Physics & Physical Education

Say Hello to Mr. Devin, our fantastic Physical Education teacher, who has been with us for a couple years now! Covid may have slowed down our blog posts, but we're finding our blogging groove again... slowly! Thanks Mr. Devin for getting us started again, and for this inspirational read. Your teaching, much like yourself, is a gem that we are grateful to experience. 

This is very overdue, but that's because I've never known what to say. Over the years I have been at Via Vita, I have sat down many times to try and write this blog post, and have always found myself second guessing every word. When I was first asked to write one, I was given the option to look at the other teacher's posts for inspiration, which left me even more unsure what to write! I have the pleasure of working with amazing individuals who are extremely talented, and seemingly, have a way with words. I had never placed myself in such a category. I didn't think I could find the words to create an elegant explanation of my style and approach to teaching. Every time I tried and read the posts of my fellow teachers, I always thought "I don't think I can do what you're doing here."

But, hold on...  isn't that the point? 

The beauty of this school of ours is that we celebrate difference. The teachers are all different. We all approach teaching in a different way, because we have vastly different experiences with education. We teach our students to embrace their differences, stand out, and be genuine to themselves. They say variety is the spice of life, and I don't think that could be more true for education. 

When I finally had the realization that I was a teacher, and that's what I needed to do, I thought that I wanted to teach Physics. I loved physics, and found it fascinating how we could use math to explain why things happen the way that they do. At the time, I was also teaching Taekwon-do, and found myself bringing those physics lessons into my teaching there. I taught my students how to increase their power and speed through the use of physics. It permeated everything we did, and the more I studied physics, the more I applied it to my Taekwon-do. Balance, coordination, footwork, body movement, it all could be improved through physics. Through these lessons, my students improved immensely, because they were finally understanding the "why" behind the moves and techniques. 

Do you need to know the exact physics behind throwing a ball to throw it? No; but understanding why throwing a ball higher will help it go further will certainly help you get it to your target.

​I am always looking for why things work, and why they don't, and I believe fostering that questioning will help every student better understand what they are learning. When it comes to physical education, I want people to understand the "why" behind these skills, so that as they get older, they can apply that understanding to everything else they encounter.

-Devin Boudreau
Physical Education Teacher
​(And many other hats at VVA!)