly one year ago at the start of distance learning, like many other teachers I had no idea where to begin. Perhaps PE teachers especially needed to figure out how to adjust more than anyone. Based on many conversations I've had, when the majority of people think of online PE, they imagine the teacher leading a workout and all students following along and diligently exercising on-camera. This is problematic for several reasons… For one, as much as I pride myself on my high energy-style of teaching, I do not think I can effectively make it through five workouts, one for each class, every day of the week. More importantly, requiring students to exercise on-camera is kind of an ethical grey area, and something that neither my students or I want happening.
Thankfully, with the help of Touro University's Innovative Learning Master’s program, I have expanded my Teaching Pedagogical Content Knowledge, or TPACK, in such a way that my virtual PE lessons don’t have to be as one dimensional and dull as the “exercise on-camera” class. When it’s time to exercise, my students work within Edpuzzle, following Youtube workouts which I have converted to Edpuzzle videos with notes and questions for reflection. This way they can be held accountable for completing a workout without having to exercise on-camera. I have also utilized Edpuzzle not only for workouts, but for instructional videos with content from practicing good nutritional habits, to how exercise makes you a better student, and even a Ted Talk on the importance of sleep.
I have also utilized virtual class time this year to focus on running and fitness applications for smartphones, from functionality to all of the benefits they can provide. Many of my students have taken advantage and shared their progress via screenshots of their data. I’m hopeful that the use of running and fitness applications will lead to more of a more passion for exercise and ultimately more active lifestyles.
My lessons often direct students to work within Google suite - most commonly Google Docs and Forms. While basic elements of Google Suite such as sharing access and making copies were challenging for my students at first, I am proud of how smoothly integrated into my curriculum it all is now. The difference is like night and day from month one of this school year. Now when we have a lesson in which we view content online, such as a website with key concepts on nutrition, or a youtube video on mindfulness, completing the follow-up Google Doc or Form has become second nature for my students. Quizizz is also a favorite among my students as well, as we often use this tool as a way to review key concepts from previous lessons. All in all, I am very proud of what my PE class has become in our current hybrid model of learning. My TPACK journey has been a long one, but boy has it been worth it. I am no longer lost.
Thankfully, with the help of Touro University's Innovative Learning Master’s program, I have expanded my Teaching Pedagogical Content Knowledge, or TPACK, in such a way that my virtual PE lessons don’t have to be as one dimensional and dull as the “exercise on-camera” class. When it’s time to exercise, my students work within Edpuzzle, following Youtube workouts which I have converted to Edpuzzle videos with notes and questions for reflection. This way they can be held accountable for completing a workout without having to exercise on-camera. I have also utilized Edpuzzle not only for workouts, but for instructional videos with content from practicing good nutritional habits, to how exercise makes you a better student, and even a Ted Talk on the importance of sleep.
I have also utilized virtual class time this year to focus on running and fitness applications for smartphones, from functionality to all of the benefits they can provide. Many of my students have taken advantage and shared their progress via screenshots of their data. I’m hopeful that the use of running and fitness applications will lead to more of a more passion for exercise and ultimately more active lifestyles.
My lessons often direct students to work within Google suite - most commonly Google Docs and Forms. While basic elements of Google Suite such as sharing access and making copies were challenging for my students at first, I am proud of how smoothly integrated into my curriculum it all is now. The difference is like night and day from month one of this school year. Now when we have a lesson in which we view content online, such as a website with key concepts on nutrition, or a youtube video on mindfulness, completing the follow-up Google Doc or Form has become second nature for my students. Quizizz is also a favorite among my students as well, as we often use this tool as a way to review key concepts from previous lessons. All in all, I am very proud of what my PE class has become in our current hybrid model of learning. My TPACK journey has been a long one, but boy has it been worth it. I am no longer lost.
If you wish to learn more about my journey, check out my blog!