research paper on physical therapy

Physical Education Teacher A physical education teacher is no ordinary teacher. They educate students by bringing out the best in their motor skills, fitness, and personal achievements. Physical education teachers have a thrilling career in which they get to connect with their students and evaluate the individual’s performance. The expectations of a physical education teacher are pretty simple. First you have to work with what you have, not all students are the same so you will have to build on their already established base of learning. Another expectation is to broaden the horizons of what the students already know and explore them in greater detail ("Highschool Physical Education" 5-7 12-16). Some students may not be interested in sports or physical activity. As a physical education teacher you will have to work around those issues and try to help the student out. Your goal is to inform the student about all of the fitness opportunities they have to live a healthy worthwhile life ("Highschool Physical Education" 5-7 12-16). A great amount of instruction is required in being a physical education teacher. As a PE your main day to day task is instructing. Physical education teachers have to instruct students on how to do specific sports the proper way, they have to instruct so the students can benefit from the class. Another essential daily task is being able to use effective oral communication to instruct, motivate, and reinforce ("Highschool Physical Education" 5-7 12-16). If a teacher doesn’t have good oral communication skills the students will not listen. You will lose respect from the students and your class will not be effective. Teachers have to be able to communicate with their students or be able to profess their information to them. As a physical education teacher you will also have to compare and contrast the benefits of the different types of activities that will be effective to students in the long run to achieve living a healthy life. To become a physical education teacher you will want to ask yourself if you have all of the personal requirements which are needed. Such as a good working knowledge for fitness and exercise, the willingness and ability to instruct others, and do you excel at time management ("Highschool Physical Education" 5-7 12-16) ? A bachelor’s degree in health or physical education is required to become a PE teacher. Some colleges offer a degree in preparation for a career as a high school physical education teacher, others you might just be taking courses like anatomical kinesiology, advanced athletic training, athletics in higher education, or biomechanics of sports and exercise. A degree in teaching with a minor in physical education or kinesiology is a good choice ("Highschool Physical Education" 5-7 12-16). Some of the best schools in the country known for a physical education major are Kaplan University, Ashford University, Grand Canyon University, and Keiser University ("Physical Education and Health" 2003-2013). Even though a bachelor’s degree would will be acceptable, a master’s degree is highly recommended due to the large competition for jobs, you need to go above and beyond to be noticed. After schooling and getting a degree, all teachers are expected to meet a certain licensing or certification standard to be able to teach in public schools. Every state has their own certification requirements for teachers to meet. ("Highschool Physical Education" 5-7 12-16). There are quite a few cons that come with being a physical education teacher. Starting with the amount of schooling and training that you need to go through. There is a lot of education and training required for this field, it can be somewhat daunting to those seeking employment. As well as the time and money needed to earn a bachelors and master’s degree ("Highschool Physical Education" 5-7 12-16). You also have to consider the ongoing certification requirements, as well as exams ("Highschool Physical Education" 5-7 12-16). Another con to this job is having to deal with high school students. High scholars can be rude, crude, combative, confrontational, unmotivated, and even dangerous ("Highschool Physical Education" 5-7 12-16). One other con to being a physical education teacher is the competition within the field. The competition in the teaching field is very high. Employers and school districts only want the best, so you will need to go above and beyond the minimum requirements to earn a job as a teacher. Being a teacher also requires serious commitment and dedication that is not to be taken lightly. Even with all of the cons the pros outweigh them by a landslide. The opportunities you have to interact with students and make an impact on their lives are some of the best parts of the job. While impacting their lives you also need to teach them discipline ("Highschool Physical Education" 5-7 12-16). A huge pro to the job is being able to stay physically fit and active. You are moving around most of the day instead of sitting down in an office in front of the computer. While staying physically fit yourself you are teaching the students how to as well. Some other benefits include; being a member of a strong union, well pay, hours are favorable, being a professional educator, able to pursue other interests, exceptional healthcare benefits, and work on a school day schedule ("Highschool Physical Education" 5-7 12-16). A very tremendous pro physical education teachers have is rarely spending their hours outside of work doing papers and grading. They also have weekends and summers off, they go by a school day schedule. Most teachers have healthcare benefits and a pension after retirement which is a big plus. Physical education teachers always have the most comfortable uniform in the school. The dress code of a physical education teacher is very modest yet comfortable while still obtaining a professional look (Silberman 2010) From the upper body down, the head should have well-kept hair, clean shaven face, and moderate makeup. The upper body’s clothing should consist of a clean shirt occasionally collared, clean and neat outerwear and no see through material (Silberman 2010) The lower body either pants or shorts should be worn depending on the weather. Although shorts should not go higher than the knees (Silberman 2010) Sneakers or closed toed shoes will also be permitted. All school dress codes will apply to a teacher, which means no inappropriate logos or images (Silberman 2010) The overall attire of a physical education teacher should be athletic and comfy since you will be keeping active throughout the day while demonstrating activities. The salary of a physical education teacher isn’t high but they have their benefits. The lowest percent of teachers earned less than $35,020 a year (Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2012) The top percent earned more than $83,230. The median wage of a physical education teacher in 2010 was $53,230 annually. The wages of teachers mostly depends on how long you teach, the longer you teach the more likely you are to get a raise. Another factor is the budget of the school district you are in. Some districts can afford to pay their teachers more than others. (Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2012). Employment rate is very important to know before you decide to enter a field. You need to know the employment rate to know how likely your chances are of finding a job after college. The employment rate for a physical education teacher is expected to grow by seven percent from 2010 to 2020 (Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2012). The overall growth is expected due to declines in student to teacher ratio and increases in enrollment (Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2012). Employment growth always varies by region and depends on the state and local government’s budget. If you are interested in becoming a physical education teacher you will need to be motivated and want to help out people, you as a teacher will be a role model for the students and the community. Teaching is a well-respected field and would be a good choice.