Using Social Media to Build Perceived Mattering of Physical Educators

Social media has become an essential tool in social networking and content sharing. Our professional and personal lives have become inundated with social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Educators are using these platforms increasingly as a way to remain current with developments in their respective fields. Social media can also support teachers in gaining knowledge, and receiving feedback and building relationships with educators around the world. Despite the prevalence of use within physical education, little research exists to understand how social media might enhance the work of physical educators. Given that physical educators experience marginality in their working environments, we propose that social media may provide a tool that can assist PE teachers in overcoming marginality and potentially increase their levels of perceived mattering. The purpose of this article is to discuss how physical educators can use social media to navigate marginality and increase perceptions of mattering.

Physical Education during COVID-19: SHAPE America Reentry Considerations and Practical Strategies for In-School, Distance, and Hybrid Learning

Hundreds of thousands of public and private schools have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. To better help this group of teachers during the pandemic, SHAPE America – the professional national organization for health and physical education teachers – came together to create and provide physical education teachers with reentry considerations. This article aims to provide K–12 physical education teachers with an abbreviated version of the SHAPE America reentry considerations and practical strategies for implementation during in-school, distance, and hybrid learning in physical education.