Sam Lenson was in the middle of showing would-be tenants their new home when I called. He’d have to get back to me, Lenson replied by text message.

Now a resident of Portland, Maine, the Natick native had bought a multifamily home there with his fiancé Lauren. Like many in this unforgiving housing market, the couple got creative. They plan to rent out the upper levels of their dwelling to make mortgage payments more manageable.

“We’re in a good spot,” he said.

A Natick native, Lenson had been a middle-school physical education teacher in Maine for about six years. He loves the work and believes it’s the kind of occupation one can build a life around. 

Then came the notice that his was among the departments that would be sacrificed due to budget cuts.

“I ended up kind of getting shocked,” he said. “I thought I was going to be there forever.”

Graduating from Natick High School in 2013, Lenson attended the University of Maine. He earned a master’s degree in educational leadership while minoring in disabilities studies.

During his journey in higher education, Lenson discovered some common themes kept calling to him.

“To move my body and help other people.”

That led him to follow a career in physical education.

Lenson recently learned that he was being honored for his dedication to that mission.

Ironically, it was for his work as a middle school teacher, the very role he’d recently been laid off from.

His award, Middle School Physical Education Teacher of the Year, was for the entire state of Maine. Like receiving an Employee of the Month plaque after being laid off, the recognition must have been bittersweet. Still, it’s an accolade Lenson said he’s proud to add to his list of accomplishments.

Now a high school physical education teacher, Lenson is bringing the same passion for movement and people to an older class of students.

But regardless of age, gym class has traditionally tended to divide students into tribes of fans and foes.

For some, it’s a chance to get out of their heads, leave the books behind for a while and get lost in the flow of physical activity.

For others, the competitive and rigorous nature of Phys Ed has been less than welcoming. By definition, a one-size-fits-all design in gym class can’t live up to its promise.

The school’s “Fitness for Life,” program, said Lenson, is geared toward making movement more welcoming. And as the name pledges, it’s designed to foster a love for fitness that will last long after graduation.

“I think it’s about creating an inclusive environment for every student.”

The program mimics the group exercise classes one would expect to find in a local gym.

Growing up, Lenson’s parents maintained a family membership at Longfellow Heath Club in Natick. There, he and his sister Ava spent many afternoons learning to swim and playing basketball.

Among the menu of offerings in “Fitness for Life” are yoga and spin classes. Lenson’s mission is a lofty one: To make gym class much more than merely tolerable for students.

“How can I make it the best class of the day for them?” is the question he seeks to answer when designing Phys Ed programming. Lenson said staying connected to students outside of class is a crucial and rewarding part of effecting teaching.

“They want to be there and they want to be their best,” said Lenson.

Though that work is often a great reward alone, he added, being named teacher of the year was gratifying.

“It’s pretty special and surreal. You put good energy out, and you might not see it in the moment. But good things happen.”

Sam Lenson with his fiancé Lauren, father Evan and mother Adrea. Courtesy photo