Some say he is one of the coolest teachers on campus and his lessons push students to achieve their highest potential in the gym and in life.
On this episode of the Supercast, we take you to Ridge View Elementary School to find out why Physical Education teacher Taylor Wright seems to have "the right stuff" when it comes to getting students excited, engaged, and going out of their comfort zones to do their very best.
Audio Transcription
[Music]Anthony Godfrey:
Hello and welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. Some say he is one of the coolest teachers on campus and his lessons push students to achieve their highest potential in the gym and in life.
On this episode of the Supercast, we take you to Ridge View Elementary School to find out why physical education teacher Taylor Wright seems to really have “the right stuff” when it comes to getting students excited, engaged, and out of their comfort zones to do their very best.
[Music]Taylor Wright:
Alright now do big waves, big waves, big waves, big waves. It's a workout, it's a workout. Stop, just look, look. Alright, we're going to go up when I say “up”. Okay, I'm going to say put the hands up and we're going to go up.
Anthony Godfrey:
We are on the back field of Ridgeview Elementary School with Taylor Wright, physical education teacher extraordinaire. Thanks for spending time with us today.
Taylor Wright:
Thank you sir, thank you. It's an honor to be here.
Anthony Godfrey:
Tell me about the activity that we just witnessed. That was a total blast just to watch those first graders having so much fun with you out here.
Taylor Wright:
Yes, sir, the parachute, we've been doing it all day and I've done it with most of the young kids. Sometimes things get off the rotation schedule and so forth, but the kids love this and the game that we play at the end that the kids love as well. It's awesome, it teaches them to work together and it also teaches them to– it's a good workout, it's actually a good workout.
Anthony Godfrey:
What I thought was really cool about it is they're having so much fun they forget that they are actually exercising. I need to figure out how to do that for myself to forget that I'm exercising. You made it so much fun for them, so engaging and interactive, they're talking with each other, they're having a great time and they're getting a break from being in the classroom which I think prepares them to be even more effective as they're learning at their desk.
Taylor Wright:
Yes sir, yes sir. As you know there's a lot of studies that show that a certain amount of movement every day is good for your brain. This one is stuff that hopefully they'll never forget. Like you said, when you walked in you knew that you remember the parachute.
Anthony Godfrey:
I remember the parachute.
Taylor Wright:
I remember the parachute, and I try to do stuff that they'll remember. And that this would be hard to do with your family, but I always try to do stuff that if I was a student in my class I would enjoy and I would look back fondly upon and actually could do with my own family. So that's what I try to think about.
Anthony Godfrey:
I have to say that you have taken the parachute experience to the next level. I think all we did is we lifted the parachute, climbed under it and then tucked it under and sat down on it.
Taylor Wright:
Yes sir.
Anthony Godfrey:
But you had this game where they're running around trading places and it's a rainbow parachute, very large.
Taylor Wright:
Yes sir.
Anthony Godfrey:
Listeners can probably picture their handles on the outside so each student has a handle and they're by a color.
Taylor Wright:
Yes sir.
Anthony Godfrey:
So then you call out blue and everybody lifts the parachute and the blues run around and trade places.
Taylor Wright:
Yes sir.
Anthony Godfrey:
And then they get their spot and they race around the outside sometimes like a duck, duck, goose almost.
Taylor Wright:
Yes sir.
Anthony Godfrey:
And it's so engaging and they're just having a great time every second. You seem to be having a great time every second as well.
Taylor Wright:
Yes sir. This is– and I've told you this. I don't like missing school. I never miss because I love the kids. I mean it's such an awesome atmosphere here. Ms. Doleac, everybody. I needed help filling some balls with air earlier, which I was using all day, and our maintenance guy Scott went out of his way to help me. It's just such a– it's just– I can't explain and I've told you this. I get emotional talking about it. It's just such an unbelievable place to work and it's very person-centered, very student-centered and it's real you know and it makes my life. I mean honestly, Ms. Meredith our principal will tell you like I get sad when we have long times off. You know I really enjoy being here.
Anthony Godfrey:
I love that and it's obvious in the way that you interact with the students and I've talked with you over the years. You've come up to me and talked about how much you love what you do and it's really exciting to see it firsthand for the first time.
Taylor Wright:
I feel like every day I have to up my game. If I had we had fun last time I don't want it to be lower so I want to keep it going.
Anthony Godfrey:
You do have a lot, you have about 30 feedback machines right over there that will tell you whether it's working or not immediately.
Taylor Wright:
Yes sir. Immediately.
Antony Godfrey:
Well, it certainly is working today. And every video I've seen, every time I've interacted, it's obvious to me how much you care about the kids and providing them with an unforgettable experience. Now you have not always taught elementary you taught secondary before.
Taylor Wright:
Yes sir.
Anthony Godfrey:
Tell me about that experience compared with this one.
Taylor Wright:
Yes sir. So I started my career as a high school teacher. I got into football coaching. I coached at several colleges and then I got back into teaching in middle school and things. And then you know, this is the best. This is the best job I've ever had. I worked off the field at the University of Wyoming. I worked at Central Missouri. I taught high school like you said for three years and I had wonderful relationships. I still have students or players I coached reach out to me years later. I started teaching back in 2009. So all those things I love I'm thankful for that. But this is the best teaching job I've ever had. To teach elementary school kids is the absolute mecca of this for me. I mean I get to– Ms. Meredith will tell you I go in there at lunch every day and talk to– I literally just enjoy interacting with them. You know, making jokes, messing with them, just having that feedback. All these kids know me really well.
The relationships you can build with students at any level are great and they're different. Secondary kids are more able to understand things and that nature but here you can if someone’s sad and I talk to him, it can help their day. I mean yeah, and I do try to teach them that. I tell you what, our school is so great. I mean I was teaching a class earlier and I remember it was a kindergarten class and so we were doing an activity and I was like “okay guys it's going to be difficult.” It was this parachute activity. I was like “I wonder if you can do it?” And someone yelled out “I can do hard things” or “we can do hard things” and I love that.
Anthony Godfrey:
I love that.
Taylor Wright:
So I try to you know teach them that. Like the process of doing something is to just be the best version of yourself and then do it that way and not even worry about like you know if we win or lose. We just focus in the moment and do our best. And I'm telling you like it's been the greatest job I've ever had.
Taylor Wright:
Well, you are a huge positive impact on these students and you have the advantage of getting to know every student every school.
Taylor Wright:
Yes sir.
Anthony Godfrey:
And this is a huge school.
Taylor Wright:
Yes sir.
Anthony Godfrey:
We're well over a thousand students–
Taylor Wright:
Yes sir.
Anthony Godfrey:
–for those who are listening here at Ridge View. And we are splitting the school next year to 4th, 5th, and 6th grade going to another building and we'll still have K-3 here and you'll be here at Ridge View continuing these great activities.
Taylor Wright:
Yes sir. I'll be here.
Anthony Godfrey:
Tell me, what do you hope that students take away from their time in PE classes with you?
Taylor Wright:
You know the thing I try to hope is that they take– there's a saying Maya Angelou and other people say it “No one remembers what you said or did that they remember how you made them feel.” So I hope they remember someone who had a positive attitude. Who always came ready to be a beacon of good energy. I think the kids know because I'm always playing like every game I have, I'm participating with the kids. I mean that sounds crazy but literally, I'll either referee or I'll play part of the game and I hope that they just know that like you know this is how you live. You live by just enjoying yourself and also just participating. Being an active participant in what you're doing. Just put all your energy in what you're doing at that given moment. Nothing else matters. You're living in the present and that's where the juice of life is I think. And I hope that the kids know that and I think a lot of them kind of a little bit do.
Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah. Absolutely. You are tapping into that feeling in elementary students where they're making the most of the moment and putting their whole selves into what they do.
I had to step away for a phone call for a second.
Taylor Wright:
Yes sir.
Anthony Godfrey:
Important decision. Talking with a couple of people. We came to the decision and I walked right back to the joy. I wanted to get off that phone call as fast as I could to get it back to that group of kids interacting with you and having a great time.
Now you have a lot of space here. You've also got a big hill. Have you been able to use the hill to your advantage?
Taylor Wright:
You know what? So the recess usually stays on this here. We do play a game on this hill right here. So this is what we'll play a game where I'll tell a story. The kids, little kids love things like that even more than this. A lot of times they'll like stories and things that you make up. Yeah. And so we play a game called a bull a burst. I'll tell a story and it usually involves them and it will usually involve somehow that they're a name. Which is what they really care about. And as I'm telling it, it'll be like, okay, I took Miss Hatch’s first-grade class outside. We were outside. We heard something. We heard a boom. And I looked to my left. I looked to my right and it was a bullet burst. And then the kids have to run up the hill, touch the fence, yell, whoo, and then come back and sit down. And of course, you don't want to be the last one to get down. So we actually do play the hill here and the kids love it. And games like that, the kids will request that a lot. So yes, sir.
Anthony Godfrey:
I can only imagine how fast they are running and how hard they are trying not to be the last one to run and sit down.
Taylor Wright:
Yes. One, two, three. Up. All right. Down, down, down, down. Sit on it. Sit on it. You got to sit on it.
Anthony Godfrey:
Stay with us. When we come back more with Taylor Wright and his students.
Break:
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Anthony Godfrey:
My level of exercise is generally walking from the car to a conference room but I believe that you are getting quite a bit of exercise just as a part of your day. Tell me about how you feel at the end of the day.
Taylor Hatch:
Everyone knows me and you know I work with folks with special needs when I'm not teaching. So a lot of times I'll leave and go there and I'm telling you I always feel like I had a HIIT exercise high intensity because I do this all day. And this is actually light. But I love it. It helps me and the kids. Like I said, if you're willing to play with the kids and actually get out there and do that, it amps everything up. The kids really enjoy that. And I love that. I wouldn't want to. What you do, your organization, your ability to lead, the tone that you set is world-class. I like getting out here and doing this kind of stuff. You know, you have a much bigger-picture perspective. And if it wasn't for you, I wouldn't be here. And your vision and leadership is unparalleled.
Anthony Godfrey:
We're talking now with some of the first-grade students in Coach Wright's class. Tell me your name and tell me what you love most about Coach Wright's class.
Motlee:
My name is Motlee and what I like about most of Coach Wright's class is that he makes up fun games.
Anthony Godfrey:
What's one of the best games that you play in his class?
Motlee:
Every one. Everything
Anthony Godfrey:
All of them were fun?
Motlee:
Yeah.
Anthony Godfrey:
Okay. How about you?
Giselle:
My name's Giselle and I love Shark Attack.
Anthony Godfrey:
Shark Attack. How does Shark Attack work?
Giselle:
Well, you have to have a stick and you have to tag somebody and then they have to sit down and whoever gets a ball, then they have to stand up.
Anthony Godfrey:
That sounds fun. How about you?
Aaron:
My name's Aaron and I love trying to jump the rope.
Anthony Godfrey:
Jump the rope? How does that work?
Aaron:
You have to jump like a rope.
Anthony Godfrey:
You hold it in each hand and flip it around and you jump when it hits the ground? How many times can you do it in a row?
Aaron:
Twenty.
Anthony Godfrey:
Twenty? That's pretty awesome.
Penelope:
My name's Penelope and my favorite thing to play with Coach Wright is bullet burst.
Anthony Godfrey:
And what's bullet burst? Is that the one with the story?
Penelope:
Yeah, with the story and when he says bullet first we go up there and see who’s the first one to get down the hill.
Anthony Godfrey:
What is it like having Coach Wright for a teacher? What's he like?
Penelope:
Great.
Anthony Godfrey:
Giselle, what's Coach Wright like?
Giselle:
He is mostly fun and nice.
Anthony Godfrey:
Aaron, what's Coach Wright like?
Aaron:
He's fun. He's really nice and he's the best teacher.
Anthony Godfrey:
Tell me about the stories that he uses in class.
Aaron:
Like when we're playing the game bullet burst, he says sometimes he uses our names. He like tells a little funny jokes and when he says, when he's at the end he just yells bullet burst.
Anthony Godfrey:
And then you run as fast as you can.
Aaron:
Yeah, and me see who can get down the fastest.
Anthony Godfrey:
You guys think you can outrun him?
Students:
Yeah.
Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, you can, huh?
Students:
Mm-hmm.
Anthony Godfrey:
Okay, you guys are pretty fast.
Students:
I've done it before.
Me too.
I did a Fun Run with our teacher. I did the most laps in the whole class.
Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, how many laps was that?
Student:
Ten.
Anthony Godfrey:
You did ten laps?
Student:
Yeah.
Anthony Godfrey:
The most of your class, huh?
Student:
Yeah.
Anthony Godfrey:
And you beat Coach Wright?
Student:
He didn't do it.
Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, he didn't do that one?
Student:
Yeah.
Anthony Godfrey:
Okay.
Student:
He didn't do the Fun Run.
Anthony Godfrey:
Thanks for talking with me guys.
Students:
Yeah.
Anthony Godfrey:
Thanks for joining us on another episode of the Supercast. Remember, education is the most important thing you will do today. We'll see you out there.