Shannon completed her B.Ed. with a Physical Education (PE) major and an English Language Arts (ELA) minor and taught grades 9–12 PE, Health and ELA with Regina Public Schools for eight years. Shannon completed her M.Ed. in Outdoor Education. During this time she was seconded to the Saskatchewan Ministry of Education as the PE Consultant where she wrote curriculum for PE 20 and PE 30. She completed her PhD in Education; Curriculum and Instruction. At Mount Royal, Shannon teaches mainly in the Department of Education in the areas of physical and health education pedagogy, teacher wellness, practicum supervision and also cross-teaches in the Health and Physical Education Department in the areas of Core and Physical Literacy. Keenly interested in the benefits of nature, her scholarship interests focus on how we do/not spend time outdoors to recharge and connect to nature. Shannon is the Alberta/NWT Board of Directors representative for the PHE Canada and an active member of the PHE Canada Research Council, HPEC (Health and Physical Education Council of Alberta), and the Outdoor Council of Canada.

Areas of Instruction

• Physical Education curriculum and instruction
• Teacher Wellness
• Practicum supervision
• Issues in Health and Physical Education
• Issues in Physical Literacy (capstone)
• Taking Well-Being Outdoors

Areas of Scholarship

• Benefits of spending time in nature
• Implementing outdoor solo time in schools
• Teacher Well-Being
• Encouraging everyone to spend time unplugged + outside

Selected Publications

Kell, S., & Hurley, S. (Hosts). (2022). Wellness in the teacher practicum [Audio podcast episode]. In Focus on the Field: Learning to Teach in Alberta. Alberta Teacher Education Practicum Working Group: VoiceEd Radio. https://voiced.ca/podcast_episode_post/wellness-in-the-teacher-practicum-shannon-kell/ 

Kell, S. (2021, November 28). Nature based physical activity - outdoor play simplified. Creating Healthy Eating & Active Environments. https://cheerskids.ca/blog/details/nature-based-physical-activity-outdoor-play-simplified.html  

Kell, S., & Anderson, J. (Hosts). (2020, December 16). The role of play and the outdoors in education with

Dr. Shannon Kell [Audio podcast episode]. In The Podclass. Ever Active Schools. https://player.captivate.fm/episode/82e1daf7-beaa-4c74-b834-95a1f62d6aa5 

Hurley, S., & Kell, S. (Hosts). (2019, December 10). Recess for everyone [Audio podcast episode]. In Well at Work. EdCan Network. https://www.edcan.ca/articles/recess-for-everyone/ 

Kell, S. (2019, December 6). How you can start taking more effective breaks - and inspire your students and colleagues to do the same: Why getting outside is the best medicine for busy teachers. EdCan Network Well-at-Work. https://www.edcan.ca/articles/effective-breaks/ 

Kell, S. & Gleddie, D. (2017). Why physical education? In D. Gleddie, C. Hickson, & B. Bradford (Eds.), Physical education for elementary school teachers: Foundations of a physical literacy journey (chapter 1). Ripon Publishing. Cobble Hill, BC.

Kell, S. & Gleddie, D. (2017). Physical education and you. In D. Gleddie, C. Hickson, & B. Bradford (Eds.), Physical education for elementary school teachers: Foundations of a physical literacy journey (chapter 2). Ripon Publishing. Cobble Hill, BC.

Kell, S. (2017). Student Teachers' Perceptions of Teaching Elementary Physical Education. PHE Canada Journal. 83(1).

Selected Presentations

Kell, S. & Webster, A. (2019). MRU Learning Spaces and Student Well-Being. MRU Research and Scholarship Days. Calgary, CA.

Kell, S. (2019). Outdoor Solo Time: What Did Elementary Students Think? Physical and Health Education Research Council Forum. Montreal, CA

Dean, Y., Kell, S., Currie, G., Kennedy, A., Motiejunaite, J., & Sehmby, D. (2018). Call to Action: Moving Toward Learning by Reducing Stress and Anxiety. International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. Bergen, Norway.

Kell, S. (2017). Unplugging in the Wilderness: Student Perceptions of a Solo Experience. Shaping the Future, Kananaskis, AB.

Relevant Community Service

• Board of Directors (AB/NT) for PHE Canada
• Liaison for HPEC (Health and Physical Education Council) of Alberta
• Conference Steering Committee: AIESEP 2021 (International Association for Physical Education in Higher Education)
• President of the Board of Directors for Chestermere Community Playschool 2021-2022
• Chair of the School Council for Prairie Waters Elementary School