What inspired you to launch the #microblog event back in 2020 — and did you ever expect it to grow into what it is today?
My blog site, slowchathealth.com, which celebrates it’s 10 year anniversary this year, was created for health teachers working with students of all ages. The aim has always been to promote online discussion, the sharing of resources and inspiring all of us to provide a better experience for the students that we teach. It was never meant to be just my voice, more an opportunity for the community to come together and celebrate all that we do. While there have always been guest posts, I created the blogging event to set aside specific space for educators to share their thoughts and ideas. Some educators have returned annually, and each year also includes first time bloggers nervously sharing their ideas with the global audience. That global piece brings me joy. This year Jorge Rodriguez from Texas, but working in Saudi Arabia, wrote about his relocation to China. His post was shared on the same day that Leticia honeyfrom Spain, who has taught on four continents, wrote about her students in Côte d’Ivoire. This years event might have been the most global yet.
The event invites posts of around 500 words — short enough to be accessible, but long enough to say something meaningful. Why did you choose that format, and what kind of writing has it encouraged over the years?
I’m all about bite-sized actions, and I thought that a constraint of 500 words might make the thought of writing a first blog post more managable. The joy of the word limit is that a microblog post can be a collection of thoughts or the sharing of an idea that has worked with students. Sometimes the thought of writing a longer blog post can be daunting, but there is often creativity in constraint. Constraints provide focus and a creative challenge that seems to motivate people. That said, 500 words is quite short, and typically the micoblog posts come in around 750 words or longer. It’s all good. The format seems to have hit a sweet spot and means we are able to share at least 2 new blog posts each day throughout the month of May.
Six years in, what did this year’s #microblog event reveal to you about the state of health and physical education?
Firstly, I’ll say that there have been more submissions from our #PhysEd friends than ever before. As the microblogging community has grown, more teachers want to become involved and I’m asked about it at every conference I attend throughout the year.
Many of the microblog posts this year were reflective. There seems to be a greater focus on slowing down and reflecting. I think post-pandemic more of us are reconnecting with our mission. There’s a widespread craving for authenticity and purpose-driven practice. A common theme is the sharing of journeys, and an appreciation of the diversity of educator voices. Humility ran through this years posts, with educators sharing stories of struggle, growth, and learning. Often the writing is transparent, emotional, and deeply personal. I love that!
The PE and Health communities seem closer together than ever before – we are all in this together. We desire collaboration, deserve celebration and the microblogging event strengthens our connections.
This year, you released more than 50 posts from contributors around the world. What does that kind of participation say to you about this community?
I think the final number was 56 posts! I’m always blown away by the willingness of educators to share their awesomeness and bravely put their thoughts out there. That said, there’s an excitement as the event draws near and a flurry of early submissions. Then, as the early posts are shared, they nudge others to put their thoughts together. Some educators (they know who they are), leave it until the last minute, and finally, Dr. Bob Knipe and Chris Walker traditionally bring the event to a close.
One thing I have learned from this event, is that if you reach out to people and personally invite them to contribute, they will. This is the same when it comes to inviting teachers to apply for TOY awards, or volunteer leadership positions. We all need a nudge sometimes. Dr. Bob Knipe calls those who nudge, Agents of Enthusiasm. I love that!
Every year brings new contributors. Did any first-time writers or unexpected voices emerge this year that particularly moved or surprised you?
It would be unfair to single out contributors, but one submission that I was excited to receive was that from Shannon Beatty. Shannon is a member of the Health Teacher Central page on Facebook, and she often shares her use of vinyl records in the health classroom. I messaged her a few times this year to consider writing a blog post, and she even writes about her reluctance to share her thoughts in her first ever microblog submission. As a fan of music in the classroom, I appreciate the musical shout outs in her post.
Has organizing the microblog each year influenced your own views or teaching practice?
I love networking, I crave professional development, and I enjoy reading all of the blog posts. For those educators who I have already met, each post makes me appreciate them even more. Posts from educators I haven’t met yet have me excited for our first meeting, and that includes Dale Sidebottom, who I’ll finally meet when we present/keynote at the PE Institute in Asheville, North Carolina this summer.
The joy of many of the posts is that they are evergreen. I will continue to share them throughout the coming school year as I know that they will have a positive impact on my, and others’, teaching practice.
You’ve always emphasized amplifying new voices. Why is that important to you — and what’s something you’ve learned from giving space to voices that aren’t often heard?
I acknowledge the privilege of working at a school that values me, and encourages me to attend and present at conferences. I have benefited from this visibility, and picked up awards and opportunities along the way. The more I travel, the more stories I hear of teachers facing challenges when it comes to teaching freely, attending conferences, or simply being appreciated. The blog, along with the #sendateacher initiative, are my contribution towards making space for new voices. I’ll amplify others when I can, acknowledging those who inspire me.
From experienced educators to students, this year’s posts reflected a huge range of perspectives. How do you balance curating consistency with celebrating diversity in tone, topic, and experience?
A simple ‘call for submissions’ is not always enough. Not everyone is able to give their time, emotional labor, and creative efforts freely. This year, as in other years, I identified educators who I admire, or are admired and recommended by others, and reached out to them – perhaps you received one of the 45 postcards that I mailed earlier this year?
What role do you see online professional communities — like the one surrounding your blog and the #microblog event — playing in the future of teacher development and connection?
Our community has been lamenting about the demise of social media of late. Many of us yearn for the era where we shared freely, and collaborated widely on platforms that weren’t dominated by billionaires and bots. From that era, blog sites like Justin Schleider’s slowchatPE, Dr. Bob Knipe’s PEPEPTalk initiative, the awesome Physedagogy, and the #teachershelpingteachers OPEN network was born. #PEGeeks was THE hashtag, ThePhysicalEducator, Joey Feith was churning out content, and we were all ‘Voxing’ each other. A lot of great initiatives were created during that era and I don’t think the post-pandemic online space has ever reached those levels.
As we all navigate the future of networking, Matt Hagedorn’s microblog post gave reasons why the HPE Collective might prove to be the newest, and safest space for Health and PE teachers to gather.
Check out the HPE Collective here.
Looking ahead, what’s next for the #microblog event? Do you already have ideas for what you’d love to do differently — or even bigger — next year?
Hah. The old me, who admired hustle culture, would be all about making next year bigger and better. The new me asks if we can simply appreciate the success of this years’ event. Revisit the posts, share them with others, reach out to the writers and consider new ideas and collaborations. Guest posts are appreciated no matter the time of year, and if you are struggling with finding a topic to write about, why not consider those suggested below.
To all who have written, reflected, and shared the microblog posts, I am very thankful!
This microblog post was a featured post in #slowchathealth’s #microblogmonth event. You can search for all of the featured posts here. Please do follow each of the outstanding contributors on social media (including Andy Milnethe author of this post) and consider writing a microblog post of your own to be shared with the global audience of slowchathealth.com
Some of the most popular posts of this year’s event include:
Mourning the Athlete I Could Have Been – and Coaching the Next Generation of Women’s Sports to Be Unstoppable by Casey Langendorfer
Five Questions I Asked My Middle School Students This Year by Emily Zien
What Sean Mendes Can Teach Us About Sexuality by Drew Miller
Say My Name. Say My Name: Introducing The Teacher Multi-Tool by Jen Mead
Make it Stick in the Health Education Classroom by Kevin Mason
Puberty is Beginning Earlier; Will Your Students be Prepared? by Candor Health Education
Thought Traps in Health Class by Kayla Robertson
Have you read the latest Book of the Month recommendation?
