The Wales international has been a regular in the United side since Tanya Oxtoby joined the club last November, whether starting or coming off the bench.
United's number 22 registered her first assist of the season on Sunday, crossing for Kathleen McGovern to score the opening goal in the 3-0 win over Burnley at St. James' Park.
"It's massive," Joel said of the derby. "It's the biggest rivalry I've been a part of.
"The history is so deep between the two sides and how much our city loves Newcastle, and everyone lives and breathes football, that's what makes it so special.
"They can get a bit feisty, and a bit exciting, but that's why I love playing in them. We all know what it means to the fans, and we just can't wait to get going in the league."
In last weekend's matchday squad Joel was the second longest-serving Newcastle player behind Beth Lumsden.
She has played under three different managers on Tyneside and having seen a lot of players come and go, but Wales international Joel has remained a constant presence.
"There's been quite a bit of change each year since I've been here," Joel added. "It's usually been hard to start the season well.
"But I think with the pre-season we had this summer and the guidance from Tanya and the other coaches really helped us to gel a lot quicker.
"It's been really enjoyable to play with all of the new signings this season, and everyone has hit the ground running, and it's just a pleasure to be part of this squad."
The standard in the squad has gone up another level this term, as emphasised during the last international break when 13 United players were called up to represent their countries.
"As a player, competition is what you want," she said. "Because it helps you up your game and up your levels in training, which is always so competitive.
"There is so much competition to get in the team this season, and that's what we all want.
"Everyone is getting more used to how Tanya wants us to play, and I've really enjoyed understanding her style of play more."
Sunday's game on Wearside sees the Barclays Women's Super League 2 top two go head-to-head, with just three points separating them.
The Magpies arrive at the Stadium of Light with an unbeaten league record and having scored the most and conceded the least amount of goals in the division.
"As a player, you can't get too caught up in the emotion of the game, but we definitely feed off our fans during the match," said Joel.
"We know we'll have a good travelling away support and we know how much they sacrifice to come to all of our games, and we really appreciate them.
"It's going to be an exciting game with both North East teams battling at the top, and then add in that it's a derby, I think it'll be a good game."
