Onward: An interview with Kelsey Higginson
MINOT, N.D. – Kelsey Higginson, originally from Casper, Wyoming, holds a Ph.D. in kinesiology with a focus on physical education teacher education from Ohio State University. She also earned a master’s in teacher education: physical education and dual bachelor’s degrees in physical education teaching/coaching and exercise and wellness with a minor in nutrition, all from Brigham Young University.
Higginson’s journey into education was sparked by her passion for the human body and movement, coupled with her desire to make physical education accessible and enjoyable for everyone. Her career has been shaped by experiences ranging from teaching English as a foreign language in Taiwan to coaching USA Swimming, all of which have contributed to her innovative approach to education.
Since joining Minot State University, Higginson has become a big part of the campus community, known for her commitment to reimagining physical education and her leadership in programs like the Homeschool PE initiative. University Communications connected with Higginson to talk about her experiences, insights on teaching, and her vision for the future of physical education.
Can you give me a little bit about your background?
KH: I have an older sister, an older brother, and a younger brother. We all get along pretty well and still chat each week. I grew up in Casper, Wyoming, and my parents are still there. We went on lots of camping trips, and I still like going today. My parents always encouraged us to try lots of things, especially in high school - they said that was the last time education would be free, so try it out. I took languages, extra science, and math, lots of choir, and woodshop. I actually didn't take extra PE. I wanted to try new things. My family was big in choir, and we were all in an audition children's choir that would travel around the country each year to a different place. I got to go on my first plane ride (Chicago) with the Casper Children's Chorale. My mom tells the story that I was so ready to go to school with my older siblings even though I was only 3. She knew she needed to get me to do something, so I started swimming lessons. She says I was racing kids across the tiny pool during lessons. Once I joined a competitive team at 7, swimming was a big part of my life. We have gone to lots of meets over the years. I wanted college to be about school, though, so I refused all the recruiting offers. After my freshman year of college, I realized I could do both and didn't want to always wonder what could have happened. I walked on to the swim team my sophomore year after basically having 2 years off from swimming. It worked, but it was hard.
What brought you to Minot State?
KH: I was looking for a job, and one of my previous college professors at BYU had his first job at Minot State, and he told me there was an opening. I reached out to Terry Eckmann, Minot State professor, and we had a great conversation about the school. I remember finishing the conversation and thinking that Minot State would be a great fit for me. I came for a job interview, and it felt like my hometown. I liked all the people in my department that I met, and it just felt right. I knew that I loved teaching and wanted to end up at a small school that was more about teaching.
What initially inspired you to combine your love for activity and the human body with teaching?
KH: When I first started college, I thought I wanted to be an engineer but realized I couldn't do that forever around the middle of my first semester. I wasn't quite sure what I wanted to do, but I kept taking health and fitness classes because they were interesting to me. I realized that the human body is amazing! I loved learning how everything functioned and how you could do so many things with your body. I decided I wanted to share that excitement with others, so I drifted over to PE teaching. I have loved the profession ever since.
Can you share a pivotal moment in your career that solidified your passion for physical education?
KH: I had great professors in college. One particular event I remember was learning the different styles/models/methods to teach PE that are different from what you typically see in schools now. I remember thinking that those other models would be really nice for so many people. Why don't we do it that way? Later, we talked about how PE really looked the same for the umpteen years. Even teachers who come out of college wanting to change things eventually get stuck doing similar things. I wanted to know how to change that. How could we make PE better? How could we teach PE differently so that more people enjoy it? How could we make PE useful for all students? I never lived with people in my major during college, so I had many conversations with people who did not like PE at all during school. I got to know about what things were uncomfortable and what they didn't like. I also went to explain what I hoped PE could be; they seemed to like that. I wanted to make PE better for everyone.
What motivated you to teach English as a Foreign Language in Taiwan, and how did that experience shape your approach to education?
KH: I don't know if there was a huge motivation; it kind of just happened. I had a thought in the back of my mind about going to live in Spain for a while and becoming fluent in Spanish. I never really thought that would happen, though. I was at a teacher fair looking for a job, and a Chinese man was in the middle. I stopped to look at his pictures and talk a little. I gave him my resume, thinking that it was a ridiculously long shot. Three weeks later, they called back and said I had the job. I figured this was the best time in my life to do something like this; I didn't have a family or job keeping me anywhere, so why not? I decided to just do it because the opportunity might never come again.
I taught English speaking & listening and writing to sophomores, juniors, and seniors. My goal with the speaking and listening was to make it fun and to give them loads of practice speaking. Some of the culture was to not want to mess up, so sometimes they didn't want to speak in case they might be wrong. I had them give short little speeches to the class every other week. Sometimes, it was telling a joke, introducing themselves as a superhero, or sometimes, explaining their favorite animal or the best ten foods in the world. Yeah, they made lots of mistakes, but by the end, they weren't afraid anymore. I think teaching is like that. You need to give your students lots of opportunities to try something. Don't be afraid to mess up. I try to work that way with the PE teaching students. They get to practice teaching, and I'm not there to yell at them or tell them they did it wrong. I'm there to help them see what they did well and what maybe could be fixed so they are ready to try again.
What are some key insights you gained from teaching college-level physical education and pedagogy courses?
Just like teaching anything, it is different each time. I have a class that went really well one semester and did the same thing, and it doesn't work with the next group. You constantly need to be adjusting and looking at what the students in your class are doing so you can respond.
Teaching college-level activity courses (like PE classes) - people can be beginners of any age. It doesn't mean they're dumb or behind. They just didn't learn it yet. Take the time to teach people. They want to learn.
Teaching pedagogy - I've learned a lot about breaking things into smaller pieces to try and help students understand something new. This is how I want them to teach kids eventually.
It can sometimes be weird to teach about teaching. You know what the research says is best practice, and you're telling students to do that, but you don't always manage to do it yourself. I hope to be a student of teaching, but then I have to realize I'm still a student and still learning; I'm not going to do it all the right way. Right now, I'm trying to experiment with UnGrading (see the book by Susan Blum) and have learned a lot about my own teaching through this. I know I want to and need to, give more feedback to students so they can actually make changes. I know I can expect more of students. I know I need to be better about prepping students before a discussion or giving resources for students to explore if I want them to be curious. There are a few things I want to adjust for the next round. Hopefully, this will carry over into other courses, and I will become a better teacher.
How has your experience as a USA swimming coach informed your philosophy on movement and activity in education?
KH: It for sure taught me about motivation. I worked with the middle school/high school kids who weren't as dedicated to the sport and didn't always want to be there. Most were only at practice a few times a week (as opposed to the 8-10 times a week in the dedicated group). I learned to be creative and get people to work hard. I asked lots of questions from more experienced coaches and learned about how to work with my group better. I'm not sure that it gave me anything about philosophy on movement.
What are some common challenges physical education teachers face, and how do you aim to address them through professional development?
KH: One common thing the field faces as a whole is that people often don't think it is a serious job or that it's super easy. To me, this can often come down to accountability. When no one is really checking if you do your job the right way, people can stop doing it the right way. When people think PE is just about everyone moving around and no one is misbehaving, there aren't lots of expectations for the teachers. PE is supposed to be about so much more than that, but with no accountability to actually make it different, there isn't a big push to change. One thing I want to do with professional development is keep an ongoing conversation about how to change for the better. Sometimes, people just get stuck in doing what they've always done. With ongoing professional development that meets frequently over time, you can build up a support group to try new things. There is a group of people to bounce things off of as you try a new sport, a new way of assessment, a new way of teaching. People in ongoing professional development have been shown to take more risks and try new methods of teaching than teaching in PD. It really is just more of a way to keep looking at yourself, your teaching, and what you can change with a group of people to question and prod you to new ideas.
Can you share a story of a student or teacher you’ve mentored who had a transformative experience under your guidance?
KH: I'm not sure that I have a good answer for this, as students don't always tell you when you've made an impact. Sometimes, it may change how they think about something, but they don't tell the teachers that.
From things I've been able to see - I remember working with a student teacher who was a little less confident. She knew what she was doing, and she was excited about it, but she didn't think she was good at it. I was with her mentor teacher, and we talked with her about ensuring that students follow directions and expectations. We had her practice again with the class when they didn't listen the first time. She got so much better by repeating the transition and ensuring students listened. This boosted her confidence. Her mentor teacher told me she was going to be a great teacher at the end of the placement together.
Looking back on your diverse experiences, what has been the most rewarding part of your journey as an educator?
KH: Some of the most rewarding is when a student says, "I remember you said that, and it changed how I thought/did this." As I said above, they don't always tell you this, so these instances are rare and important.
I also like the Homeschool PE program on campus. That has been really rewarding as it was my idea and my effort that got it started. Since it began, there has been lots of good feedback. Students enjoyed having hands-on experience working with kids. Kids have had fun learning new activities and coming to a PE class. Parents have given good feedback about their kids' experiences and expressed how grateful they are for the opportunity. My hope was that the program would be mutually beneficial to the university and the community, and so far, this has been true. Our spots for kids to participate fill up so quickly! I wish we had more space or more teachers to offer the opportunity.
What is your favorite class(es) to teach?
KH: I like to teach activity courses as I still love to move and be active. I also enjoy seeing the smiles that pop up as people play games (like keeping balloons off the ground today in my elementary PE methods class). KIN 107 Introduction to Health and PE Teaching is probably a favorite to teach. This is the class where I get to talk about new ideas and try to have students think about PE/Health teaching differently. We get into some really good debates and have great discussions about lots of topics.
What advice would you give MSU students aspiring to become physical education teachers?
KH: Come give it a try! If you like being active and helping other people learn, PE could be a good fit for you. Some people think teaching PE is crazy easy, and anyone can do it, but not everyone can do it well. Know that you need to put in some effort, plan, and have a purpose.
What do you like to do outside of the University: family, hobbies, or other areas of interest?
KH: I talk with my sister often. We are very close. I like to crochet and am almost done making an afghan with the yarn I got for my birthday. I also have had fun crocheting amigurumi animals. I like baking, especially cookies. For a while, I toyed with the idea of opening a cookie shop called Kelsey's Cookies. I got a mountain bike since moving to Minot and have had a great time learning how to ride on trails. That is one of my favorite things to do in the summer or fall. Most evenings aren't this exciting, though. Usually, I get home from work, take my two dogs for a walk, and then sit on the couch watching TV and sometimes grading. I like the mellow evenings.
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Published: 01/17/25
