Hannah Hanley

Physical Education Department Chair; Middle School Physical Education Teacher

B.S. Health Education, University of Cincinnati

Teaching Philosophy

Important skills I want to teach my students

I want my students to develop an appreciation of physical activity that they can take with them for the rest of their lives. I also teach them that winning isn’t everything and losing can be a learning experience. I teach them how to treat others with kindness and thoughtfulness. I teach them that it is OK to lose, and not everyone gets to win all the time. I strive to help students understand the importance of being able to work with others toward a common goal and to do so with an ability to execute sportsmanship, camaraderie, and leadership when necessary.

Teaching methods to reach these goals

We play small-sided games, cooperative activities, and have learning stations to maximize activity time for all students. We learn team sports and individual sports, with an emphasis on student learning, personal success, fair play, and personal health.

My favorite projects

The eighth-graders get into partner groups and spend several weeks creating a game to teach to the rest of the class. They have to make up and explain a game that we have never played before. It’s fun to see their creativity and they learn what it’s like to be the teacher.

What I like best about teaching at Seven Hills

I love teaching at Seven Hills because the school puts such an emphasis on physical education. So many schools are cutting physical education classes, but Seven Hills realizes that it’s such an important part of our students’ day.