Classroom Corner: SBSM revamps in-person teacher trainings

Amelia Sherman | May 8, 2023

We're excited to share some updates on how we're supporting physical education teachers with professional development education.

At Sound Body Sound Mind, we understand the importance of professional development for teachers. Time and time again, we are approached by PE teachers and told that there are very few professional development trainings specifically geared toward physical education. That's why we continue to develop our comprehensive training to help PE teachers enhance their skills and knowledge, and ultimately improve the physical health and wellness of students across Los Angeles.

Watch the video below to hear from teachers and staff about their experiences this year at our new professional development training:

The SBSM Exercise Curriculum was first published in 2011. The curriculum follows a circuit-based training program with exercises that incorporate a full body workout with minimal equipment. The core aim of this curriculum is to educate students on the fundamentals of fitness and movement, develop students into "skilled movers", and make fitness fun.

The curriculum has undergone a large scale update this past year and we are happy to have published our newest edition in early 2023. This new edition includes updated graphics to increase clarity, updated photos of students modeling exercises, and most importantly, new research supporting the SBSM philosophy.

Our current professional development training is a one-day boot camp where teachers learn the ins and outs of the SBSM curriculum and our program. The day consists of:

A classroom portion where teachers absorb the fundamentals of the SBSM training philosophy
A nutrition curriculum education portion taught by a registered dietitian from our partners at UCLA Health Sports Performance powered by EXOS
A section on equipment maintenance led by our partnered equipment vendor provider, Matrix Fitness
A hands on learning experience where teachers participate in exercise circuits
A time for collaborating with their peers in workgroups to implement a lesson plan for their classroom

We're proud to say that our professional development program has already had a positive impact on many PE teachers and their students. We have hosted 5 trainings since the return to in person learning in March 2022 and taught over 151 teachers in three school districts.

We are committed to supporting physical education teachers and providing them with the tools and resources they need to succeed. In the next school year, we are looking to expand our professional development offerings to our teachers. We will add more frequent, shorter sessions that will target specific areas of our program with the teachers in mind so we don’t disrupt their weekends.

We believe that by investing in professional development, we can help teachers inspire and empower their students to lead healthy, active lives.

Classroom Corner: SBSM revamps in-person teacher trainings