What does it really take to teach 28 kindergartners (alone) in a gym every single day?
In Part 1 of my S5E41 Schoolutions conversation with @CoachGelardi, the 2025 SHAPE America National Elementary P.E. Teacher of the Year and New York State Teacher of the Year, we talk about what world-class physical education and fitness actually look like and why every educator, parent, and school leader needs to pay attention. Tom is the creator of the PhysEdZone YouTube channel, which is closing in on 15 million views, and he's built one of the most powerful P.E. programs in New York City.
In this episode, you'll learn:
Coach Tom Gelardi in the News:
Chapters:
0:00 – Introduction: 28 Kids, One Gym, Zero Assistants
1:45 – Meet Tom Gelardi: Awards, YouTube & Origin Story
3:00 – Tom's Education Background & Early Mentors
4:30 – What It Means to Be a "Pied Piper" for Kids
5:45 – A Day in the Life: Elementary P.E. Across 20 Years
7:00 – From Good to Great: Using Talent to Lift Others
8:00 – Why P.E. Teachers Are Masterful Responsive Educators
8:45 – Managing Safety with 60+ Kids in One Space
10:00 – Co-Creating Classroom Expectations (Not Just Rules)
12:00 – Large Class Sizes: What City Schools Look Like
13:00 – Wild Midday Story: Fifth Graders + First Graders, No Equipment
14:30 – Turning Chaos Into Opportunity: Teacher Growth
15:15 – How Movement Impacts the Brain & Focus
17:30 – Brain Breaks: The Research Behind Movement & Learning
19:00 – The Long-Term Relationship Between P.E. Teachers & Kids
20:30 – Making Impact Beyond the 45-Minute Class
21:30 – Lightning Round: Rainy Day Movement Ideas
22:30 – What Adults Do That Kills Kids' Love of Movement
23:30 – Put the Phone Down: Being Fully Present
24:30 – Worst Equipment Story (The Flat Basketball)
25:30 – Biggest Misconception About P.E. Teachers
26:30 – The Power of One-on-One Feedback in P.E.
28:00 – Specific Feedback in Action: The Beanbag Example
30:00 – Learning From Your Students as a Teacher
31:00 – Wrap-Up & Key Takeaways
🎧 Part 2 drops Friday, where @CoachGelardi shares his best summer movement tips for families, broken down by age group, plus his favorite PhysEdZone videos to use right now.
Join our community of educators committed to cultivating student success, inspired teaching, and creating inclusive classrooms with a pro-kid mindset focused on the whole child.
🎧 New episodes every Monday & Friday with bite-sized Wednesday reel bonus content.
📧 Book a coaching session with me here if you’d like a thought partner to help you cultivate curious learners who advocate for what they believe in.
🎵 Music: Benjamin Wahl
Don't forget to 🔔SUBSCRIBE for more teaching tips, and 💬SHARE!
#schoolutions #schoolutionspodcast #forevergettingbetter #curiositydriven #evidencebasedstrategies #classroomreadystrategies #PhysicalEducation #PETeacher #StudentEngagement #ActiveLearning #ClassroomBelonging #TeacherTips #InspiringStudents #WholeChild #InclusiveTeaching #StudentSuccess #MovementBreaks #BrainBreaks #EffectiveTeaching #InstructionalStrategies #SchoolCulture #TeacherCoaching #InstructionalCoaching #EmpoweredEducators #EducationTransformation #ProKidMindset #ParentInvolvement #HomeSchoolConnection #EquityInEducation #NewTeachers #SchoolLeadership #TeacherImpact #PhysEdZone #TomGelardi #Schoolutions #OliviaWahl #SHAPEAmerica #ElementaryEducation #ChildDevelopment #MovementIsLearning
When teachers, coaches, administrators, and families grow together, they create schools where everyone is inspired and every student is fully engaged, supported, and ready to thrive.
