Hey Reader!

Happy New Year! I hope that you've been well and are feeling ready for the back half of the 2025-2026 school year!

It's been a minute since I have sent a newsletter out, and that is something that I am intentionally changing in 2026.

While I've enjoyed sharing experiences, reflections, games, and ideas from my teaching over on #PhysEdU, I miss talking about my journey as a PE teacher in a more public space. With social media no longer part of my world, this newsletter feels like the most meaningful way for me to connect with passionate, innovative PE teachers beyond that community.

I'm really looking forward to sharing more about my teaching here, and that starts today!

Let's dive in.

⚛️ MY LATEST ATOMIC ESSAY

My 2026 #OneWord: Stick.

I’ve been thinking a lot about what I wanted my 2026 personal theme to be.

Last year, I chose Imperfect as my #OneWord, and it had a meaningful impact on my growth. It helped me take more risks, try things before I felt fully ready, and get more comfortable looking like a beginner. Most importantly, it helped loosen a long-standing pattern in my life: the tendency to wait until something felt perfect before showing up at all.

Because that word worked so well, I wanted my 2026 theme to be just as honest.

After taking a hard look at myself, the word I landed on this year is Stick.

Perfectionism has caused plenty of friction in my life, but it has also sharpened my ability to think clearly, plan carefully, and build strong visions. Where I struggle is in the follow-through. When progress feels slower or messier than expected, I have a habit of stepping back into planning mode instead of staying with the work.

At the core of that pattern isn’t a lack of discipline or effort. It’s fear.

When early results don’t match the picture in my head, I start questioning whether I’m doing it “right.” And when that happens, retreating to the drawing board feels safer than staying in motion.

But clarity alone doesn’t create change. There’s no version of thinking or planning that replaces the courage required to keep going. Becoming the person I want to be requires sustained exposure to discomfort.

Which is another way of saying: I need to stick with it.

That’s why Stick is my word for 2026. It’s simple, uncomfortable, and honest. And while it makes me a bit nervous, it feels like the work I need to do right now.

🎓 UPDATES FROM #PHYSEDU

Speaking of #PhysEdU, here are some of the posts that I've shared with the community recently:

The Peace Plan: A Simplified Conflict Resolution Space [Resource]

What happens when conflict resolution tools aren’t developmentally accessible for young learners?

In this post, I share how I combined ideas from a traditional Conflict Corner and the RULER Blueprint to create a three-step Peace Plan designed specifically for P–2 students. Built around simple language, clear visuals, and a You → Me → We progression, this tool is helping students move from “Not Yet” toward peacefully resolving real “people problems.”

👉 If you’re looking for a practical, SEL-aligned approach to conflict resolution that actually works with young kids, this one’s worth a look.

What is Physical Education? A Reflection After 15 Years of Intentional Teaching [Post]

As I enter my 15th year of teaching PE, I finally sat down to write something I’ve never fully articulated before: what physical education actually means to me. This piece explores how PE drifted to the margins of schooling, why that matters, and what becomes possible when we define success around capacity, joy, meaning, and adventure rather than compliance or performance.

👉 If you’ve ever felt that PE is capable of far more than it’s often given credit for, this reflection is for you.

Full Value Contract Classroom Ritual [Idea + Resource]

Some students don’t act out. They just never really tune in.

In this post, I unpack how a wandering-student problem in my TPSR-based SK8TOWN program led me to redesign how expectations are introduced, revisited, and recommitted to every single class. Drawing inspiration from Project Adventure, I share a simple Full Value Contract ritual that invites students to say, “I’m all in,” before they even enter the gym.

👉 If you’re struggling with engagement, wandering behaviours, or unclear expectations, this ritual might be the missing piece..

#PhysEdU memberships cost as little as $10/year and every tier packs a punch in terms of value. I'm excited to be a part of something that helps PE teachers feel empowered in their teaching, helps them cultivate motivation, and encourages them to prioritize their health and well-being.

Join #PhysEdU Today!

Be part of a PE community that wants to help you grow!

Join Us On Campus!

That's it for this week! I hope you found some value in this edition of The #PhysEd Newsletter! If you did, feel free to invite others to sign up for it!

Happy Teaching!

Joey