Lessons from My First Quarter as a PE Teacher

(2 Minute Read)

Landing my first job as a physical education teacher was a whirlwind and my first year on the job has been just as hectic. Since beginning my first physical education teacher position in August 2019, I have quickly learned a multitude of lessons in relation to my students and myself.  Here are five lessons I have learned in my first quarter.

1. Establish a positive rapport with your students by immersing yourself in both the school and the community. Be visible at school events and attend open houses, parent nights, etc. This gave me the opportunity to meet stakeholders while also getting a feel for the school and the culture of the community. Once I had a solid understanding of the culture within the school, it was so much easier to build relationships with my students and once I started getting to know my students, our PE program began to surpass my initial expectations.

2. Have high expectations and demand excellence from your students. Whatever lofty goals I had set for myself as an aspiring teacher,  I have tried to carry these goals into my first job and execute it as if it was my dream job.  I recognized that overall students want to be held to a high standard, even though they may never say it out loud.  I also realized that in creating high expectations, I need to establish routines, beginning the first day of school, and set a tone that implies that I will demand only the very best effort from my students.

3. Identify what motivates your students. I learned quickly that my students were there for many different reasons.  Thus, I found it beneficial to start each unit or class by taking a survey (formal or informal) to “check the temperature of the room.” The elementary students often just wanted to play, while the junior high and high school students’ desires fluctuated based on their mood that day and whether they liked the unit we were on.

4. Demand flexibility from yourself. The daily routine can and absolutely will change. Depending on your job, you may have injured student-athletes or elementary students who have limited motor skills. Life happens to all of us, including our students, so I always tried to be positive when dealing with the challenge of being flexible. Sometimes that may mean adaptations to the lesson and being ready to make those adjustments during the activity to get the most out of it.

5. Embrace the unexpected. Because I need to be flexible and ready for challenges, I learned to embrace the unexpected (i.e. schedule changes) and to always have a backup plan (i.e. a game or activity that you can play regardless of the setting), just in case we were moved out of our gym due to another school activity.

In sum, each day will bring a new task and challenge, but I always remind myself of the impact I am making for my students and the most important lesson of all for me is to have fun and enjoy my role as an educator.