Back to School in PE: Starting the Year Off Right
- Pete Charrette
- Jul 30
- 6 min read
Updated: Aug 10
A Practical Guide for Creating a Positive, Structured Start to the School Year
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Why a Strong Start Matters in PE
The start of a new school year brings an exciting opportunity to hit the reset button. As physical educators, we get to shape the tone, pace, and culture of our learning environment from day one. The first few weeks aren’t just about learning names—they’re about laying a solid foundation for behavior, engagement, and relationships that will guide the rest of the year.
When students know what to expect—and feel safe, supported, and inspired to move—they are more likely to participate fully and grow throughout the year. That strong foundation begins with intentional planning, structure, and a focus on connection.
Facing the Challenges of a New Year
Let’s face it—starting the year can be both exciting and overwhelming. You may have new grade levels, unfamiliar students, limited gym space, or back-to-back classes. Students may arrive with varying levels of maturity, enthusiasm, or readiness to participate. That’s why having a practical, flexible approach to the beginning of the year is so important.
It’s okay to feel like you don’t have everything perfect right away. The key is to focus on what matters most early on: creating a welcoming environment, teaching expectations, building routines, and fostering student connection. Let’s take a look at how to do that—step by step.
Set the Tone with a Warm Welcome
A great year starts with a great first impression. When students walk into your space for the first time, they should feel welcome, energized, and excited to be there.
Make the first moments count:
Greet students at the door – A smile, wave, or high-five can go a long way in making students feel acknowledged and valued. You can also use visual greeting signs to offer students choices for how they want to say hello.👉 Check out my PE Greeting Signs on TPT for an engaging visual tool!
Use music and movement – Upbeat tunes and fun locomotor warm-ups help create a lively atmosphere and ease student anxiety.
Start with simple success – Use quick-win activities on day one to build confidence and excitement, rather than complex tasks or assessments.
Creating a positive tone right away helps students look forward to coming to class—and sets the stage for a year of learning, growth, and fun.
Establish and Teach Your Expectations
Clear expectations are one of the most powerful tools you can use to promote responsibility, safety, and cooperation in your gym. But they don’t work if you only post them—you have to teach them.
Practical ways to make expectations stick:
Keep them short and positive – Choose 3–5 clear, age-appropriate statements like:
Be safe
Be kind
Be active
Be respectful
Be ready to try
Model and practice – Don’t just explain your expectations—act them out, demonstrate them, and have students do the same.
Reinforce frequently – Use praise, visual cues, and regular check-ins to keep expectations top of mind.
👉 For a full list of helpful PE expectations, visit my blog: 10 Physical Education Expectations That Will Benefit Your Students
Establishing clear expectations early—and revisiting them often—builds a culture of trust, accountability, and mutual respect.
Introduce and Practice Routines Early
Classroom routines aren’t just for the traditional classroom—they’re just as vital in the gym.
Teaching and practicing routines early gives students confidence, keeps the environment safe, and helps everything flow more smoothly.
Key routines to prioritize in week one:
Entrance, role, and exit procedures – Teach students how to enter quietly and find their assigned spots, what to do while you take attendance, and how to exit calmly when class is over.
Equipment and safety routines – Show how to safely get, use, and return equipment. Practice stopping and listening to a signal like a whistle or hand clap.
Transitioning between activities – Establish clear signals or routines for switching activities or rotating stations to minimize downtime.
The more consistent and clear your routines are, the more students can focus on learning—and the less time you’ll spend managing behavior later on.
Build Relationships Through Movement
At the heart of every great PE program is strong student-teacher and peer-to-peer relationships. And there's no better way to foster these connections than through movement-based interactions.
Ways to build connection through activity:
Start with partner and group games – Activities that require cooperation, teamwork, or communication help students bond quickly.
Encourage character-building moments – Use debriefs, shout-outs, or journal prompts to highlight sportsmanship, perseverance, kindness, and inclusion.
Mix it up – Rotate partners and groupings frequently so students learn to work with different classmates.
👉 For more on this, check out my blog: Developing Positive Character Traits in PE
By intentionally designing experiences that support connection, you’re helping students grow both socially and emotionally—while staying active and engaged.
Create a Positive and Inclusive Culture
Inclusion isn't just a buzzword—it’s a foundation for student success. A classroom where everyone feels seen, safe, and capable is one where learning thrives.
Ways to foster inclusion early on:
Celebrate effort and growth – Highlight student improvement, not just skill level.
Offer options and modifications – Allow students to choose different ways to complete a task (e.g., underhand or overhand throw, individual or partner challenge).
Use inclusive language and visuals – Reinforce that everyone belongs in your PE space, no matter their background, body type, or ability level.
Incorporating social and emotional learning (SEL) strategies is another great way to support inclusion and help students connect. These practices promote self-awareness, empathy, and respectful communication—key elements in building a positive gym culture.
👉 For a deeper dive into how SEL fits into PE, check out this post:
When you prioritize inclusion from day one, students are more likely to take risks, support one another, and stay engaged throughout the year.
Prep Your Space for Success
Your environment can either support your teaching—or get in the way of it. Setting up a clean, organized, and visually supportive gym helps both you and your students succeed.
Simple steps to organize your teaching space:
Use visuals – Posters, signs, floor spots, and cones can help students know where to go and what to do, reducing confusion and increasing independence.
Define clear areas – Create spaces for instruction, equipment, warm-ups, and cool-downs. Use tape or markers to help students see boundaries.
Display your expectations and routines – Make your classroom agreements and signals visible so students are always reminded.
Visuals can play a powerful role in helping students learn procedures, remember expectations, and stay engaged. Whether it's routine reminders, movement cues, or SEL posters, visuals act as silent co-teachers throughout the year.
👉 Learn more in my blog: Using Visuals in PE: The Ultimate Guide
A thoughtful space not only looks great—it functions better and helps your routines run smoothly all year long.
Final Words: Start Strong, Stay Flexible
Starting the year off right doesn’t mean having everything perfect. It means leading with purpose, building relationships, and focusing on the most important pieces first.
Keep these reminders in mind as you launch your year:
You don’t need to be perfect—you just need to be present.
Structure creates safety—and safety allows learning to thrive.
A little preparation now saves a lot of redirection later.
As I shared in my 15 Tips to Succeed in PE blog, success in physical education starts with relationships, routines, and reflection.
So whether this is your first year or your thirtieth, take a deep breath and embrace the opportunity. Your students are lucky to have you—and this year, you’re going to make movement matter in powerful ways.
💬 What’s your go-to tip for starting the year off strong in PE?
I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments—or feel free to share this post with a fellow teacher gearing up for the year!
Need a FREE visual to display your PE expectations?
Do you need a practical way to share what you expect from your students all in one glance?
If so, Cap'n Pete's Power PE has you covered!
Fill out the form below to download a Physical Education Expectations visual that you can use to reference when working with your students. The PE Poster: Physical Education Expectations (in 5 color schemes) serves as a practical instructional graphic to use to highlight 10 important outcomes that we as teachers expect from our students during our daily PE classes. The statements are brief, yet POWERFUL!
This freebie set will be sure to enhance your PE program for years!
Do you need physical education and health resources to help with your teaching?
Cap'n Pete's Power PE.com is an online platform that offers tools, information, and resources to help future and current physical education instructors better implement physical education in their learning environments. The site includes an informational blog that provides practical strategies for developing and maintaining a physical education program of excellence. This platform also furnishes over 750 resources for physical education and health, such as PE activities, games, field day materials, templates, visuals, posters, sign packages, PowerPoint presentations, and much more!
