Home How to Become a Physical Education Teacher Physical Education Degrees in Montana

Physical Education Degrees in Montana

Montana schools aspire to improve students’ lives as a whole, creating the ideal conditions for lifetime learning, work, and health. Through different academic, recreational, and gym classes, school systems address the academic, mental, emotional, and physical developmental needs of students.

If you are looking for a way to merge your passion for fitness and your ability to work with students, consider learning how to become a PE teacher in MT. Running gym courses at a local school can help kids enjoy better health throughout their lives.

Role of Educators with a Physical Education Degree in Montana

Physical health impacts basically every area of a student’s life, indicating how crucial physical education is in schools.

Find out more about educational options in this state by contacting Montana teaching programs below.

To understand why gym classes are so important in Montana schools, you simply have to speak to educators, legislators, and advocates. Shape Montana/Montana Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance is a group that combines the interests of health teachers and physical education teachers to improve student fitness and overall community fitness.

There are many long-term goals for this group, including the promotion of healthy lifestyles in Montana communities, making it easy for community members to pursue fitness-related activities, establishing evidence-based physical education standards in Montana schools, and helping students make the transition from healthy childhood to healthy adulthood.

If you are ready to make your mark on this industry, a PE degree is the first step. Keep reading to learn more and contact schools below.

Getting Your Physical Education Degree in Montana

Before you start planning your degree and thinking about your new teaching career, you have to select the right degree for your educational background. If you already have a Bachelor’s degree, either in physical education or another field, you may save a considerable amount of time by going through a short-term alternative certification program or a two-year Master’s degree program.

However, most teaching students do not yet have an undergraduate degree, which is why Bachelor’s degree programs are the most widely available in Montana. As you learn how to become a PE teacher, you should build a solid foundation of knowledge in childhood development, exercise science, sports rules and ethics, and Montana teaching standards.

Over a period of four years, you may earn 120 credits or more by taking classes like:

  • Foundations of Exercise Science
  • Football Coaching Theory
  • Educational Psychology
  • Integrating Technology into Education
  • Methods of Teaching Movement
  • Anatomy and Physiology
  • Assessment, Curriculum, and Instruction
  • Methods of Adapted Physical Education
  • Professional Issues in K-12 Education
  • Exercise Physiology
  • Sport Psychology

When you reach graduation, you should have teaching techniques, activities, and theories that can be applied to each grade level and each student’s needs. However, a knowledge of theory is not enough.

You must demonstrate that you are able to apply theory in real gym classes. That’s why classroom experience is a huge priority in Montana programs. You may start with shorter classroom experience requirements, such as field experience courses that put you in a local school for a few hours per week.

The further you get in your program, the more you are expected to take a hands-on role in the classroom and actively engage in teaching responsibilities. The final experience you get is student teaching, a semester-long course that puts you in a Montana school full-time. You are observed and supervised by an experienced physical education teacher, from whom you should receive feedback and suggestions.

This paves the way for licensure. The Montana Office of Public Instruction requires all graduates to pass the Praxis II before working independently as teachers.

To get licensed in physical education, you take the Praxis II Physical Education Content and Knowledge Exam.

Becoming a teacher can be a challenging process, but it also lets you experience rapid personal and professional growth. The closer you get to finishing your degree, the more you should appreciate physical education and your ability to connect with students through sports and fitness.

By talking to licensed teachers and other teaching students in your program, you may get a good overview of how physical education impacts their work and their students’ lives.

Working with a Physical Education Degree in Montana

One of the benefits of working in this specialty is the fact that your degree allows you to teach all grade levels. This may help you stay flexible during your job search and find a job in your desired school district. Your salary and hours may be affected by what grade you teach and which district you work in.

Overall, the average salary for a Montana elementary school teacher is $49,730 per year (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2016). The Bureau of Labor Statistics claims that secondary school teachers in this state earn an average of $48,960 annually (2016).

Demand for teachers may increase steadily through 2022. Job openings for elementary school teachers are expected to grow 9% during this timeframe, while job openings for secondary school teachers may increase 2% (O*Net, 2016).

Not every student is athletic, and students don’t have to be athletic to enjoy the benefits of healthy fitness habits. In your physical education career, you can help students discover their own unique strengths and teach them how to appreciate the value of physical health.

Make your move now and request information on earning a physical education degree from Montana teacher training programs.