“I began my journey in physical education at Watkins Elementary in 2018. For three years prior to that, I was a FACS teacher at the middle and high school level. Watkins was my first teaching job with elementary-aged students and at a Title I school. To be honest, it was a hard transition for me.
My first year I was trying to understand my students and create a positive learning environment in my classroom. I just wanted to teach my students how to love being active and give them tools to be healthy, but some days it was chaos, and my mental health suffered.
I was looking for other jobs and near quitting before the year was over. But to be honest, I’m not much of a quitter, and I knew I would always regret it if I did. I worked so hard to finally get into my PE position and knew I had to give it at least another year after that first one. Brad Brummel, the district’s PE coordinator, (I call him my saving grace) gave me great advice on ideas to try for lessons and classroom management. He had me shadow other PE teachers in schools similar to mine. He taught me how to build relationships with my students and my peers, and to understand that those connections take time. I put my trust in my fellow SPS PE teachers. We have an amazing group, and I know I couldn’t do this job without them. I had a passion for teaching physical activity and wellness, but what I didn’t know was that I had a bigger passion for teaching in a Title I school.
I held onto my high expectations, and I took a mindset of a clean slate with my students every day. I greeted them with a smile and gave them the love and consistency they wanted. Year after year, it got better, and I was able to finally teach quality lessons in an atmosphere I strived for from the beginning. But my students haven’t changed that much -- I did.
I’ve been a PE teacher now for four years. This summer, I found out I was named Elementary Teacher of the Year from MOSHAPE, the Missouri Society of Health and Physical Educators."
