Abstract
While sharing some characteristics with their general physical education colleagues, adapted physical educators also face unique challenges related to their role. For example, both general and adapted physical education teachers encounter stress stemming from the marginalized nature of their discipline but may navigate such experiences differently. Adapted physical education teachers often serve in itinerant roles travelling among multiple schools and may provide services for upwards of 100 students. They must also have a functional understanding of a wide variety of disabilities, individualize instruction for each student, collaborate with service providers across several schools, and be an active team member in the individualized education program process. As a result, they may need to advocate for themselves, their students, and the role of the discipline in different and unique ways. Drawing from research on general and adapted physical education teacher socialization, and available research-informed practices, the purpose of this paper is to describe the unique stressors associated with teaching adapted physical education and strategies they may implement as part of local advocacy.
Just a few months ago, Ms. Mierau was excited to begin her career as an itinerant adapted physical education (APE) teacher in the largest school district in her county. Having completed her master’s degree in APE, she felt confident she would be able to provide the type of educational services guaranteed by special education law (Individuals With Disabilities Education Act [IDEA], 2004) and help students with disabilities work toward their educational goals. Within the last week, however, Ms. Mierau has reluctantly pulled several students from integrated physical education (PE) to work in more restrictive settings. These decisions were in response to the inappropriate teaching practices of the PE teacher, Mr. Cox, who does not provide a meaningful learning environment for some students with disabilities. She will never forget seeing her student, Tiffany, who has a visual impairment, cowering in the corner of the gymnasium as Mr. Cox announced that they would be playing dodgeball. This game, which involves students throwing rubber playground balls at one another, was intimidating for Tiffany, who could not visually track the ball.
Ms. Mierau had hoped that this particular lesson was an aberration, only to find that dodgeball and other inappropriate PE games were common in Mr. Cox’s classes. Because Mr. Cox was also the head of the PE department with tenure and 10 years of experience, Ms. Mierau did not know how to approach discussing the situation with him. Her limited interactions with Mr. Cox led her to feel as if he did not value APE or believe it was his responsibility to educate students with disabilities. She also did not want to go over Mr. Cox’s head and talk to the principal out of fear of backlash. However, Ms. Mierau knew that she needed to be an advocate for herself; students, such as Tiffany, who would benefit from education in an integrated environment; and the broader field of APE within her school. Nevertheless, she faced an important dilemma. On the one hand, she knew that students such as Tiffany had an individualized education program (IEP) that stipulated physical education in integrated settings. On the other, she feared for her students’ physical and emotional safety and considered removal from the setting.
“Although marginalization can be challenging for APE teachers, it is also possible for them to increase the status of their discipline through advocacy efforts that support their students and highlight the importance of their work.
What’s the Problem Here?
In the preceding vignette, we have introduced a common problem that many APE teachers encounter when making student placement decisions. Ms. Mierau, her teaching, and in turn, Tiffany are clearly devalued by the behaviors and practices of Mr. Cox, the general PE teacher. Mr. Cox’s inappropriate practices, and apparent disregard for the integration of students with disabilities, marginalize APE teachers, like Ms. Mierau. Over time, they may begin to perceive that their roles as teachers and the services they provide do not matter within their schools (Richards et al., 2018). Further, teaching practices such as those used by Mr. Cox create inequitable learning environments that threaten rather than contribute to the education and wellness of youth with disabilities. When confronted with such practices, APE teachers are forced to make difficult decisions, such as removing students from integrated settings or declining to integrate them in the first place (Wilson, Kelly, et al., 2020b).
The situation overviewed in the vignette is problematic as our protagonist knows that making placement decisions based on inappropriate teaching is not aligned with the intent of special education law (Wilson et al., 2019). Under IDEA (2004), these decisions should result in student placement in their least restrictive environment, where they can be educated in settings with those without disabilities to the maximum extent appropriate. The law goes on to state that students with disabilities should be removed from these integrated settings only if such participation does not result in satisfactory achievement of their educational goals. Making decisions unilaterally and based on inappropriate teaching practices by general educators, like those demonstrated by Mr. Cox, does not align with the intent of IDEA. However, the vignette reflects a reality where APE teachers feel forced to make such decisions to provide the safest and most appropriate educational experience for their students (Wilson, Haegele, et al., 2020).
The vignette highlights an incompatibility between Ms. Mierau’s expectations, developed through her education and influenced by IDEA, and those held by Mr. Cox, who does not seem to believe it is his responsibility to educate students with disabilities. Referred to as “role conflict” (Biddle, 1986), such incompatibilities create further stress as Ms. Mierau and Mr. Cox are beginning from opposing viewpoints and make different assumptions about their roles and responsibilities. Such stressors can contribute to feelings of frustration and burnout (Richards et al., 2020). This has implications for teacher retention as those who experience prolonged stress and burnout may leave the field prematurely. Teachers who feel burned out, but remain in the field, may experience declines in morale and instructional quality (Herman et al., 2018). Although marginalization can be challenging for APE teachers, it is also possible for them to increase the status of their discipline through advocacy efforts that support their students and highlight the importance of their work (Cornelius & Murawski, 2021; Lux & McCullick, 2011). Such advocacy may also help teachers feel as if they matter and are viewed as important contributors within the school environments (Murawski & Hughes, 2021; Richards et al., 2018). The purpose of this article is to describe research-informed strategies to develop workplace environments in which APE teachers feel valued and supported.
We begin by framing our arguments through the lens of role socialization theory (Richards, 2015) and relevant research focused on the lives and careers of PE and APE teachers. Then, we will apply current knowledge from the literature to present a set of practical strategies to address APE teacher marginalization. Finally, we conclude by discussing some key takeaways and our final thoughts related to advocacy initiatives and enhancing the perceived value of APE in school environments. It should also be acknowledged that such research related to evidence-based practices is largely underdeveloped in the field of APE. In fact, few APE teaching strategies have been research tested in general PE settings (Pocock & Miyahara, 2018), a point emphasized by a review of Adapted Physical Activity Quarterly, one of the premiere journals for APE, which found no intervention studies related to the inclusion of students with disabilities in PE from 2004 to 2013 (Haegele et al., 2015). Nonetheless, our following discussion of strategies is based on the limited evidence that is currently available to the field.
Foundations in Role Socialization Theory
Role socialization theory (Richards, 2015) is a sociological perspective that seeks to understand the work life experiences of PE and APE teachers. Socialization experiences that occur prior to formal teacher education, during one’s teacher education, and in the schools in which teachers work are believed to shape teachers’ beliefs and practices (Richards et al., 2019). Rather than positioning teachers as passive recipients of this socialization, however, they are seen as active agents who are capable of asserting their sense of agency and resisting the influence of those individuals and social institutions that seek to socialize them (Schempp & Graber, 1992).
Socialization experiences also lead teachers, other key stakeholders in education (e.g., administrators, parents, students), and the general public to develop subjective theories (Grotjahn, 1991). These subjective theories serve as personal understandings of and expectations for one’s own job performance and those of others in a school. When individuals share similar job expectations, their work can be done with little tension or stress (Richards, 2015). This would be the case, for example, when the PE teacher, APE teacher, administrators, and others believe that APE and PE teachers should work together to identify and create the most appropriate learning environment for students with disabilities. Unfortunately, however, alignment of expectations cannot be assumed, because individuals often have different socialization experiences that lead to differences in their subjective theories and expectations for how work roles will be completed (Biddle, 1986). Such is the case in the opening vignette when differences in Ms. Mierau’s and Mr. Cox’s expectations related to the integration of students with disabilities into PE seem to be driving many of their challenges. Substantial differences in expectations can result in role conflict, whereby perspectives on how the job should be completed are irreconcilable and create social and political challenges related to one’s performance of the role (Conley & You, 2009).
Ms. Mierau felt as if she were trapped in a situation where, to meet Mr. Cox’s expectations (i.e., that it was not his responsibility to create environments in general PE that facilitated meaningful integration), she may need to remove Tiffany and others from the environment. Nevertheless, doing so would compromise her values and beliefs and would be inconsistent with the intent of IDEA.
As is also the case for Ms. Mierau, marginalization often arises out of role-conflict situations that are framed by a power dynamic (Richards & Hemphill, 2017). Schools continue to operate as what Lawson (1986) referred to as “custodial bureaucracies,” whereby more experienced teachers and those with tenure are afforded more power than their junior and untenured colleagues. In some instances, senior teachers use that power to apply pressure toward conformity to their expectations for job performance, which can limit innovation (Richards & Hemphill, 2017).
Further, PE and APE teachers are likely to be confronted with subject marginalization, as they teach a subject that is sometimes viewed as less important to schooling than those that are perceived to be more academic (Wilson & Richards, 2019). These status divisions are rooted in the mental-/manual-labor divide, whereby higher status is afforded to subjects intended for the general school population and focused on cognitive work (e.g., mathematics, science; Richards, 2015). Subjects that focus on physical skills (e.g., art, music, PE) or that serve specific populations (e.g., students with disabilities) may be viewed as less central and have lower status (Wilson et al., 2017). Subject marginalization occurs through implicit and explicit messaging (e.g., colleagues referring to PE as “gym class” or APE as “babysitting”), inequitable resource allocation, and inconsistent class sizes (Richards et al., 2018). Over time, teachers who are consistently marginalized may accept their lower status and believe that their primary function is to support the work of other subject areas (e.g., planning break for classroom teachers), which has implications for teacher motivation and effectiveness (Gaudreault et al., 2018).
Although PE and APE share some commonalities in that they are both subjects that focus on physical performance and skill development, teachers of these subject areas often have different roles and responsibilities (Wilson et al., 2017). For example, APE teachers are more involved with decision making regarding student placement, IEPs, and other educational considerations for students with disabilities (Wilson, Kelly, et al., 2020a). And so, although many PE and APE teachers report that they do their best attempting inclusive practices for students with disabilities (Wilson, Theriot, et al., 2020), APE teachers, like Ms. Mierau, may feel undermined by PE teachers who take the position that teaching students with disabilities is not their responsibility (Wilson, Kelly, et al., 2020b; Wilson & Richards, 2019).
Accordingly, APE teachers are likely to experience marginalization differently than PE teachers (Wilson et al., 2017). In particular, it appears as if physical educators may at times marginalize their APE teaching colleagues (Holland & Haegele, 2020; Wilson & Richards, 2019). It may be helpful to view APE as being situated at the intersection between PE and special education, whereby teachers identify with some of the job responsibilities and associated expectations of both fields. Whereas PE is positioned at the intersection of sport, education, and health (Lawson, 2018), APE teachers face added complexity through their alignment with special education. The resulting job expectations for APE may, therefore, face marginalization in contexts that devalue not only PE but special education as well.
“As APE teachers begin to better understand their own emotional awareness, develop active listening skills, and create meaningful professional and personal relationships, advocacy can be more effectively and efficiently accomplished.
This “dual-marginalized” positioning of APE can have multiple implications for how APE teachers experience their work (Holland & Haegele, 2020). First, it can lead APE teachers to feel isolated and as if they do not belong with either PE or special education. Alternatively, it can lead them to identify more with one group and less with the other. Regardless, dual membership may increase the likelihood of role conflict, particularly when responsibilities differentiating APE from special education are not explicit (Sato & Haegele, 2017). This “identity crisis” can add additional stress, especially if a teacher identifies with one group (e.g., PE) but is perceived by others as belonging to another (e.g., special education). The opening vignette, for example, can be further understood by acknowledging that Mr. Cox may believe APE aligns more with special education, whereas Ms. Mierau may see it as a part of PE. Thus, if APE teachers find themselves devalued by their PE counterparts but are welcomed by special educators, it could influence their membership and how they perceive marginalization.
Setting the Stage for Effective Advocacy
Given the unique stressors that come with teaching APE, it is essential to develop skills and strategies to help increase perceived mattering and resilience so as to better meet the needs of APE teachers and the students they teach (Wilson, Richards, et al., 2020). Accordingly, this section overviews how teachers can challenge marginality and increase resilience through advocacy. Engaging in advocacy can be intimidating, especially for new teachers, like Ms. Mierau, who must navigate relationships with senior colleagues in which there is an imbalance of power. Becoming an advocate, therefore, involves a dedication of time, effort, and reflection along with intentional interactions with key stakeholders (e.g., teachers, students, parents, administrators). In other words, advocacy is a social activity that involves navigating personal and professional relationships with others in school environments (Gaudreault et al., 2018; Murawski & Hughes, 2021). In order to advocate effectively, teachers should first focus on (a) identifying and understanding their own emotions, (b) practicing active listening skills, and (c) developing and maintaining relationships (e.g., support group) with others in the school(s) in which they teach (Schussler et al., 2016).
Beginning at the individual level, teaching is an emotionally involved and taxing profession (Brackett, 2019). Emotions and associated stress come in a variety of forms, such as teaching a lesson that did not go as planned or helping support a student who is exhibiting a challenging behavior (Herman et al., 2018). In Ms. Mierau’s case, stress comes from having to work with a colleague who does not develop a learning environment conducive to a range of abilities. Therefore, it is essential for teachers, and all professionals, to develop emotional intelligence and regulation to help them understand what they are feeling and to then be able to label, express, and regulate them. Individuals’ emotional states affect not only their decision making and engagement but also relationship quality and work performance (Brackett, 2019).
Before diving deep into advocacy efforts and developing relationships, teachers should self-reflect on their own emotional self-awareness. Do they dread going to work every day? Do they see themselves slowly becoming less patient as the workday goes by? What do they want to do after work most days? Can they pinpoint the causes to their stress and struggles?
Mr. Cox’s unwillingness to develop lessons that help integrate all students could cause Ms. Mierau to feel angry or frustrated, begin to physically tense up, or react with an emotional response. Once she is aware of what she is feeling, Ms. Mierau can begin to ask herself what caused the feelings and why she experienced the emotional response they did. This would open opportunities for Ms. Mierau to practice emotional regulation strategies and develop a plan to prevent negative responses in the future.
Teachers with higher emotional regulation can elicit more positive emotions from themselves and others around them (Brackett et al., 2010). This can help teachers develop a better sense of control over one’s thoughts and actions and enhance workplace relationships. Once teachers increase their own emotional awareness, they can then begin to understand and interpret the emotions of others (Lopes, 2016).
Developing active listening skills will not only help teachers relate to and understand other’s perspectives but also support the development of personal and professional relationships (McLesky et al., 2017). Three key aspects to consider when practicing active listening includes the use of nonverbal communication, providing empathic responses, and paraphrasing (McNaughton et al., 2007). Teachers should be intentional about displaying affirming nonverbal communication (e.g., head nodding) to help others feel valued and heard. McNaughton and colleagues (2007) also encourage teachers to present statements of empathy to validate concerns that others may express (e.g., “I can understand why you are feeling like that”). Finally, teachers should use basic paraphrasing techniques (e.g., “So what I’m hearing you say is . . .”). Summarizing what is heard helps demonstrate that one was listening and provides the speaker with a chance to further elaborate or affirm, thereby avoiding miscommunication (McNaughton et al., 2007). If these communication skills are present, they can be considered key building blocks for collaboration between teachers, administrators, and students (McLesky et al., 2017).
“Unfortunately, this may be the hardest advocacy focus because teachers are typically socialized to go above and beyond for their students and to even put the needs of others before their own.
Finally, developing positive relationships represents a key precursor to advocacy (Gaudreault et al., 2018; Lux & McCullick, 2011). Being able to develop and maintain relationships with colleagues, potentially across multiple schools, can offer more opportunities for constructive conversations, can increase teacher perceived mattering, and may ultimately lead to relationships that better serve students with disabilities (Holland & Haegele, 2020). Knowing the role of each relationship is also important. For example, a colleague whom an APE teacher becomes friends with may play more of a support role in one’s professional life, whereas a relationship with an administrator may be a gateway to more serious conversations about the role of APE in serving the needs of students; both are important for collaboration (Lux & McCullick, 2011). Teachers are more likely to feel valued and supported when they have positive relationships with administrators, colleagues, and students (Whitby et al., 2013). This can increase their sense of commitment to the schools in which they work and fuel them with resilience to persist in the face of workplace challenges (Richards et al., 2020).
Advocating for One’s Self, Students, and the Discipline of APE
As APE teachers begin to better understand their own emotional awareness, develop active listening skills, and create meaningful professional and personal relationships, advocacy can be more effectively and efficiently accomplished. Advocacy in APE involves multifaceted activities that have three primary goals in drawing positive attention to and support for (a) APE teachers, (b) students with disabilities, and (c) the broader discipline of APE. The following sections take each of these advocacy foci in turn and discuss how teachers can become more effective advocates. Drawing from research-informed practices, strategies aligned with each type of advocacy are outlined and summarized in Table 1.
Example Strategies That Can Be Used When Advocating for Oneself, Students, and the Discipline
Note. IEP = individualized education program; PLC = professional learning community; APE = adapted physical education.
Self-Advocacy
Self-advocacy can be referred to as an action that encourages positive attention to or seeks to advance one’s own needs or views (Cornelius & Gustafson, 2021). This relates closely with personal well-being, internal exchanges, and individual perceived value. In APE specifically, this could include behaviors such as initiating a conversation with an administrator about expectations, negotiating a better schedule, or developing self-care strategies to improve personal well-being. As part of this process, APE teachers may have to navigate unsupportive school environments, as does Ms. Mierau, which can lead to role conflict, increase tension, and miscommunication if expectations are not discussed meaningfully (Richards, 2015). Unfortunately, this may be the hardest advocacy focus because teachers are typically socialized to go above and beyond for their students and to even put the needs of others before their own. However, attending to the needs of others without managing one’s own needs can leave teachers feeling emotionally extended, exhausted, and burned out (Greenglass et al., 1994). Teachers should take the time to advocate for their own needs, both as people and as educators, so as to help increase personal well-being and reduce feelings that could lead to negative social and emotional outcomes. The strategies outlined herein are broad enough to be used across contexts, but finding the right strategies may take trial, error, and reflection (Lewis & King, 2019).
Start by developing a professional self-care routine. These routines involve a proactive plan to ensure you have the resources needed to get through challenging times at work. On the basis of previous work done in other care related fields, we recommend having APE teachers visualize themselves as a plant (Bradley et al., 2013). Reflect on what that plant might look like, what color it is, and the environment in which it is planted. Evaluate what the plant needs to survive as well as the optimal conditions it needs to thrive (e.g., watering once a week, needing time to adapt to change of new soil). After deciding what the plant needs to survive and thrive, reflect on answering questions such as what are the implications that the plant is doing well? In its best state, what does the plant look like? Now taking a step back, as a teacher, what does an optimal emotional state look like? What is needed on a daily basis to survive and thrive at work? Using this metaphor to reflect on personal needs can help teachers develop insight into what they need to optimize their potential (Bradley et al., 2013).
If Ms. Mierau knew that when her students are not getting the best general PE experience, it makes her feel negative about herself as a teacher, she could write down self-affirmation statements to help nourish her “plant.” Self-affirmations can be written on a Post-it note or piece of paper and include positive and affirming statements about oneself or things one believes they do well. Examples may include (a) “I am a kind person,” (b) “I am great at building relationships with my students,” and (c) “I give my best effort for my students every day.” Reading positive thoughts, or engaging in positive self-talk, has been found to increase well-being and develop healthy emotional regulation patterns (Sutton, 2004). Once written down, Ms. Mierau should display the affirmative statements somewhere where she can have immediate access to them in situations that can elicit negative thoughts and emotions. This is meant to remind her of her strengths and to encourage perceptions of mattering.
Beyond feeling stressed about interactions with senior colleagues and school administrators (Curtner-Smith et al., 2008), APE teachers may sometimes take on the emotions and stress of their students. This is common in caregiving fields, such as nursing, social work, and special education, as these professionals tend to internalize the frustrations and challenges of those with whom they work (Hoffman et al., 2007). When teaching students with disabilities, APE teachers may face challenging behaviors and may become overloaded with the variety and number of responsibilities they are asked to complete (Conley & You, 2009). These experiences and enhanced empathy among individuals who teach students with disabilities may lead to “compassion fatigue,” or the exposure to and intake of other’s emotions and traumas that can lead to decreased empathy or compassion for others (Lewis & King, 2019). However, unlike emotional exhaustion, which tends to develop over an extended period of time (Wilson, Richards, et al., 2020), compassion fatigue can be present after one interaction and, if not managed correctly, can contribute to teacher burnout (Koenig et al., 2017).
Working with students with disabilities and having a heightened capacity for empathy can force APE teachers to learn how to navigate not only their own emotions but also the emotions of others. Processing these thoughts and emotions are crucial to maintaining positive outlooks. Suppressing emotions or engaging in unhealthy coping strategies (e.g., alcohol use) can lead to an increase in negative emotion expression and can hinder relationships with others (Jiang et al., 2015). A suggested strategy for preventing compassion fatigue is the use of positive self-expression through scrapbook journaling (Bradley et al., 2013). Scrapbook journaling is unique in that it allows individuals to be creative by containing multiple sources of expression including and beyond words (e.g., inspiring quotes, music lyrics, drawings, pictures; Bradley et al., 2013). The objective is to have a private form of expression that teachers can use to reflect on specific emotions. Such expression prevents these negative emotions from building up and allows for self-reflection that can promote an understanding of emotional patterns and triggers and a healthy space to plan for future situations (Bradley et al., 2013).
“These experiences and enhanced empathy among individuals who teach students with disabilities may
lead to “compassion fatigue,” or the exposure to and intake of other’s emotions and traumas that can lead to decreased empathy or compassion for others.
Student Advocacy
Although self-advocacy is important for the personal well-being of teachers, being able to advocate for students, especially those with disabilities, is another important skill for APE teachers. Student advocacy is the way in which teachers use their voice to assist in getting students what they need and deserve through the education process. Individuals with disabilities have not always been given the same opportunities as their typically developing peers, and some might be unable to advocate for themselves because of their disability (Whitby et al., 2013). Teachers can lend their voice to this process by advocating for appropriate placement decisions, PE curriculum decisions, extracurricular activities, adapted physical activity equipment, and building accessibility.
Ms. Mierau knew that Tiffany’s least restrictive environment could be in a general PE class with her peers but was finding it challenging to provide a quality education for her in that setting because of barriers constructed by Mr. Cox. Ms. Mierau felt it was her responsibility to provide Tiffany with the best education possible, which caused role conflict (Biddle, 1986). Given that Mr. Cox was more experienced and tenured, she was worried about how he would respond to anything she said or did.
A good place to start with student advocacy would be for Ms. Mierau to have a one-on-one conversation with Mr. Cox about what the students on her caseload need. Teachers such as Ms. Mierau should approach these conversations with an accepting tone and allow the other teachers to express their philosophies and perspectives first. In this way, APE teachers can seek to strategically redefine (Lacey, 1977) the situation by attempting to work collaboratively with their colleagues to improve workplace conditions. These teachers should keep in mind, however, that for coworkers who have limited experiences and training for teaching special populations, integrating students into classes can be intimidating (Holland & Haegele, 2020).
If Ms. Mierau and Mr. Cox could talk about the expectations they have of each other, they would (a) be clear on what their own responsibilities are in the gym, (b) have a professional way to hold each other accountable, and (c) create opportunities for open communication and relationship building. This could also be a good gateway for Ms. Mierau to help Mr. Cox learn more about students with disabilities and increase his level of comfort. This mutual accountability would provide Ms. Mierau the resources she needs to navigate difficult conversations about what her students might need in a professional and concrete way, without coming off as aggressive (Whitby et al., 2013).
In addition to advocating for students in general PE classes, APE teachers will likely find themselves having to advocate during IEP meetings, particularly in relation to deciding upon student placement (Wilson, Kelly, et al., 2020b). The marginalization of both PE and APE teachers in the IEP process can lead to others thinking that their opinions and thoughts are less important than those of other service providers (Wilson, Richards, et al., 2020). Accordingly, when trying to navigate the IEP process, we encourage PE and APE teachers to collaborate with one another to devise IEP goals, implement instruction targeting those goals, and then to collect and present data to the larger IEP team and key stakeholders. Utilizing data, special education law, and other colleagues to back up claims, ideas, and thoughts can make teachers feel less alone, more valued, and heard (Cornelius & Gustafson, 2021). Through this collaboration, a more coordinated effort can be made to strategically redefine the perceptions of other colleagues and in turn create better educational experiences for students (Richards et al., 2014).
Discipline Advocacy
As discussed previously, APE lies at the intersection of PE and special education, which can lead APE teachers to experience marginalization from both fields (Holland & Haegele, 2020; Wilson & Richards, 2019). Consequently, APE teachers may feel as if the discipline of APE does not matter as much as core subjects within the school or schools in which they teach (Wilson et al., 2017). Thus, discipline advocacy is important when attempting to improve the social standing of APE, locally and within the larger society, and to emphasize it as a topic of interest when navigating professional relationships. Given that administrators and other teachers may have developed subjective theories relative to PE and APE that may conflict with those of APE teachers and best practices, they may not understand the value of the field (Richards, 2015).
With these stereotypes in mind, trying to talk about APE with others in a school can be difficult to manage. Cornelius and Gustafson (2021) suggest developing or joining a support group or a professional learning community (PLC). As a space where teachers can network and come together to discuss discipline- and school-specific issues, a PLC (a) encourages open and reflective discussion, (b) offers support and ideas from others, and (c) elicits opportunities for collaboration and the development of relationships. Given that APE teachers can feel isolated, and interactions with other teachers can be limited, opportunities to advocate to or talk with stakeholders may be slim. Being a part of a PLC gives APE teachers the space to explain what they do and what they need. Given that many APE teachers are itinerant, having consistent PLC meetings with other PE or special education staff in their schools can create a better sense of collaboration and more opportunities to share understandings of each other’s work roles. These organized groups are also considered best practice for developing environments that best support student needs (Cornelius & Gustafson, 2021). If Ms. Mierau were to join a PLC, it would also allow her to express her frustrations about Mr. Cox and seek suggestions on how to handle approaching him. For more information on how to start and manage a PLC, refer to Beddoes and colleagues (2014), who discuss this in relation to PE.
Discipline advocacy may also include navigating challenging conversations with school administrators. Although having a deep relationship with principals across multiple schools might be difficult, understanding their preferred communication styles might help when approaching them about a topic (Cornelius & Gustafson, 2021). Paying attention to things such as how one’s principal prefers to communicate (e.g., via email, in person, over the phone) or how they go about scheduling meetings (e.g., written calendar, meeting request) can help teachers learn how to approach situations while optimizing chances for a positive exchange.
After determining the best plan of action to get a meeting set up, planning ahead on what is going to be said is essential. Talking with a principal might not happen as often as teachers want, so capitalizing on available opportunities can make or break the outcome. Getting main points across in a way that is concise and does not take up too much time shows the principal that that teacher is prepared and respects their time. We refer to these conversations as advocacy elevator talks. We suggest that teachers practice their elevator talks about the important topics they wish to discuss because it will help them feel less anxious and more prepared when expressing themselves in the actual conversation. This approach can be beneficial for both parties because it (a) makes the speaker less nervous and more prepared and (b) also allows the listener, who might be outside of the field, to understand important points (Lee et al., 2018).
Conclusions and Final Thoughts
The purpose of this article was to describe the unique stressors associated with teaching APE as well as possible strategies teachers may implement to advocate for themselves, their students, and the broader field of APE. Figure 1 provides a graphical representation of the key takeaway points from our arguments, illustrating the connections between APE teachers’ positionality at the intersection of PE and special education, marginalization, and advocacy. These experiences are understood and interpreted through role socialization theory (Richards, 2015; Richards & Hemphill, 2017), which provides a theoretical basis for understanding how socialization processes can lead to inconsistent expectations for APE and the role of APE teachers. Inconsistencies in socialization can result in role conflict and create situations in which teachers, students, and the larger discipline of APE are marginalized. This marginalization can have a negative influence on teachers and their students and can lead to the perpetuation of negative social stereotypes related to the place and purpose of APE (Walton-Fisette et al., 2017).
Conceptual framework for understanding the role of adapted physical education teachers, propensity for marginalization, and strategies for advocacy
The challenges of marginalization can be addressed through advocacy, but knowing whom and what to advocate for can be an overwhelming process. Although we understand that tackling all these problems at once is not realistic, we recommend that APE teachers create their own advocacy plans. Toward this end, Table 2 represents a goal-setting framework in which specific goals, action steps, and a timeline are presented, which has been adapted from Sims’s (2009) advocacy work. This template encourages teachers to write down specific goals for each section (i.e., self, students, and discipline), determine actions steps to accomplish that goal, and establish a reasonable timeline. Recognizing the importance of social facilitation in both advocacy and goal setting, the table includes reference to who can help in the pursuit of the goal and an evaluation plan for personal accountability when working toward desired outcomes. We encourage teachers to use this as a tool for beginning the development of their own advocacy plan and advancing their needs, those of their students, and the importance of APE in a more general sense.
Example Chart for the Development of Goals Related to Advocating for One’s Self, Students, and the Discipline
Note. Blank rows are provided to encourage readers to develop their own goals related to each advocacy focus. PE = general physical education.
Footnotes
Declaration of Conflicting Interests
The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
Funding
The author(s) received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
