Reimagining PE: How choice, tech and teacher support can transform movement in school
In part one of our conversation with Dr. David Daum, we explored the systemic and cultural barriers keeping kids from moving, both in and out of school. Now in part two, we’re shifting gears.
What does good physical education look like? How can tech actually help instead of hinder? And what do future teachers need most as they step into under-resourced schools?
Dr. Daum shares insights from his work preparing the next generation of PE teachers and why, despite the challenges, he still believes PE is the most important subject in school.
This conversation has been lightly edited for smoothness and clarity.
Tierney O: You already talked a bit about the downsides of screens. But how can technology help physical education and solve some of these challenges?
David D: Large class sizes—technology can help with that. No, a video will never replace a live teacher. But it can support one. You can set up stations with Chromebooks or iPads where students watch a video, then do the activity. Or they use the video to refresh themselves on what to do.
In that way, tech becomes a helpful tool. The biggest benefit, though, might be in student choice. In PE, we call it “challenge by choice.”
Tech allows for choice. If we’re doing a fitness unit, do I care if a student chooses Zumba, kickboxing, lifting weights, or running? Not really. The point is to move. But when you’re one teacher with 50 kids, offering that level of choice is nearly impossible without tech.
Of course, there are barriers. No Wi-Fi in the gym, a $300 annual budget for a program serving 2,500 students—$300 doesn’t even buy you half an iPad, let alone the half dozen you’d want. So yeah, there’s certainly opportunities to help. With the future teachers I work with, the conversation always comes up—what about the students who don’t want to participate? Yeah, great question. Let’s talk about the students who don’t want to participate, because at the end of the day, they’re the ones we really need to reach. The ones who are always saying, “Hey, pick me”—I don’t worry about them as much. Their motivation is already there. But what about the rest?
And again, I think that choice—that ability to own your own destiny—is important. We know a lot of high schoolers, and even middle schoolers, feel like, “I’m my own person. I’m an adult,” even if they’re not. But they still want that choice. A platform like Hiveclass or other digital tools can help provide that. It’s about meeting students where they’re at.
One challenge in brick-and-mortar PE classes is the wide range of abilities. Just using mile run times as an example: some kids can run a sub-seven-minute mile, others run 20-minute miles. And those kids are trying and still running 20-minute miles because of their cardiovascular fitness—those are drastically different needs and interests.
Being able to meet those students where they are, provide instruction where they are, and give them choice in how to be physically active—that’s key. Some like to be active with others, some prefer being alone. Some like large groups, others prefer small. Personally, I like running solo, but I enjoy biking in a group. I know it’s weird—they’re both cardiovascular, but that’s just my preference.
TO: So let’s talk about strategies or teaching methods that are most effective in helping young people develop self-motivated physical activity habits.
DD: Yeah. Get to know your students. Sitting in my role as a teacher educator, I give my students a lot of options—here are all the tools. I don’t know which one will work. It’s up to you, as the teacher, to figure that out in the moment, with that class, at that time, that day, that minute.
Motivational techniques, routines—it’s all very specific to the characteristics of the class. Every class is different because it has different personalities, and one or two students can shift the entire dynamic.
But broadly speaking, things that help with motivation and physical activity include establishing routine and norms and holding students accountable. Having set routines for things like equipment distribution or behavior management techniques helps create a better learning environment. But if you’re too predictable, that becomes boring and ineffective.
A perfect example: I get frustrated when teachers use the same warm-up routine every day. Line up, butt kickers, arm circles, jumping jacks, push-ups, sit-ups. Every day. I get bored just watching it, and students get bored too, and they stop doing it correctly. And if they’re bored at the start, that sets the tone for the rest of the lesson.
Routine can be valuable, but it has to be done well. Every sport or activity has different physical demands. So why aren’t we applying that logic to warm-ups in PE? Let’s warm up in a way that actually prepares students for that day’s activity.
Earlier I talked about choice—meeting the full range of your learners. Again, the student who runs a 7-minute mile and the one who runs a 20-minute mile—they have drastically different needs.
Or in a throwing lesson, you might have a student on a travel baseball team and another who’s still stepping and throwing with the same-side arm and leg. They need different interventions.
So, we have to design lessons that offer choices and challenges appropriate to each student’s level.
That said, I recognize the institutional barriers. If you’re one teacher with 50 students, it’s really hard to manage—even with tech assistance.
We can talk about the ideal way to do things, but at the end of the day, my message to my student teachers is: get to know your students, understand them as individuals, and do your best to meet their needs.
Then, evaluate your own teaching. How are you speaking to your students? How long are your instructional episodes? Are the tasks appropriate to their skill level? Are they engaged and physically active? If not, what will you do to fix that?
TO: In your experience with future teachers, what kinds of resources or information would be most helpful for them? What do they say they want or need?
DD: Honestly, I think they don’t know the questions to ask yet. A big part of teaching is experience—making mistakes, learning from them, and doing better next time.
Experienced teachers usually know what resources to seek out. But newer teachers often don’t. That’s why I emphasize the importance of a community of learners.
Find high-quality teachers, no matter the subject or location. That’s why I always push for attending conferences. The networking, professional connections, the sessions—those experiences are invaluable.
So how does Hiveclass come into play? There’s a real value in providing both content and pedagogical knowledge. Many new teachers are teaching things for the first time, sometimes without ever having participated in the activity themselves. They need help with academic language, good task design and instructional strategies. For example, instead of lining up students for layup drills one at a time, which leaves 30 kids standing around, expert-created resources can provide better options.
DD: The community of practice side is harder. Digital communities have changed. We’ve gone from discussion boards to social media. Physical educators often have no support for curriculum development. There’s usually no one at the school site, district, or even county level with that responsibility.
Out of 56 counties in California, I know of maybe two people whose roles include support for PE—and even then, I don’t know how much of their job is actually focused on curriculum.
That lack of support is one reason why we keep teaching the same five sports: football, basketball, soccer, baseball/softball, track and field.
Nothing against those activities, but if we’re doing the same thing every year, students are going to get bored. It’s not just warm-ups that need variety—it’s curriculum too.
Hiveclass offers a mix of traditional sports and less common activities. That variety could really help expose students to something they might love but haven’t tried yet.
TO: I didn’t realize PE teachers were so unsupported—it’s wild. It’s like, “Here, teach this class. Good luck.”
DD: It’s frustrating. I’ll spend 4–6 years preparing students—undergrad through credential program—and then we send them out to schools where they have no equipment, large class sizes, unsupportive colleagues, or poor role models.
Some schools expect teachers to grade based on dressing out or participation—things that have no place on a grading scale. In California, there’s actually a law against grading students on dressing out, but it still happens.
Yes, I’m speaking in generalities, and yes, there are great programs. One of my recent grads is going into a department that really gets it. But we need more of that.
hat other choice do you have? It’s expensive.
TO: So we know movement is valuable. We feel the difference when we do it. But then… we don’t.
DD: One message I have to give my students is this: the only person who’s going to hold you accountable for being a high-quality educator is you. It’s up to you to keep that fire alive. That’s why finding a like-minded community is so important.
TO: Anything else you’d like to add?
DD: At the end of the day, I think PE is the most important subject in school. Of course, I’m biased—that’s why I do what I do.helpful.
A big thank you to Dr. Daum for sharing his time and expertise. His message is clear: movement isn’t optional, it’s foundational. As we continue to build tools that support educators and expand access to physical activity, we’re grateful to learn from people like David who are doing the work every day.
If this conversation sparked ideas for you or reminded you of your own school experience, we’d love to hear about it. Let’s keep the conversation going.
Published October 14, 2025