How to Study to Become a PE Teacher
Becoming a physical education teacher, or PE teacher, can be a very rewarding and satisfying career choice. You'll have the opportunity to work with middle and high school students on a daily basis, teaching them the fundamentals of good health and proper exercise. Plus, you'll be able to teach them fun games and watch them grow and develop their sports skills. However, before you can start working as a PE teacher, you need to study hard, learn the basics and get a college degree.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
-
1
Earn a four-year degree in physical fitness education that qualifies you for teacher licensure. While earning your degree, you'll take classes in health, exercise science, sports and teaching methods. You will also need to pass tests, such as the Praxis exam. Each state's requirements are different; they can be found on the Praxis website.
-
2
Work with children. While earning your degree, you should be gaining other experience that will help you succeed as a PE teacher. This career involves working with children, so you should make an effort to volunteer at schools, with church groups, at community centers and at summer camps to gain experience working with children, preferably while participating in outdoor activities and sports.
-
-
3
Learn about different types of activities and sports. As a PE teacher, you'll be responsible for coming up with a lesson plan. Before you can teach an activity or sport to a class, you need to learn it yourself. Some examples include basketball, volleyball, aerobics, dance, gymnastics, tennis and Frisbee.
-
4
Learn about health and nutrition. As PE teacher, you will most likely also be teaching a health class, which will include lessons on proper nutrition. In college, you will be taking courses in nutrition. Pay attention to these courses and make an effort to follow the nutritional guidelines you learn about in your own life.
-
5
Get in shape. Before you work as a PE teacher, helping children learn about health and fitness, you need to be an active, healthy adult yourself. This means eating right and exercising daily. You don't need to be a body builder, but you do need to appear fit, active and healthy. This will give you more credibility with your students, who will then want to emulate you.
-
1
References
Resources
- Photo Credit basketball image by aline caldwell from Fotolia.com
