Essentials for Teaching P.E. | Teacher Tips

Being a physical education teacher is a dynamic and flexible role that requires educators to adapt to ever-changing class dynamics. P.E. teachers rarely stay in the same location for an entire year — we move between indoor and outdoor spaces, grass fields, hard courts, and sometimes even small carpeted areas during bad weather! We don’t teach just one group of students but a wide range of students from all year levels, and we’re responsible for marking, recording, and reporting on student outcomes across these changing environments.

Moving away from curriculum discussions or lesson ideas, here are 5 essential items every P.E. teacher needs to stay comfortable and safe while teaching in all kinds of weather.

A Hat (Sun Protection)

It might seem like an obvious choice, but a high-quality hat is perhaps the most important thing you’ll purchase as a P.E. teacher. In Australia, where I teach, we face some of the hottest summers and some of the highest UV rates in the world. It’s crucial to stay safe in the sun. When I first started teaching P.E., like most new teachers, I was drawn to hats that looked good rather than those that actually offered proper sun protection. I wore fashionable caps with my favorite sports team on the front, which, unfortunately, offered little UV protection.

I quickly learned that wide-brim hats, bucket hats, and legionnaire caps are far more effective than flimsy fashion headwear. These specialized hats have thicker materials that don’t absorb as much heat, so they help keep you cool while teaching outside. They provide 360-degree protection for your face and neck and also offer indirect protection for your eyes by reducing glare.The great thing is that there are so many hat options available, so you can find one that suits your style while still protecting you from the sun. I also recommend hats with a drawstring, especially on windy days. This way, you won’t have to worry about your hat blowing off. Yes, a wide bucket hat with a big drawstring might not be the most stylish, but at the end of the day, as long as you look professional, no one will mind — and more importantly, you’ll be safe.

Exposure to the sun and UV rays can lead to cosmetic damage like spots, wrinkles, dry eyes, and peeling skin, but more importantly, it significantly increases the risk of skin cancers. I’ve spent years working in schools without indoor spaces for P.E. lessons, and I’ve felt the harsh effects of being outside all day. Switching to a proper sun hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, and long, ventilated clothing makes a huge difference. When you’re under the sun unprotected, it’s easy to forget how draining it can be. It’s only when you start using the right gear that you realize how much the sun was affecting your energy and well-being.

Looking after yourself with these essentials will make your day-to-day life at school so much better. Plus, since these items are necessary for your role, they qualify as work-related expenses and are tax-deductible. So, there’s really no reason not to invest in them!

Great affordable hat to teach in! Click Here

Durable Drink Bottle

You can try using rubber drink bottles, plastic bottles, or even glass ones, but ultimately, all of these will degrade, break, or crack over time. What you need is a bottle that can withstand being thrown around during lessons, endure the cold of winter and the dry heat of summer, and won’t dis-color, leak harmful chemicals (like plastic bottles), or harbor bacteria. You need something durable that can handle any temperature, be tossed around, washed, and still be good as new the next day.

I highly recommend investing in a large metal flask or drink bottle, ideally with a minimum capacity of 1 litre. This size will provide enough water to last through multiple lessons without running out when you need it most. It keeps cold drinks refreshing and warm drinks cozy during the colder months. If you drop it, it won’t crack or leak, and if it’s left out in the elements, it won’t leach chemicals into your water. Best of all, you’ll buy it once and won’t need to replace it for a long time.

Trust me, a metal drink bottle is the way to go. I’ve tried every kind and style, and camping drink bottles are by far your best option!

Heres the one I use!

Portable Speaker

As mentioned in a previous article, music is a powerful tool that can enhance various aspects of your lessons and teaching practices. A small portable speaker can make lessons more engaging for students. Research suggests that music not only boosts engagement but can also improve academic outcomes and concentration during activities. For a more detailed guide on how to implement music effectively in your teaching, check out our article that dives deeper into this topic.

Wireless/Bluetooth speakers are now available at affordable prices, and I highly recommend incorporating them into all of your lessons, both practical and theoretical. Your students will love being part of the lesson, especially when music is involved!

Portable Whiteboard

Purchase a whiteboard! You can purchase smaller whiteboards that you can use and bringvalong to any teaching space you are using for your HPE lesson. This is something I have done since I started being a P.E teacher and haven’t stopped since. Whilst it seems like hard work you become use to it really quickly, it’s no different to carrying equipment to your teaching space as it is part of your resources and for the most part, students love to help and take charge in carrying the whiteboard.

The whiteboard does not need to be large at all, I have had whiteboards in a range of sizes and as long as you can write a few learning intentions or hang up a visual learning poster/ diagram that is more than enough.

A Whiteboard Allows Students To:

Have a focus point during instruction time
Allows them to stay engaged whilst you are teaching
Supports what you are saying through what’s written on the board
Allows students to relate the information to diagrams and images
Something they can refer back too throughout the lesson
Allows them to be independent learners and self-directed

Whiteboard Benefits The Teacher By:

Allows you to support students who learn differently
Allows you to provide visuals for your instructions
Gives you something that you can direct students to refer to if they are unsure (saves your voice!)
Reminds you of what you are covering, supports similar to a lesson plan if you write learning intentions, lesson objectives and success criteria on your board
Gives you something to refer to for your own memory!
Makes the space look more like a learning environment which reminders students and others that the space needs to be respected

Learners understand information better in the classroom when they see it. Visual information is presented in different formats, such as images, flowcharts, diagrams, video, simulations, graphs, cartoons, coloring books, slide shows/PowerPoint decks, posters, movies, games, and flash cards (Rodger et.al. 2009).

To read more about this and get a more in-depth insight into visual learning in the classroom please follow this link to our article!

Looking for a whiteboard? Simple and affordable? Click Here

Wheelie Bin

A wheelie bin, or a storage container on wheels, is an essential tool for any physical education teacher. As a specialist teacher who doesn’t always teach in the same space, you need an efficient way to transport equipment and your personal belongings (water bottle, clipboards, whiteboards, computer, speakers, etc.). When I first started teaching, I thought I could just carry everything around with me, but what often happened was that things got damaged or lost. Having a sturdy plastic container that’s just for your belongings and easy to move around the school will make your teaching day much more organized and manageable. Over time, as students adjust, they’ll start to understand that wherever the bin is placed, that’s where the lesson will take place.

I’ve also found creative ways to use my wheely bin beyond just storage. I’ve hung posters, displayed visual learning cues, and even mounted a portable whiteboard on it, making it almost like a moving classroom whiteboard. I’ve had self-regulation posters on the bin where students can tap to indicate how they’re feeling after a situation or a meditation. There are so many practical uses for this container during lessons!

Most importantly, a wheely bin saves you from making multiple trips to and from the storage shed or your office to gather what you need for each lesson. It’s a simple but invaluable tool that makes a huge difference in staying organized and focused on teaching.