As always, you are inspiring us. You are inspiring your community, your friends and family! You are doing so many good things, random acts of kindness, working harder than ever, and pushing through something none of us ever planned.  We want to applaud you and share your story with others.

The good thing about inspiration?

It’s contagious. It spreads. Hopefully you catch it. Hopefully you spread it.

Inspiring Awards Winner : Andy Horne

Why was Andy nominated for the “Inspiring Others Award”?

Andy comes highly recommended for the Inspiring Others award! Andy is a Kinetic Wellness Faculty educator and Basketball coach at New Trier. He was named the National Health Education Teacher of the Year by SHAPE (society of health and physical educators) and is known for his Scholarly Rap videos on YouTube. 

These “health raps” were created to engage students in his classroom and now are enjoyed by others around the world.  Andy created this song to introduce himself to his students and give them a preview of what to expect in his class.  Recently, Chris was so impressed how he ran summer workouts for New Trier Basketball.  

Andy is inspiring students, parents, the New Trier community & world. For these reasons and more, we’re proud to share Andy’s story with the Inspire community!!! 

We sat down for an interview with Andy. Here’s his inspiring story for YOU!! 

Andy Horne, 2015 National Health Teacher of the Year, has taught Health and Physical Education for the past 18 years at New Trier High School in Winnetka, IL.  Andy presents at various national and state conferences sharing lessons and ideas on the topic of engaging students in the health classroom. One of his most unique talents is creating “Scholarly Raps,” – YouTube.com/ahorne23 and then performing these captivating songs to his students and social media followers.

Andy believes in the importance of students developing feelings of self-confidence and self-worth, empowering them to believe they can accomplish their goals.  He passionately leads with enthusiasm, providing students the tools to make healthy decisions and inspiring them to be both health literate and persistent life-long learners. 

Andy received his B.S. in Kinesiology from Indiana University, Bloomington in 2002 and his M.S. in Education from Walden University in 2008.  He is an active member of the Illinois Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance (IAHPERD), the American School Health Association (ASHA), and SHAPE America. Andy’s reputation as an innovative health teacher precedes him and his positive approach to education remains fresh and dynamic with a willingness to share ideas and listen to those of others.  In his free time he enjoys spending time with his family (wife and three young boys), going for walks, cycling, and reading a good book.

What challenges have you overcome to get where you are now?  How have you grown as a person?

I have done a much better job in recent years of finding a balance between work and home.  I have had to be more intentional and organized about how I use my time and learning to let some things go.  The pandemic has indeed been a challenge on many fronts, but I have said many times that I feel like a new teacher in many ways trying to reinvent lessons and using new technologies to try and make a remote or hybrid experience as engaging as possible.  I’m sure there have been many failures and successes along the way and I have learned a lot about myself during these times and hopefully I am a better teacher because of it.

What are you most proud of in your journey?

 I have always been a person who has adopted a growth mindset and continuously try to evolve as a person, teacher and coach.  I love to learn and think about how I can do things better. No semester or season has every looked the same as I am willing to take risks and try new ideas with the hope of doing things better than the previous year. It keeps me fresh and motivated while also hopefully serving the needs and interests of the students and athletes I teach and coach.  I think I am most proud of the risks I have taken and not being afraid to fail.

What worries or struggles do you face today? 

Obviously, I think about how and when we will get through this pandemic and hopefully return to some sense of normalcy.  I miss the connections with people.  Students, athletes, colleagues and so many more.  Being in a classroom full of students is unlike anything else.  There is an energy and presence that cannot be recreated with online learning and so it’s been a challenge to engage students, but a task I’m willing to do my best with.  I do have concerns with how this pandemic will impact the mental, emotional and even social health of people (particularly k-12 students) long term.  Not knowing when we will get back to normal has been hard to think about.

What is some advice you’d like to give your younger self, or other people along their journey?  

If I could offer any advice to my younger self or people going through their journey it would be take each day for what it is, find ways to enjoy the present moment and those little things that make us feel human and give us a sense of joy or gratitude.  We often think about or worry about things in the past or future that we do not have control over, and as a result, it can create a lot of stress and anxiety that is perhaps unnecessary.  I would also add to make sure each day to prioritize sleep, move your body, eat real food, and find time to decompress.  We have to take care of these foundational components in order to be the best versions of ourselves.

Thank you Andy!!!  

Do you know someone who should share their inspiring story?? Submit your entry here

 We want to share as much inspiration with the world as possible.

Thanks to you, friends. You are all inspirations in your world. Keep it up. Inspiring one person liberates them to be their best self and inspire someone else. It’s a contagious movement, we want to keep spreading!