Current Issues in Physical Education: 8 Challenges PE Teachers Face and How to Overcome Them
Updated: Oct 26
What we do as PE teachers in the gym, on the field, and in the classroom is not easy. We get little planning time, large classes, limited support, and some students who are tough to reach. New teachers often feel underprepared and struggle to find a solid curriculum. Veteran teachers fight to keep things fresh and avoid burnout. Professional development can be hard to come by, and in many places, PE programs are being cut even though the evidence clearly shows how much movement helps kids grow.
Quick Answer: Common challenges in PE today include lack of support and respect, unclear standards and curriculum, limited equipment, large classes, little professional development, student behavior, and teacher burnout. PE teachers can overcome them by building relationships, advocating for their programs, using stations and large group games, connecting with other teachers, and trying new ideas.
With all of these challenges, it's easy to feel defeated. Some teachers give up and coast until retirement. Others decide the fight is worth it. They find strategies to work through the challenges, grow as teachers, and take their programs to the next level. Your attitude really is everything, and the path you take is up to you. Which one will you choose?
In this post, I'll share some of the most common challenges PE teachers face, along with practical strategies to work through them. These are strategies I used throughout my own teaching career to break through obstacles and find success in my PE program.
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Challenges in PE and Strategies That Work
PE teachers face some unique challenges, like limited support, large classes, equipment shortages, and tough student behavior. They can feel overwhelming, but they're manageable with the right approach. Here are 8 common challenges and strategies to help you overcome them:
1. Lack of Support
Lack of support can come from many places. It might be administrators who never visit your gym or won't spend a penny on equipment. It might be classroom teachers who see PE as a babysitting service for their planning time. PTA groups or school foundations may not see PE as a priority, and districts or states may hold back funding, standards, or curriculum resources.
Strategies
Build Relationships with Administrators: Invite them into a PE class and show them what you do and why it matters.
Connect with Classroom Teachers: Ask how you can support what they're teaching by connecting academic content to PE.
Advocate with Visuals: Display PE and health visuals inside and outside your gym that teach and show what your program is about. My Why Physical Education poster is a great place to start.
Bring Families In: Invite parents to visit class or host community events like the American Heart Association's Kids Heart Challenge, family fitness nights, fun runs, or field day.
Partner with Your PTA: Build a positive relationship with your PTA or school foundation so they'll want to help support your program.
For more ways to explain the value of PE, check out this post:
2. Lack of Respect
PE is vital, but our field still struggles with its reputation. Many parents, teachers, administrators, legislators, and community members had poor PE experiences growing up, and some of them are now the decision makers in education. Even with so many great PE teachers today, outdated teaching habits from the past still shape how people see us.
Strategies
Get Involved at School: Join school committees and groups to build positive relationships with teachers, staff, and volunteers.
Communicate with Families: Start a PE web page or newsletter to share what you do in class, suggest activities for home, and keep parents informed. My FREE Beginning of the Year Parent Letter is an easy first step.
Use the Morning News: If your school has a morning news show, use it to highlight PE events, give out awards, or lead school-wide movement breaks.
Share on Social Media: Post pictures and videos of the great things happening in your classes and at special events.
Start Clubs: Offer before or after school clubs like running, walking, intramural sports, or fitness to give students more chances to move.
Check out my post on social emotional learning in PE:
3. Limited Standards, Outcomes, and Curriculum
Some states and districts have clear, useful standards, while others are vague or outdated. Expectations vary a lot from place to place. Some districts provide supervisors or mentors, but many leave PE teachers on their own. Some hold PE teachers accountable for teaching and assessment, and others don't. Every situation is different, but chances are you've wondered what, how, and when you're supposed to teach.
Strategies
Get Involved: Join your district or state curriculum or standards writing team.
Use the National Standards: If you aren't required to use state or district standards, consider the SHAPE America standards, which were revised in 2024.
Find a Mentor: First-year PE teachers should connect with a mentor who can help build a yearly plan and answer day-to-day planning questions. My PE Year Plan Template can help, too.
Use a Ready-Made Curriculum: Look into free curriculum options, or ask your district to purchase a full curriculum program. My Complete K-5 PE Curriculum includes 48 units and 480 lesson plans, and my TPT store has smaller resources to fill gaps.
Connect with Other PE Teachers: Join PE communities on social media using #physed and in Facebook groups for PE teachers. Great activities, stations, and games are shared every day. My lists of the top 20 PE websites and top 20 PE blogs are a great place to start.
Click the link below to learn more about the new SHAPE America standards:
4. Equipment and Facility Needs
Teaching situations vary a lot. On social media, I've seen everything from high-tech indoor facilities to programs that teach outside with bare-bones equipment and limited space. Some teachers truly have critical needs just to make their program work. No matter where your program stands, you'll probably need to take steps to grow your equipment collection and move your students forward.
Strategies
Share with Other Schools: Partner with nearby schools to share equipment, and coordinate purchases so you have more variety between you.
Work with Your PTA: Build a relationship with your PTA or school foundation, since they may be able to help fund equipment.
Hold a Fundraiser: Try an annual fundraiser like Box Tops for Education to help with equipment needs.
Try Online Fundraising: If your school or district allows it, use a site like DonorsChoose or GoFundMe to raise money for what you need. My Adopt a Gym post has more ideas for underfunded programs.
Shop Smart: Check discount stores and online retailers before ordering from more expensive PE catalogs.
Want to know the top PE equipment companies? Check out this post:
5. Large Classes and Limited Help
Large classes are an all-too-common problem in PE. I taught at a school where the average class size was 100 students or more, with four to five classes from different grade levels coming in at the same time. Many of you are on your own with no help at all, trying to figure out how to assess a large number of students. To assess one student well, you have to focus on them while still managing everyone else. It's a real challenge in our field.
Strategies
Use Stations: Stations spread students out and let several activities run at once. My 15 PE stations post has lots of ideas.
Play Large Group Games: Use large group games that build multiple skills, strategies, and movement concepts.
Use All Your Space: Plan activities that use your whole area. If you have a partner teacher, use indoor and outdoor spaces at the same time.
Use Technology: Timer apps, projectors, and fitness or dance videos can help you manage and teach a large group.
Start with an Instant Activity: Begin class with a whole-group warm-up or instant activity so everyone is moving right away.
Need some large group games for your PE program? Check out these posts:
6. Lack of Professional Development
Quality professional development takes time and money. Either presenters come to your school or district, or teachers get paid leave to go learn. Many teachers use their own personal days and money to attend state conventions or workshops. That's not easy, since teachers aren't paid well, good subs can be hard to find, personal days are limited, and travel and registration costs add up fast.
Strategies
Learn in the Summer: Summer workshops are a great way to pick up new ideas and recharge.
Visit Other Teachers: Ask your district if you can visit or meet with other PE teachers in your area to share and collaborate.
Learn Online: Take part in online professional development from groups like SHAPE America and PE Central.
Ask for Help with Costs: Ask your PTA or school foundation to help cover the cost of a state convention or district workshop.
Build Your Network: Connect with other PE teachers on social media to share teaching strategies, management tools, and activities.
Looking for the best PE conferences? Check out this post:
7. Student Behavior
Student behavior has always been, and always will be, a challenge for PE teachers. Is it worse now than it used to be? I can't say for sure, but in my opinion, kids are kids. They never want to feel disrespected, and they always want to feel cared for. Our students' world is different than it was years ago, so the challenge is figuring out what makes them feel cared for and respected. We're also working against a society that's less active than it used to be, so getting some students to move can be tough. On the other end, some students specialize in one sport early, and their sportsmanship in other games can need some work. It falls on us to teach them how to handle a variety of games and cooperative situations.
Strategies
Create a Fair Behavior Plan: Don't punish the whole class for the actions of a few. Use a calm stop and think area where students can reflect on their choices and plan a better one. My classroom management and PE expectations posts have more ideas.
Keep Students Engaged: Keep students active and learning for the whole lesson so there's less time for off-task behavior.
Set Up a Conflict Corner: Give students a calm, structured place to work out problems with each other. My RESOLVE poster walks them through the steps, and Rock, Paper, Scissors is a quick way to settle small disagreements.
Talk About Sportsmanship Often: Make sportsmanship part of every lesson.
Use Cooperative Activities: Include activities where every student plays an important role in reaching a group goal.
Get to Know Your Students: Learn what makes each student tick, and use that to handle behavior issues.
Check out my post on conflict resolution:
8. Teacher Burnout
It's easy to fall into teaching the same skills, games, and units year after year. New activities and stations take time, effort, and sometimes money. Even when you change things up, some challenges never go away: poor sportsmanship, tattling, behavior issues, tech problems, broken equipment, and losing your teaching space to other events. Some days you may not even know what your gym will look like when you walk in. These issues can wear you down, so it's important to have strategies that help you avoid burnout.
Strategies
Change It Up: Set a goal each year to update the lessons in your units or add a new unit to your yearly plan.
Try New Things: Look for new ideas in books, online, and on social media.
Photo from Jason Leach, physical educator at Independence Elementary School in Fort Worth, Texas.
Make It Your Own: Take someone else's idea and adapt it to fit your gym and your students.
Create Something New: Don't be afraid to come up with your own activities and new ways to teach a standard or outcome.
Ask Your Students: Let students come up with ideas. You might be surprised by what they create!
Final Thoughts
Teaching PE can be challenging, but it's also incredibly rewarding. Great PE teachers keep growing and coming up with new ideas to keep students engaged. I hope the strategies in this post help you work through some of the common challenges in your gym and make your teaching more enjoyable and successful. For more ideas, check out my 15 tips for PE teachers.
Change takes effort, and it isn't always easy. As Canadian writer Robin Sharma said, "Change is hard at first, messy in the middle, and gorgeous at the end."
What will you do from here? Will you give up, or face your challenges head-on? The choice is yours! What challenges are you facing in your PE program? Share them in the comments below.
FREE Advocacy Bundle
Need some graphics to advocate for your PE program? Download this FREE visual packet to make posters for your gym or school bulletin board! For even more, check out my 26 Set PE Advocacy Super Bundle on TPT.
Need Visuals for Your PE Learning Space?
Teaching PE can be hard. There's so much to cover, and it's tough to know what matters most. Colorful, student-friendly visuals on your gym wall or screen can make teaching simpler. They break down big ideas into easy-to-understand pictures that engage students and help them learn. My using visuals in PE post has more ideas.
If you're looking for high-quality visuals to help you teach PE and health, check out my Top Physical Education Posters: 25 Set Super Bundle.
You can find this bundle (or the individual posters) in my TPT store: PE Poster Bundle for a Bulletin Board or Gym Wall: Cap'n Pete's Top 25 Visuals
About Pete Charrette
Pete Charrette is a National Board Certified physical education teacher and former Georgia PE Teacher of the Year with more than 30 years of experience teaching elementary PE. He is the creator of Cap'n Pete's Power PE and has developed more than 1,000 PE and health resources used by teachers around the world. Pete loves helping PE teachers build programs their students enjoy.
