When the COVID-19 pandemic forced The Avery Coonley School (IL) to close its campus and transition to distance learning in March, most teachers accepted the reality that they were not going to be able to see their students in person—but not Joe Schallmoser. The physical education teacher and athletic director, who has been teaching at the school for 16 years, wanted his students to keep fitness top of mind so he created a challenge. In addition to holding virtual PE classes, he committed to doing 100 burpees a day (a combination of pushups and star jumps that works every muscle in the body) and visiting the homes of as many of his students as he could to lead them through the exercise.
Parents received an email asking if their household would like to participate, and they were told not to tell their children so the visit could remain a surprise. Parents registered online and included their address, which allowed Schallmoser to map his route every day. His goal was to make 10 stops each day. Upon arriving at each student’s house, he would ring the doorbell and stand on the sidewalk or driveway. When the student came out, he would lead them through 10 burpees, crack one of the corny jokes he’s famous for telling at school (“How does a penguin build its house? Igloos it together.”), and share a message
of encouragement.
He started in April. When the school year ended on May 29, he’d done a total of 700 burpees each week, visited about 200 students (that’s 10 houses a day over 24 days; it took him about four hours to complete all 10 stops), and drove more than 1,200 miles all over Chicago.
Early on in his routine, he was able to surprise students; however, as word spread, students anticipated his arrival with mixed emotions—some happy to see him, others dreading the workout. Eighth grader Ksenia Baatz expressed gratitude. “All these curveballs have just been thrown at us,” she told a local ABC news outlet. “Thank you for taking all that and putting on something that’s amazing and wonderful and a memory that we’ll be able to keep and cherish for years to come.”
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Joe Schallmoser maintains physical distance as he works out with his students in their driveways.
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