Whether on the blacktop, in the NEST, at nearby Overington Park, or in our newly renovated gym, anyone observing a PE class at FFS will see 100% of the students joyfully participating with confidence and positive attitudes. Beyond having fun and learning how to be physically fit, Mark's program fosters many of the mental skills which help to prepare students for life beyond FFS. Positive sportsmanship, team building, collaboration, developing perseverance and tenacity, and knowing how to handle feelings of success and disappointment in appropriate and productive ways are key elements of what Mark strives to impart in all of his charges. 

In a recent interview, Teacher Mark talked about his philosophy for teaching Physical Education and the importance of outdoor learning experiences for our students’ physical and mental health.  

Adrienne: It is very clear to anyone who sees you in action that you love your job. What led you to become a PE teacher?
Mark: Growing up in England, my family introduced me to all kinds of sports, and I played all of them. My parents encouraged (expected, really) me to be outside playing during all of my free time. There was no such thing as screen time in my house. Having fun and letting off steam was about  playing with other kids and being physically active. I never knew any other way to be, and I loved it! My university degree is in "Sports Development", which is basically about how to get people involved in sports and being active. Studying sports development was a perfect fit for me. I also loved the school experience overall, and I wanted to combine those experiences. So, I decided to become a Physical Education teacher. I love passing my interest and love of physical fitness on to the kids. 

A: What makes teaching PE at FFS particularly satisfying?
M: Teaching at FFS is extremely satisfying to me. The children seem to love PE and are always eager to come to lessons. They want to know what we're doing and they ask great questions. At the end of each lesson, they want to know what we are doing next time. The kids make my job enjoyable and that's what keeps me going. It's more than that, though. The support teachers get from the administration is huge. They allow me to implement a curriculum that I really believe in, to try new things, and to be creative. I feel trusted and I have autonomy in my teaching practice, which is so important. Maybe the biggest sense of satisfaction I get from working at FFS is the connection I have with my colleagues. Classroom teachers include me in their work around different students' social and emotional needs; they value my insights and ideas and understand that PE class is an important part of social and emotional development and wellbeing. In many schools, and certainly in other schools where I have taught, PE teachers are often left out of these conversations. Here, we're a team, all working together towards a common goal for each individual student.

A: What is your philosophy of Physical Education?
M: I don't want any of our students to live a sedentary lifestyle. They don't have to become athletes, but my job is to engage them in physical activity and hope that they make that part of their daily lives forever. When I was in school, a lot of kids hated PE. I want all of the students I teach to be active, both physically and emotionally, and for it to be enjoyable. I don't want it to feel tedious for anyone, because that's when you lose those who aren't as interested. I want my students to get a good workout in PE without it feeling like a workout. It has to be fun! And, when we do things like run or walk a few laps around the park, we have already talked about why we are doing that, the health benefits and importance of that kind of activity. Also important to my personal philosophy of Physical Education is the idea of perseverance, of achieving personal goals. I stress this in everything I do with my classes. Even when playing games, each person is working to improve their own skills, and that's more important than winning. When the focus turns to winning or losing it becomes so much less enjoyable for a lot of them. Kids don't "get in trouble" in PE class, although some do need to take a break or have a few minutes to breathe and reflect on something that happened or didn't go well. If you walk into one of my classes you will see every student participating and enjoying it, and that's what makes me happy. It's the trying part that matters, not the end result. In other words, just as is the case in teaching reading, writing, math, and PBL, the learning occurs in the process of doing something, not in the final product or outcome.

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‍A: What specific skills/background knowledge do you need to have in order to successfully teach PreK-8 graders?
M: Patience! Lots and lots of patience. Because I teach this wide range of ages I have to be aware of where kids are developmentally. I need to know how children at different ages grow and develop and the range of skills children should be able to demonstrate as the year progresses. This includes gross and fine motor skills and also social skills. Understanding development in this way helps me tremendously and allows me to form strong relationships with the children. It can be very challenging teaching kindergarteners and then teaching 8th grade immediately afterwards. Those transitions are the hardest part of my day. Understanding developmental benchmarks and knowing what I want each grade level to be able to do by certain times in the year is crucial to my program. For every grade, I hold high expectations for all of my students. I want them to feel challenged, but appropriately so. High expectations are important. Children only meet the level of expectation you set as a teacher. If you don't set the bar high, they won't reach high goals. 

A: How do you engage students who do not like physical activity/exercise?
M: I do this the same way any good teacher handles a situation where a student doesn't like what they are doing in class. I provide differentiated activities so that everyone can succeed. It comes down to expectations. When all kids are given the same task in PE, some will excel and some will struggle. If we're working on a particular skill, I might suggest a few different options or strategies so everyone is comfortable and can participate. For example, if we are using balls to practice a skill, some students may benefit from starting with a bigger ball and then gradually using smaller balls. Making sure that everyone has what they need to learn and grow is the goal, and different kids may need different things in order to be successful.

‍A: Can you talk about the emphasis you put on teaching sportsmanship skills?
M: There really isn't anything more important than good sportsmanship. Children have very strong feelings about fairness, and they need a lot of modeling and guidance in this area. I emphasize the importance of honesty and integrity, and again, on personal achievement and being gracious to each other. No matter what the activity is, if teams are involved, we take the time at the end to say, "good game". It's never fun to be on the losing team. Both winning and losing require graciousness, and I take that very seriously. Or, if someone gets hurt, that is a time for graciousness as well. Our students are very compassionate. It's really impressive. I set very clear expectations and guidelines for students, and they know they must follow them. That doesn't mean it isn't hard for some people. I have some students who are tremendous athletes, and they instinctively tend to focus on winning. Emotions and frustration can run high when their team is not winning a game, or when they feel a teammate is not performing up to par. I set individual goals for these friends to develop their leadership skills by channeling their competitive energy into supporting others and being positive influences. I want everyone to enjoy the experience of winning without making others feel bad. I tell them all the time that I have lost thousands of games in my life and that I have learned and grown from each of those experiences. 

‍A: What's the link between health education and PE?
M: Knowing how the body works and grows is important for me as the teacher, but also for my students. It's all about how to live a healthy lifestyle. When kids understand these things it lends well to why we have PE. We can have fun and keep our bodies healthy at the same time. I also talk a lot with kids about anxiety and stress, and how physical activity can help to keep these feelings in check. 

‍A: Our middle school Explorations program offers a range of electives so that students can delve deeper into specific areas of interest. What has your experience been teaching PE related Explorations?
M: The Explorations program is a great way to provide challenges to middle school students who want to push themselves further both mentally and physically, and to do things we may not be able to do in PE class. For example, I've offered a personal fitness class which has been fantastic. Teacher Kevin (Cox) and I have teamed up to offer an Exploration on sports analysis, which has been so much fun. In this class, kids get to play some fun team sports, and then watch videos of themselves afterwards so they can analyze their skills and work to improve them. Last year I offered a class called "Sports Around the World'', which was brilliant. The kids researched and learned how to play various games from several different countries. The best part was that the games were new to everyone, so it was a very collaborative experience. I would love to offer this class again with a whole new set of games from different places. 

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A: Can you say a little about our NEST space and why it's so good for children?
M: The NEST is a wonderful space that allows our students to have unstructured free time, which has many benefits. As well as building their coordination, motor, and cognitive skills, students have the opportunity to be creative and explore the natural world through discovery. I love seeing kids jump from tree stump to tree stump, or navigate the stepping stones. It's a great way to get kids moving without them even realizing it. 

A: Talk about why we have outdoor expeditions. Why is that so important? 
M: I am so pleased that we have been able to start up the outdoor expeditions this past year as it gives us all an opportunity to explore and observe nature. Our faculty use this time to educate students about respecting nature and how to appreciate the beauty around us, allowing students to build a positive relationship with the environment. Of course there is a physical benefit of putting a different type of demand on our bodies, but it also allows us all to develop our social skills and community building within FFS.

A: What does it mean to you to teach Health and PE in a Quaker school?
M: To have the support of the administration, faculty, and families of our wonderful students, it truly means a lot! Quaker values align well with my own and the way I strive to live my life. To be able to come to work and know that I'm in a place where integrity is valued brings a great sense of satisfaction. Knowing that these values are shared with my colleagues and the whole FFS community makes such a difference and that is evident in our students and how they act. As much as I want our students to aim high, they also push for me to do the same, which contributes to the great relationships we have together. I am extremely lucky to be teaching at FFS and I am proud to talk about FFS wherever I go! 

A: We hope that in the near future we will be able to install a rock wall in the gym. How would having a rock wall enhance our PE program?
M: Climbing is a sport that has been developing rapidly during the past few years. The 2020 Olympics in Tokyo introduced Sport Climbing into their long list of events, and it was truly fascinating to watch the strength, speed, and overall athleticism of the athletes who took part in the event. A rock climbing wall allows for enhanced coordination skills to be developed, as well as strength, flexibility, and endurance. It also provides a way to build confidence and self-esteem by putting students in an environment that is out of their comfort zone, where they can monitor their personal improvement over time. 

‍A: Do you have any funny stories to share from PE classes?
M: I've definitely tripped over a few Pre-K students in my time at Frankford Friends! You would think helping young students to improve their coordination and balance would suggest that I am pretty good at it myself. Not always!

A lot of funny stories come from the differences in UK versus American English. I once used the term "tackle them" while playing soccer with a class. In England, this term means to find a way to take the ball fairly from another player using your feet. However, when I said it during our soccer game, one student decided to use a football tackle to take down the student with the ball. It wasn't so funny at the time, but I can laugh about it now!

And, once in a Health class, I asked students to give me a big name for one of the calf muscles. Expecting to hear "gastrocnemius", one student responded by shouting out, "cow!" We all had a good laugh over that one!

‍From the children:

"I love all sports and Teacher Mark. Teacher Mark is my first PE teacher and he’s doing a very good job because he gives me a lot of fun stuff to do. He’s really good at being a teacher." - Grey, 1st grade

"I like PE because I'm known for moving around a lot. It makes me feel really good, but I don't know why. My favorite subjects are PE and math. Teacher Mark said that we might be able to do gymnastics, because he has lots of pannal mats. I love Teacher Mark because he's so nice and helpful. Like when I needed help with hula huts. He is also very thoughtful. He always understands problems and how to fix them. He is such a great teacher!" - Maddie, 3rd grade  

"In PE class Teacher Mark really brings us together. Some of us may not listen right away, but he always finds a way to help us cooperate." - Cooper, 5th grade

"A good education can change anyone, but a good PE teacher can change everything. And we have a good PE teacher" - Lily, 6th grade

"I built a really cool relationship with Teacher Mark. He is someone I look up to." - Amiyah, 8th grade

Mark Leese is from Stoke on Trent, a small city located in Staffordshire in central England. He moved to the United States in 2017 after meeting his wife Heather. Mark has his undergraduate degree in Sports Development from Staffordshire University, and a postgraduate degree in teaching physical education from Southampton University. An avid runner, Mark is determined to keep running as long as his knees hold out! He also loves playing golf, watching live sports, and playing board games with friends and family. He and his wife Heather love living in Philadelphia, and particularly enjoy exploring new restaurants in the city together. 

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