Physical Education Teaching

Living a healthy and active lifestyle is more than just working out at the gym or playing a sport. Healthy habits that stick with us into our adult years are formed when we’re young. Physical education teachers have the ability to make lasting lifelong impressions on the students they teach. If you enjoy fitness and sharing your knowledge with children and young adults or aspire to a career as an athletics director or administrative role in a high school setting you should consider a physical education teaching major.

About Physical Education Teaching Major

Do your fondest memories of school include fitness tests, playing sports and games, or learning about healthy eating and nutrition? Are you interested in positively impacting the lives of children and young adults? If so, this program may be for you.

As a Physical Education Teaching major, you’ll take courses to prepare you to teach physical education and adapted physical education to students in grades Pre-K-12. Because of the requirements for the program, all physical education majors also pursue a major in secondary education. The curriculum is designed to meet accepted criteria defined by the Society of Health and Physical Educators (SHAPE) and Adapted Physical Education National Standards (APENS). You’ll study exercise physiology, fundamental motor development, team sports and officiating, which will prepare you for licensing by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) and APENS. When you complete our program, you’ll also have all of the licenses required to be successful in your career as a teacher.

You’ll gain skills through a wide variety of experiences, including education classes that feature activities such as hiking, archery and indoor rock climbing. Every season in Wisconsin offers an opportunity to build your fundamental knowledge as you explore the Waukesha area, from Lapham Peak State Park to Retzer Nature Center.

You’ll gain practical understanding when you work in groups to create lesson plans for sports and games, which you’ll then share with classes. You’ll also observe and participate in physical education classes at local schools, or leading physical education classes. These assignments will help you build a set of lesson plans to work from before you begin your student-teaching hours.

Effective teachers are highly sought after by school administrators and at the end of our program you’ll be prepared to apply for positions in desirable school districts.

Although not required, physical education teaching majors may choose to further specialize their study. Carroll also offers a coaching minor that complements many areas of study.

• Coaching Minor
• Carroll University Catalog | Coaching Minor

• Educational Testing Service (ETS)
• How to report your score to DPI

• Carroll University Catalog | Physical Education Teaching Major
• Become a Teacher
• Academic Support Services
• Pioneer Core | General Education Requirements
• SHAPE America: Society of Health and Physical Educators
• APENS - Adapted Physical Education National Standards