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Essex Middle School teacher, Matt Bristol, was recently recognized with top honors.
During PE class at Essex Middle School, students cheer on their teammates, practice their form, and get social time all at once.
“When we went to the pandemic, I started focusing on the connection over the content, not so much worrying about -- can the students do ‘X’ amount of push-ups or do they know how to throw and catch -- but can they connect with people, which is far more important,” said Matt Bristol, the school’s wellness teacher and this year’s National Teacher of the Year for PE.
Bristol has been an educator for 10 years and it’s his first year at EMS. In 2020, he won Vermont Teacher of the Year for the Society of Health and Physical Educators of America. That allowed him to be eligible for a lengthy application process to compete against physical educators across the country.
“The biggest thing I put out there is just someone who has a lot of passion for not only physical activity and overall wellness, but for caring for others,” Bristol said. “A climate where we’re treating the other people the way they want to be treated.”
The energy in his classes is palpable, and the students feel it too. “He kind of, he’s super nice, and that’s great,” said one of Bristol’s students.
And when every student is involved, new goals are created. “At first, a few years ago, I wanted to do basketball. I was like, yeah, that’s not my sport. But with this class, I’m like, would actually it’s pretty fun. I might do next year,” said another student.
Working as an educator during the pandemic has certainly had its challenges. Bristol says he spent a lot of time teaching classes outdoors and it feels good to be back inside and helping get students back on track. “I believe in this phrase of ‘the power of play’ in the sense that it really makes him present in the moment. When you’re truly playing something you enjoy doing, nothing else is on your mind,” said Bristol.
Copyright 2023 WCAX. All rights reserved. Essex PE Teacher gets National Recognition; Author: Melissa Cooney