Oxford High School teacher Kathryn Goetz will be honored as the Midwest District High School Physical Education Teacher of the Year by the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) at its national convention in San Diego, California, March 29 to April 1.
The Midwest District represents a six-state area from West Virginia to Michigan. The award is given in recognition of outstanding teaching performance at the high school level and the ability to motivate today’s youth to participate in a lifetime of physical activity.
Goetz, a physical education teacher with Oxford since October 2000, will vie with four other district winners for the National High School Physical Education Teacher of the Year Award.
This award is sponsored by NASPE and Sportime, an innovator of equipment and services for physical educators.
The National Physical Education Teacher of the Year Award recipients will be announced on Friday, April 1, at the NASPE Hall of Fame Banquet.
‘After spending eight years teaching physical education to at-risk students, I learned flexibility and creativity is the key to a student’s success,? Goetz said. ‘My curriculum is based on promoting maximum participation and engagement through a variety of physical activities.
The goal is to motivate students to live a life full of passion, movement, and balance between work and play.?
‘Katie proves to be highly committed to her students. She reflects on current practices and leading trends in the field to foster student growth.? said Glenda Williams, Ph.D., OHS Assistant Principal, Oxford Area Community School District.
‘She is an exceptional educational leader who is balanced, principled, and knowledgeable in her field.?
Goetz’s professional accolades include 2009 MAHPERD Physical Education Teacher of the Year for secondary physical education, former Michigan Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation & Dance (MAHPERD) president, nominations chair, secretary, health division vice president, and current member of the MAHPERD/Michigan Department of Education Safety Guidelines Committee.
Goetz has also written the curriculum for Oxford Community Schools.