TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — Two local P.E. teachers are working towards managing the pressure and mental health of the pandemic by making sure their students have ways to stay fit.
Despite being out of the gym for months, they're taking workouts online and, in turn, helping entire families rebound.
When the pandemic forced Trinity Catholic P.E. teacher Josh Whittaker, fellow teacher Rose Kolman, and all their students home earlier this spring, they scrambled to keep the fitness going outside the gym.
"We came up with this idea and we ran with it," said Whittaker.
The two teachers developed a series of online fitness challenges along with the 'Where's Coach?' scavenger hunt.
"In the hopes of getting their family to just go out for a walk," Kolman said.
Visiting parks around Tallahassee, they filmed clues, uploaded them, then encouraged their students to figure out where they were.
"It was really fun," said Kolman.
Robyn Beeman's kids took the idea and ran with it too, making at-home learning and fitness a little easier.
"With all those things gone, it was really great to say, 'log on to Google classroom and see what the coaches want you to do today,'" Beeman said.
Keeping kids active and helping them rebound as the world works back to normalcy.
"It's been easier to get back into real life," said Kolman.
Life these coaches hope leads to teaching in person again this fall.
"The whole reason why I teach is for the kids," Whittaker said.
The teachers say they plan on keeping the video challenges going even if students come back to the gym in the fall.
They also have plans to focus on student journaling to help them cope with the stress the pandemic may have brought on.
