How to Become a Physical Education Teacher in Michigan

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Your initial preparation to become a PE teacher in Michigan involves the following steps:

	Complete a Bachelor’s Degree Approved by Michigan
	Take the Michigan Tests for Teacher Certification (MTTC)
	Complete the Michigan Physical Education Provisional Certification Process
	Apply for a Professional PE Teacher Education Certificate

As part of the new Michigan Merit Curriculum, the Michigan Department of Education (MDOE) has set rigorous standards for teaching the state’s students about physical education. These standards require that schools offer specific instructional periods in physical education:

• 150 minutes per week to elementary students
• 225 minutes per week to middle and high school students

Michigan requires that certified PE teachers provide this instruction using curriculum aligned with the Michigan K-12 Physical Education Content Standards and Benchmarks. It should equip students with the skills, knowledge, and attitudes necessary for lifelong physical activity and influence their development of personal and social skills.

The MDOE requires that high school students have one credit in physical education and health to be able to graduate. School districts have some flexibility in how they meet this standard. Often, schools offer one semester of physical education and one in health.

State law requires that high school teachers must have an endorsement in their content area. For physical education in Michigan, this can include one of the following:

• MB: physical education major or minor
• MX: group major of PE, health education, dance, and recreation

You may be able to teach both PE and health if you hold endorsements in both areas.

If you are already certified to teach in Michigan, but you want to switch to teaching PE, you will need to complete 20 hours of PE coursework at an approved school and take the PE specific test to obtain your PE endorsement.

Step 1. Complete a Bachelor’s Degree Approved by Michigan

The Michigan Department of Education has 19 approved PE teaching programs. These programs are offered in a range of departments, from departments of kinesiology to departments of education.

You can obtain a range of bachelor’s degrees in Michigan that will teach you how to become a PE teacher in the state. These programs provide both training in teaching methods and in PE content. They include the following:

• Physical Education (B.A. or B.S.)
• Physical Education Teaching (B.S.)
• Physical Education and Education (B.S.)
• Physical Education Coaching
• Physical Education/Teacher Education, K-12 Major (B.A.)
• Physical Education: K-12 Teacher/Coach (B.S.)
• General Physical Education (B.A.)
• Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Sport
• Health & Exercise Science (B.S.)
• Kinesiology—Pedagogy Teacher Preparation Track (B.S.)

Two other programs offer minors for teaching physical education to special education students.

The coursework varies depending on the department, but PE specific courses that you are likely to take include the following:

• Exercise Physiology
• Kinesiology
• Physiology & Anatomy
• First Aid & Emergency Care
• Philosophy of Physical Education & Sport

Many departments also offer courses in specific types of exercises such as invasion games and aquatics.