At the end of Mark Erickson’s second year of teaching PE at Falling Creek Elementary, he was awarded Teacher of the Year for the 2019-20 school year. Erickson was surprised because he hadn’t taught at the school for very long, but said he was grateful and humbled by the honor.
“It was an affirmation that I’m doing the right thing. I’m in the right school, with the right people, around the right families,” Erickson said.
Erickson, originally from Michigan, received his bachelor’s degree in elementary education (with a focus on physical education) at Spring Arbor University. He spent two years teaching in downtown Detroit before relocating to Virginia. He taught in Fauquier and Stafford County before heading to Falling Creek. He received his master’s in health education from the University of Alabama.
Erickson said he always wanted to teach because he could build relationships with the students.
“I’m huge on relationships, and this is the one profession, [in which]I believe that you can really form a lot of relationships,” Erickson said. “You might not see the progress now because they’re so young, but I think we can both look back and be like ‘Who was your PE teacher, who was your elementary school art teacher,, those people stick in your mind for a reason, so I’m hoping to do that for them.”
Being a PE teacher allows Erickson to connect with each student (and their parents), and he joked about other perks of the job.
“It is awesome and it’s a different advantage as well as [because]you get to wear shorts and, [a]T-shirt, and [you get]to talk about the fitness aspect of it and being a lifelong lover of fitness,” Erickson said. “It’s one thing that’s going to allow them to keep on with the fitness, and the health [part]is [what]they’re consistently follow and hopefully model the rest of their lives.”
Alhough he’s connected with his students, his first year was a challenge because his teaching style differed from the previous PE teacher, and they pushed back. His second year was an 180-degree difference, as his students realized that he was interested in building relationships and meant no disrespect.
Erickson said the leadership and individuality of his students has increased, which makes him proud, and he brags to his family and friends that his students’ attitude and character get better every year. He said he realized that not every child likes sports so he caters to those who enjoy fitness and those who do not.
“I don’t want to come in and say ‘Hey, you know, today’s basketball, today’s soccer, today’s football,’” Erickson said, “I just want my students to come in and [know]at the end of the day we’re going to have fun, our bodies are going to move, and it’s gooing to be all good.”
Erickson’s favorite thing about teaching is the growth of his students, and his positive outlook has resulted in better engagement from the students. He loves teaching and said he gets his joy from coaching his students on being better people more than being better athletes.
“I’m not big on ‘Hey, are you the fastest or can you do the most push-ups’ … it’s how you treat one another,” Erickson said. “So when students are in class and a kid falls down and I see a kid go over there and help him get back up, that brings goosebumps to my spine. It’s those small moments that you see with kids crushing it.”
