Physical Education Teacher Glad to be a Reliable Catalyst

David Anderson visited many elementary and middle schools in Milwaukee in his time with a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting the physical health of students. When he decided to transition to teaching to have more autonomy in a classroom of his own, he chose Milwaukee Scholars, and has made a more direct impact helping students for the past 10 years.

As the physical education teacher and athletic director, Anderson has introduced kids to a variety of sports, expanding their recreational comfort zone.



“When I first started, the only thing the school had were basketball teams,” he said. “That’s been a fun aspect of my job, getting kids on a soccer team or a tennis team. They probably didn’t have a lot of experience or even opportunity to participate in those sports, but if they’re offered through the school, it's a lot more accessible.”

Anderson has gone to innovative lengths to motivate students, whether it’s putting together a video encouraging them during remote learning or showing them YouTube highlights of badminton stars to open their eyes to racket sports. Badminton, in particular, has become a staple for students that they can carry over to at home.



“Every year kids are asking, ‘When can we do badminton?’” he said. “Just to introduce racket sports as a category to the kids has been really fun. I’ve had a lot of kids who then are asking their parents to go to Walmart, buy a backyard set and they play over the summer.”

Being a physical education teacher gives Anderson a wide scope of students to work with each day. He cherishes being able to develop a bond with some students over the course nearly a decade at Milwaukee Scholars.



“I’m blessed with the opportunity to teach the entire school,” he said. “It’s been fun. The last few years, I’ve been able to have some kids who I taught as kindergarteners graduate from eighth grade and so I was here their entire time which is pretty special to me.”

Whether it’s students or staff, there can be a lot of new faces over the years at any school. Anderson prides himself on being a familiar face that students see when they return to school each fall.



“I really enjoy being a constant at the school and in the kids’ lives and to be able to see them grow and mature,” he said. “There’s no way to speed up relationships or longevity. Being here every day and every year is really important to me, and I know that for a lot of kids, they enjoy having that consistency as well.”

Keep up the excellent work, Mr. Anderson!
About Milwaukee Scholars
Milwaukee Scholars is a tuition-free, public charter school in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, serving students in kindergarten-four through eighth grade. It is part of the National Heritage Academies network, which includes more than 100 tuition-free, public charter schools serving more than 65,000 students in kindergarten through 12th grade across nine states. For more information, visit nhaschools.com.

Visit Milwaukee Scholars's blog to read more stories like this.