Early Career Teaching Institute

Many early career educators enter the field energized by current research, modern pedagogy, and a desire to create meaningful learning environments—only to encounter schools where program leaders feel exhausted, discouraged, or deeply attached to long standing practices. This interactive workshop equips teachers with practical tools to navigate those realities with confidence, clarity, and compassion.

Participants will explore why innovative fatigue occurs in PE programs and examine the systemic, emotional, and cultural factors that contribute to resistance. Through hands on activities, scenario analysis, and small group problem solving, educators will learn evidence based strategies to:

(1) introduce new practices without triggering defensiveness, 

(2) build collaborative buy in, and 

(3) elevate student-centered, standards based, and justice oriented PE instruction—even in contexts that feel “stuck.”

The session centers on empowering early-career teachers to lead from where they are, model high quality practice, and foster meaningful change while honoring the experiences and human needs of veteran colleagues.

Come join this experienced elementary teacher who does powerful outdoor education with her students each week from September through June. With years of experience to draw from, she will share stories, advice, curriculum ideas, and examples of how to do this work in addition to and integrated into regular academic/curriculum responsibilities, what the challenges are, and how to get school leadership on board. We will talk about integrating games in the Outdoors. She has also conducted action research on this work, worked with community organizations to build an outdoor learning lab on site, and with colleagues across the area has advocated with school and district leadership about the importance of outdoor education especially in schools serving minoritized and marginalized student populations.