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WMS Teacher Named National Middle School P.E. Teacher of the Year
Wydown Middle School P.E. Teacher Sarah Gietschier-Hartman has been named the 2018 SHAPE America National Middle School Physical Education Teacher of the Year. She received her award at the SHAPE America National Convention held on March 20-24 in Nashville, where she joined fellow award winners in the categories of Elementary Physical Education, High School Physical Education, Adapted Physical Education, Health Education and Dance Education.
“I am honored and humbled to be recognized as the 2018 SHAPE America Middle School Physical Education Teacher of the Year,” said Gietschier-Hartman. “This recognition would not be possible without the support of the Missouri Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance (MOAHPERD), the School District of Clayton, the students, parents, teachers and administrators at Wydown Middle School, and the online physical education community. Teaching my students through play, and helping them discover why and how they like to move, is the reason I am a physical educator.”
This award honors Gietschier-Hartman for her involvement in developing and implementing effective health education/promotion and P.E. programs in the School District of Clayton, and also for her commitment to supporting health and P.E. teachers across the country and around the world. The WMS P.E. teacher became one of five finalists for the national award after earning the Middle School Physical Education Teacher of the Year Award for SHAPE America’s nine-state Central District.
Gietschier-Hartman is in her 11th year of teaching and seventh year in Clayton, where she serves as the health and P.E. subject manager and a member of the WMS professional development committee.
In addition to her contributions to the District, Gietschier-Hartman is actively involved in the broader education community. She is a collaborator for PHYSEDagogy, a blog dedicated to discussing best practices in the modern physical education classroom. Gietschier-Hartman and other members of the PHYSEDagogy team organize the #PhysEdSummit, a free online conference for health and physical educators around the world. In addition, Gietschier-Hartman has presented sessions at local workshops, state conventions and the SHAPE America National Convention, along with serving as a keynote speaker at the National P.E. and Sport Institute last July.