2026 SHAPE Iowa

Ready to take your elementary PE lessons from good to unforgettable? This high-energy session will explore creative, engaging, and budget-friendly ways to add a little extra pizzazz to your physical education classes. From themed lessons and costumes to music cues, props, classroom transformations, and cross-curricular surprises, you’ll discover easy strategies that captivate young learners and boost participation. You'll explore real examples that inspire student joy, enhance classroom culture, and align with standards—all while keeping your planning realistic and fun. Whether you’re looking to build stronger connections with students or simply want to reignite your own passion for teaching, this session offers practical tips, take-home tools, and a spark of inspiration to help you elevate your everyday lessons. Come join the fun, and leave with a playbook full of “extra” ideas that make a big impact on little learners!

Bring your body, bring your brains! Will's excited to share how he and others across the world use the Meaningful PE Framework to deepen student connection to movement while improving skill. Come learn, play, and see how Will helps students become "Moved to Move".

In this interactive session, we will explore innovative strategies for incorporating physical activity into the school day to enhance student learning and well-being. Participants will gain insights into the benefits of a comprehensive school physical activity program (CSPAP) that supports both academic success and healthy development. Through practical examples, attendees will learn how to design and implement movement-based activities that align with curriculum goals, foster student engagement, and improve focus and behavior. We will explore how to build school relationships that foster a movement culture, ensuring that physical activity is a regular and effective part of the school experience. Attendees will explore how physical activity, when thoughtfully woven into the school environment, encourages students to develop lifelong habits of health and wellness. Join me to discover how moving to learn can be the magic that leads to healthier, more motivated students and a more energized, engaged school community!

Tips and tricks to reduce stress, minimize wear and tear, and ways to help develop a positive mindset as a PE teacher. 

Mix it up will be presentation from Mic Seifert a 27 year elementary teacher at a title one school focusing on ideas and activities that he has created out of inspiration to increase student engagement, enhance learning opportunities and improve classroom management.

Come one, come all! Join a dynamic and engaging activity session where you will learn cooperative physical activities designed to maximize engagement and minimize verbal instruction. Presented activities will utilize easily accessible equipment and materials and are friendly to physical education programs that may operate on a tight budget. During this session, participants will also engage in small group discussions using Kagan structures as a form of reflection and formative assessment.  

Need something fresh and new for your program?  Come learn about Archery!  I'll show you how I used Faux Bows with my K-5th students for a fun, new experience.  This new unit is preparing my students for the real thing when they get to middle school and beyond.

There's many ways we can organize a year or a unit. You're invited to learn about how Will uses different structures of play to aid student engagement in his classroom.

This session will have 3 main pieces:
- What are structures of play?
- A lower elementary synchronized activities structures of play unit.
- A upper elementary/middle school units where several structures play are used throughout.