PMP482: Empowering Learning Through Physical Education with Charles Rizzuto

Meet Charles Rizzuto:

Charles Rizzuto currently serves as Assistant Principal at Islip High School, following 15 years as a health and physical education teacher at Oyster Bay High School. A nationally recognized speaker, he has presented across the country on high-quality instruction, leadership, school culture, cultural proficiency, and social and emotional wellness. His highly regarded keynote address, The Driver’s Seat, has been featured by numerous school districts and state organizations.

In addition to his school leadership role, Rizzuto teaches graduate courses at Adelphi University and Cambridge College, focusing on the influence of social issues in education, instructional technology, models-based instruction, and social-emotional literacy. His teaching excellence has been recognized by students and peers alike—he was nominated as a Professor of Excellence at Adelphi in 2021 and named National Teacher of the Year by SHAPE America in 2022.

Additionally, Charles was named Eastern District Physical Education Teacher of the Year, New York State Physical Education Teacher of the Year, New York State Health Education Amazing Person of the Year, and Drug-Free Hero. He was a contributing author of the New York State Physical Education Learning Standards, served as President of Health Education for New York State, and sat on the National Health Education Council.

Let’s Get Into the Episode:

In this episode of the Principal Matters Podcast, host Dr. Jen Schwanke welcomes guest Charles Rizzuto, an assistant principal at Islip High School in New York, former National Teacher of the Year, and a self-proclaimed “super fan” of the Principal Matters Podcast. 

Rizzuto, who previously served 15 years as a decorated health and PE teacher at Oyster Bay High School, shares his extensive experience and insights into elevating health and physical education from mere “glorified recess” to an essential component of a school’s academic, social, and emotional framework. The conversation delves into the nuances of effective health and PE programs, Rizzuto’s transition into administration, and how his deep classroom experience shapes his current leadership role.

For any principal wondering why a high-quality health and PE program matters, and what school leaders can do to get one, here are a few things to consider.  

“PA is not PE”:

Rizzuto emphasizes a critical distinction between physical activity (PA) and physical education (PE), stating that mere physical activity does not constitute a comprehensive PE program. Movement serves as the “text” in PE, acting as a vehicle for deeper, more meaningful learning across cognitive, psychomotor, and affective domains. A quality PE program focuses on these learning outcomes, not just whether students are moving, sweating, or smiling.

Skills-Based Health Education:

Rizzuto asserts that a quality health education program is skills-based rather than solely content-driven. While content (like the recent addition of vaping education) changes, the essential life skills taught—such as analyzing influences, accessing valid information, goal setting, and decision-making—remain constant and are paramount for students’ transferrable learning.

Health and PE as a Central Engine for SEL:

Rizzuto highlights that health and physical education are the environments where social-emotional learning (SEL) and social-emotional literacy can surface most organically. Due to the nature of interactions in PE and the topics discussed in health, these subjects provide unique opportunities for students to develop conflict resolution, leadership, and emotional regulation skills, using frameworks like the Zones of Regulation. He shares a personal anecdote about building relationships with students by explicitly expressing care and love in his health classroom.

Elevating Health and PE Departments:

To truly support and elevate health and PE, school leaders should recognize the discipline’s nuances but not lower expectations for lesson structure, assessment, rigor, or participation. Feedback to health and PE teachers should be rooted in the same principles as feedback for other disciplines, including expectations for posting mastery objectives using a “what, why, how” framework. Leaders should also regularly communicate with health teachers to help them advocate for their curriculum with community members.

Addressing Reluctant PE Teachers:

Rizzuto advises principals to handle resistant PE teachers as they would any other resistant educator, but also to consider that the pushback might stem from feeling invisible or undervalued over time. Leaders should explicitly communicate their value to the staff, reflect on any unintentional messages (e.g., consistently using the gym for non-PE activities), and include them in building-wide professional development.

Fostering Inclusivity in PE:

For genuine inclusivity, Rizzuto recommends that educators embark on a journey of cultural proficiency, seeking to deeply understand their students beyond superficial surveys. Practical solutions include differentiating the scope and sequence of activities from year to year to keep students engaged and interested, and moving away from grading based on participation, as this can turn students off to physical activity altogether.

After all these critical conversations about Heath and PE, this episode concludes with Rizzuto sharing an item from his “if/when I become a principal” list: prioritizing a structured, intentional, and frequent meeting schedule for the leadership team. He proposes daily “What We Know” (WWK) and “What We Learned” (WWL) meetings, and weekly “Planning and Goal Setting” (PAGS) meetings to proactively address issues and foster shared leadership. This comprehensive discussion underscores the transformative potential of health and PE when viewed through an educational and leadership lens, and we know it will inspire principals to mirror Rizzuto’s dedication to expanding positive impact in our schools. 

Staying Connected:

You can stay connected with Charles Rizzuto via Linkedin

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