Secondary Education, Physical Education, A.S.

Teachers change lives - they can open new worlds for students and inspire them to reach their goals. The K-12 education degree in physical education prepares students to teach in both public and private elementary, middle, junior high, and high schools. Students will be able to teach physical education and health courses. Western’s teaching preparation focuses on current and innovative teaching theories including the implementation of a service learning project, technology inclusion, and project based learning. The education program also provides the introduction to many important skills and elements of the teaching profession. The development and understanding of which are essential for future success such as: classroom management, special education, lesson design, and educational psychology. The students experience hands-on what it means to be a physical education teacher because the program provides them the opportunity to participate in public school classroom activities as a practicum student. These experiences have a four-pronged focus: they introduce theories and pedagogical skills that are learned during classes are applied and reinforced by the teachers, they give students real-world teaching practices, they help students decide about their future teaching careers, and they lay the academic foundation needed before entering a bachelor’s degree program. Students wanting to enter the teaching field must obtain at least a bachelor’s degree in education. Therefore, Western’s education program has specific pathways that will create a seamless transfer to any university in the country upon the successful completion of the associate degree requirements.