InterviewwithEricBrazelton

By:LexiWIlliams,ErwinRodriguez,andRyanGardiner
HighTechHighNorthCounty
November19th,2014

Introduction
EricBrazeltonteachesninthandtenthgradeatthePreussSchoolatUCSD.He
teachesacombinationofhealthandphysicaleducation,whichhecallsFitness.He
graduatedfromtheUniversityofCaliforniaBerkeleywhereheplayedfootball.Throughhis
experiencesinthatprogramandasaneducatorhehasdevelopedveryspecificbeliefsabout
physicaleducation.Hebelievesthatphysicaleducationshouldbeasmuchaboutimproving
thehealthofstudentsasencouragingtheirinvolvementinsports.Hesaysthathetriesto
teachphysicaleducationinawaythatescapesthetraditionalnormofsportsandcompetition.

Interview
IactuallyhadaverysimilarexperiencetoMr.Leaderinthatwewereactually
classmatesallthewaybackfromelementaryschool.Sobasicallybackthenphysical
educationwaseverydayoftheweekanditwasabouta45minuteblockthatwasprettymuch
exclusivelysports,imeanbasicallysportsunitsthatwedidanditwas,imean,ireallyenjoyed
it,itwasreallyconsistent,butitwasaverytraditionalmodelofphysicaleducationinthe
unitedstatesitsjustsportsunitsyouknowgettingthekidsinvolvedingamesandquantifiable
thingslikemileruns.Wellphysicaleducationkindofmorphsitselfaftermiddleschoolinto
moreperformancestuffselfspecificallyformyathleticgoals.soIwasn'tpartofphysical
educationcurriculumaftereighthgradethatwasthelasttimeItookaphysicaleducation
class.andhighschoolIstartedtakingsportsspecificprogramsandthosewerebasically
footballduringtheseasonandthenweightliftingduringtheoffseason.andthenummwhenI
gottocollegethatwasprettymuchexactlythesameexceptthatinthepac10wehadtodo
additionaltrainingintermsofyouknowmaybeonceaseasonwewouldtalktoanutritionist
aboutthebestwaystogainweightorimproveyourresultsintheweightroomorsomething

likethatbutitwasasignificantamountofacademicstuffitwasjustmaybeonceayearwe
wouldgetsomenutritionistinput.Occasionallywewouldhavelikeethicstraininglikehowto
beastudentathleteandwhatyourroleisoncampusandhowtorepresentyourschool.We
wouldgetthoseacoupletimesayear,likeinservicetraining,butthatnot,that'snotreally
physicaleducationthatsjuststuffwedidinthatcourse.sobasicallywhatIamtryingtogetat
isthatmyphysicaleducationexperiencehasbeenverytraditionalIthinkforalotofkidsinthe
unitedstates.especiallywithmycollegeexperienceitsaverytraditionaltypeprogramandI
thinkitsrepresentativeofthousandsorhundredsofthousandsofkidsandthatitsjust
basicallysportsitsjustaonedimensionalexperience.butbutwhileIwasinschoolImajored
inanthropologyIwasalwaysthetypeofpersonorstudentathletethatwasinterestedin
provingtheirperformanceinsports.Andirealizedinhighschoolprettyearlyinhighschool
thattoimproveinthatarenathatineededtoincorporatesomebetterpracticesinmyown
personallifeandmypersonaltimeandthatextendeditselfinlearningonmyownabout
nutritionandalsodifferenttypesoftrainingonmyownandthatwaskindofaninterestonmy
ownandifIdidn'thavethatkindofpersonalinterestIdon'tthinkIwouldhavehadthatkindof
exposurebutwhenIgotintocollegeIcontinuedtolearnandresearchandreadalotabout
nutritionandexerciseonmyownandthatkindofmademealittleuniqueinthatmostofmy
teammatesdidnot.TheyjustwerejustdoingwhattheyweretoldandIwasactuallytryingto
perfectwhatIwasbeingtoldandtrytounderstandasmuchasIpossiblycouldandIdecided
tomajorinanthropologywhichisthestudyofhumansgenerallyandthere'sabunchofthat
studyisreallybroadbutinthatstudyisanatomyandphysiologyandalsoanthropological
foodandnutritioncoursesthatrelatetoonesoverallhealthasahumanandasapersonnot
necessarilyasanathletebutthatkindofbroadenedmyscopeandmyunderstandingand
thenwhenwhenIwasinmylastyearIhadalotofteachersinmyfamilyandItriedtofigure
outwhatIwantedtodointermsofacareerandIwantedtosticktosomethingIwas
passionateaboutandsomethingthatIwouldpursueinmyowntimeandturnthatintoajob.
sothatswhenIdecidedtogetmyteachingcredentialatumECornonoIgotitatuhcalstate
fullertonandImeaninmycredentialtherewasn'treallyalotofcontentcoursestheresno
developementofyouknowcurricularknowledgeumItookaItookatesttoprovethatIhad
whattheyneedtobeacontentspecificinformationthattheyneededtoknowbutallofthat
informationwasreallycompiledthroughmyownunderstanding,myownreadingumandthen
youknowsomeofthelikeperipheralcoursesthatItookanthropologythatmaybewere
applicabletophysicaleducationbutreallynothingdirectlyyouknowandumandthenand
thenallthewhileImrealizingokayImgoingtobeaphysicaleducationteacherbutmy
wholeexperiencewithphysicaleducationisisjustitsjustsportsitsjustsportunits,okay
wereplayingsoccerthisweekwereplayingtennisthisweekwereplayingvolleyballandand
IknewinmyownwhatIwhatIhadlearnedwasthatthatthatwasjustonepartofwhatmakes
apersonhealthyyouknowandandsowhenIstartedlookingforjobsuhIgotaIhadafew
interviewsintheorangecountyLAareaandinsandiegoandIgotumaninterviewdownhere
atthepreussschoolatatUSDwhichiswhereimatcurrentlyandtheyexplainedtomethatI
wouldhavecompletereignoverwhatcurriculumIIusedandhowtoimplementitIandIget
todesignthecourseandsomyfirstyearIstartedbasicallybysayingthatmymycourseisis
calledpersonalfitnessandaandumfocusonnutritionconcepts,umcalories,nutrients,food

choices,uhandandthenlikeandthenlikehealthyhabitsthatImkindagointoandimage
youknowbodyimageandummythlikebustinganddietdietarythingsumandstrategiesand
thingslikethatandthentheotherhalfisumexerciseandandandIactuallydon'tdosport
unitsumIIgivethegivethestudentsopportunitiestogetinvolvedingamesandactivitiesand
thingsbutbutbutIfocusthecurriculumonthosetwothingsandumandthenwhenthatfalls
thatfallsthatsatisfiesthestaterequirementofIthinkitstwooritsliketwoorfourhoursa
weekstudentsaretheirguidelinesitsaguidelineit'snotlikealawbuttheeducational
guidelineisthatkidsareinvolvedinphysicaleducationactivitiesumIthinkitstwotofour
hoursaweeksomethingIcan'trememberexactlywhichoneitisandumandwedefinitely
exceedthatguidelineinmyclassbutIIthinkthatthethingsthataremoreimportantthatlast
forthelengthofapersonslifetimeisthenutritionandexerciseconceptsthatthey'reableto
incorporateintotheirlivesfaraftertheleavemyclassroomyouknowandumIdon'tthinkthat
traditionalphysicaleducationprogramsgivethegivekidsreallymuchtocontinuedoing
outsidetheclassroomexceptyouknowhowtoplayasoftballorhowtoplayvolleyballwhich
actuallyaregoodthingstoknowhowtodobutIdon'tthinkyoureallyneedtobetaughtalot
ofthatandIthinkthatalotofthatisjustyoujoinaleagueyouknowyouhavefunwithyour
friendsatthebeachandyoupickthesethingsupIdon'tknowifitsnecessarythatweum
dedicatesomuchtimetojustthattypeofainstructionatleastforthehighschoolkids.Ithink
formaybeforyoungerkidsthattheymightbeagoodfitbutdoyouhavemorespecificIjust
rambledformyonalotofsubjects.Iguesstherealizationincollegethatthatnutritionisa
muchmuchhighercorollarytohealththentheactivityandexerciseandandIandIjust
startedrealizingthatifIhadagiventheamountoftimeifIhadanhourwithstudentswhats
gonnabemoreimpactfulontheirhealthandIreallywantedtomakeadifferenceintheir
personalhealthandfitnessumandIonlyhadasmallamountoftimewhatcouldIwhatcould
IdotofocusonandIthinkthatumeverythingthatI'vereadandandumresearchediskinda
pointsatnutritionasbeingthethethemostinfluentialthingthatyoujustyoucantakecontrol
ofinyourlife.

AnalyticMemo
Aftercodingtheinterviewthatweconducted,wedevelopedthreemaincategoriesto
placetheinterviewanswersintocontext.Thecategoriesareteachingphysicaleducation,
physicaleducationcurriculum,andtraditionalphysicaleducation.
EricBrazeltonisinauniqueexperiencebecausehewentthroughatraditional
physicaleducationprograminschool,joinedthefootballteamatCal,andthenwentonto
teachaninnovativephysicaleducationclassattheUCSDPreussSchool.Mr.Brazelton's
personalphysicaleducationphilosophyistoavoidsportbasedunitsinsteadoptingaclass
thatfocusesonnutritionandpersonalexercise.EverythingthatI'veread,everythingive
researched,pointstonutritionbeingthemostinfluentialthingthatyoucandototakecontrol
ofyourlife.HisinnovativeapproachtoPEistaughtto9thand10thgradestudentsat
UCSDsPreussschool.
Thenextcategorywasphysicaleducationcurriculum.Thiswasprobablythemost
significantandextensivesectionoftheinterview.Mr.Brazelton'scurriculumismorecentered
onnutritionandlifelessonsinthecontextofphysicaleducation.Thissectionelaborateson

thatideawasalsoincludingthecurriculumhefollowedincollegeandhowhethinkscertain
typesofcurriculumsworkordontwork.Mr.Brazeltonexplainedhiscurriculuminthe
followingstatementIdecidedtochangethecurriculumfromatraditionalplanwherethey're
playingjustsportstoexerciseandnutritionmostlysoItrytosplittheblock50/50
TraditionalPhysicalEducation:
Thefinalcategoryoftheinterviewwastraditionalphysicaleducation.Inthissection
Mr.Brazeltonofferedacritiqueoftraditionaleducationandgaveexamplesofhisownpastas
arepresentationofwhatphysicaleducationlookslikeforhundredsofthousandsofkids
aroundthecountry.Hedescribedtraditionalphysicaleducationasjustbasicallysports.Itsa
completelyonedimensionalexperience.Oneofhispointsofcontentionwastheemphasis
thattraditionaleducationplacesonsportsandthemeaninglessnatureofthatcurricularstyle.
Healsobrieflydiscussesstaterequirementsforphysicalactivityandhowhisclassesexceed
thoserequirements,whilestillofferingnutritionclasses.