“Come on in, check out the message, see what we’re focusing on today — smiling is optional but heavily encouraged,” bald, bearded, with an athletic polo and a voice that carries over a roomful of third graders, Mitchell Elementary’s physical education and wellness teacher Ryan Martin welcomes kids to class.
The slap-slap-slap of jump ropes soon fills the room, followed by the thumping of basketballs signalling the start of “tarantula tag” — until a “Three…two…one…freeze” pauses activity for a “teachable moment” with Mr. Martin.
Now in his 18th year at Mitchell, Martin was recently named the 2026 Elementary Teacher of the Year by the Massachusetts Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (MAHPERD).
The award recognizes educators with 10 or more years of experience for their innovation, leadership and commitment to high-quality wellness curriculum. “Teacher of the Year” is peer-selected and is only awarded to one educator each year. Applicants like Martin step through a formal process that begins in the fall and involves letters of recommendation, questions on individual teaching philosophy and a committee vote.
Being nominated for this year’s award, Martin said, felt both really good and a little awkward to bring up in conversation: “Wow, crazy weather, you know I’m the Teacher of the Year in Massachusetts.”
“Teaching is definitely not a profession that you should expect pats on the back often, so it’s nice to be recognized,” Martin said. “And I always say the best recognition [comes from] people that share your experience” — noting that recognition from what he calls cream-of-the-crop Massachusetts P.E. teachers feels like an especially big compliment.
Denise Domnarski, director of physical education, health and wellness at Needham Public Schools, nominated Martin for the award.
“He does a great job of making everything accessible and at the same time challenging and modifying and scaling so that students are constantly engaged and going to achieve what’s best for them,” she said.
Domnarski found out Martin had been selected when he sent her a screenshot of the email informing him of the award, “Which was very Ryan, to not make a big deal out of it and just be like, ‘Hey, just a little FYI, got this award.’”
Martin landed a job at Mitchell before he had even secured his diploma, fresh out of the gate and barely 23. Though he initially entered university with sights set on athletic training, participation in public school P.E. for a course credit launched him on a different trajectory. An undergraduate degree in physical education from Bridgewater State College was followed by a Master’s in applied kinesiology from Bridgewater State University.
Stepping into his current position at Mitchell meant inheriting the territory that came with the job: a 76-year-old gym.
Over time, Martin said he has adopted stoicism toward the dilapidated space, though he tries to frame it positively for students.
“Let’s say we’re [doing] basketball, [I’ll tell them]: ‘If you can find open space and get open in this, imagine what it’s gonna feel like when you have three to four times this space. It’s gonna feel luxurious,” he joked.
Visuals covering the wall are Martin’s attempt to make the most of the space he has. Laminated quotes range from Michelle Obama to Babe Ruth, “Take Care” decor reminds students to care for themselves, others and the things they use, “Take a Break” checklists help students reset when needed, and “Responsible Rule” posters emphasize social and emotional learning.
Martin’s classes are a medley of token-tossing, or “squad points” he uses to affirm good choices made by students, interacting with students individually, pausing for teachable moments — some touching on physical skills, some on social-emotional skills — and bandaging the inevitable skinned elbow.
“He starts at a beginning level, for everyone to feel like they can blend in with other people,” fifth grader Molly Andelman said. “So it makes them feel like they are also important and seen and heard.”
He encourages students not to rely only on their strengths, or “greatest hits,” but to step outside of their comfort zone.
“He has this quote, it’s like, ‘Don’t compare yourself to other people. Compare yourself to how you did yesterday,’ or something like that, because everyone’s working on their own personal growth rather than competing against each other,” fifth grader Brixton Edwards said.
And, Edwards and Andelman agree, he’s really funny. “One time I had a bad day, and when we were in P.E., he told us a funny joke, and he kind of made my day better,” Andelman said.
“He is a great example of someone who teaches in conditions that would challenge even experienced educators,” Mitchell principal Greg Bayse said to the school committee during a March 17 meeting. “The walls are splintering, the wires are hanging, the HVAC is unreliable in his space — and yet, in his classroom, kids feel safe, they feel inspired and they have their social-emotional skills reinforced. He builds a strong school culture.”
Bayse added that kids who struggle in school often don’t struggle in Martin’s classroom. “I really do think that it has to do with how he structures his classroom,” he said. “His even tone of voice, he treats all students equally and with a real sense of respect towards students that even kids who struggle in other environments can read. And so I think it becomes mutual respect.”
“It’s pretty exceptional, especially when you see the magic that Ryan works in a really teeny-tiny gymnasium, with a lot of eager and wonderful students,” Superintendent Dan Gutekanst added during the March 17 meeting. “We’re really excited for Ryan.”
As someone who has struggled with life-long depression, Martin said P.E. is one way for him to help students realize what he did not learn until later in life: physical wellness makes a difference.
“I want to have people feel what I was feeling from the benefits of pursuing their wellness before they are 15 or 16, like it was for me,” Martin said. “And I don’t think it’s important, I think it’s imperative.”
Martin will receive his award at an official brunch in Sturbridge on May 3. Domnarski said the house will be packed with people there to cheer him on.
While Martin is the most recent NPS educator to have won MAHPERD’s “Teacher of the Year”, others in the district have been recognized in past years as High School Teacher of the Year in 2009 and 2023, and Elementary Teacher of the Year in 2014 and 2020.
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