During Teacher Appreciation Week, two Woodhaven High School teachers took time to focus on something educators often encourage in others but rarely prioritize for themselves — self-care.
Woodhaven High School teachers Melissa Beamish and Rebecca Jablonski were recently selected to attend the 2026 Peloton Teacher Appreciation Tour in Detroit, a special event designed to celebrate educators and encourage wellness, motivation, and balance. The Detroit session was one of only four stops nationwide, alongside Seattle, Houston, and New York.
Held May 8 at the Helen Moore Community Center in Detroit, the event brought together approximately 100 educators from across Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana for a unique experience centered around fitness, connection, and personal well-being.
Both Beamish and Jablonski are Peloton members and unknowingly nominated each other to attend the event. While they initially assumed everyone nominated would be invited, they quickly realized how selective the opportunity was after meeting educators who had coworkers not chosen and others who traveled more than two hours to participate.
“It was a really fantastic experience,” Beamish said. “We got to network with other teachers, did a 30-minute bodyweight workout, and then Jess Sims stayed to do a Q-and-A where she discussed ways to motivate and inspire yourself and others, as well as the importance of showing up for yourself when you’re feeling stretched thin by work and life.”
For Beamish, a Peloton member for the past four years, the event turned out to be far more meaningful than she expected.
“As someone who’s been a Peloton member for four years, I was excited and knew it would be the typical workout inspiration jargon, but it was actually a really motivating and emotional experience for me,” she said. “Seeing 100 other educators make time for themselves during Teacher Appreciation Week — when we are constantly on the lookout for what we can do for our students, colleagues, spouses, and own children — really resonated with me.”
Jablonski shared that one of the strongest themes throughout the event was the challenge educators face trying to balance the many roles they hold in life.
“A common thread of the mostly female group was the challenge of finding balance between being a teacher, parent, and friend,” Jablonski said. “One thing that resonated with Melissa and me was when Jess Sims suggested asking yourself, ‘What do I need now?’ because we often neglect taking time to recognize our own needs.”
The event featured Peloton instructor Jess Sims, whose message focused on wellness, resilience, and giving yourself permission to pause and recharge — something both teachers said was especially impactful during Teacher Appreciation Week.
Jablonski described the experience simply as “super cool,” adding that the day left both teachers inspired long after the event ended.
In fact, the experience was so memorable that Beamish and Jablonski are already discussing plans to take a future trip together to attend an in-person Peloton class at Peloton Studios New York (PSNY).
While the event celebrated educators, both teachers said the biggest takeaway was the reminder that taking care of yourself is just as important as taking care of others — a lesson they hope to continue carrying into their classrooms and everyday lives.