No matter what grade level aspiring physical education (PE) instructors wish to teach, they need to consider the PE teacher qualifications in their area, because they vary. For the most part, however, most PE teachers need at least a bachelor's degree from an accredited school. Before graduating, most students need to help a teacher in a classroom setting to get an idea of how the job works. Additional PE teacher qualifications often include taking a test to get a license and occasionally updating the information learned in college by taking additional courses after passing the licensing exam.
In most areas, the minimum education needed to become a PE teacher is a bachelor's degree in physical education. This usually means that people who wish to enter this career field take classes including exercise physiology, kinesiology and general health and wellness. Such students also usually take courses focusing on a few sports in particular so they are aware of how to perform a variety of activities that they likely will teach in physical education classes. Once a bachelor's degree in this subject is obtained, students will need a teaching certificate that allows them to preside over students at either primary or secondary schools, depending on their preference.
Before a teaching certificate can be offered, most students attempting to obtain PE teacher qualifications need to spend at least one semester student-teaching. This is an internship during which the college student puts his skills to work in a classroom, usually helping another teacher preside over the grade level he would eventually like to teach. This type of internship is usually completed during the last year of college and often is considered one of the most important PE teacher qualifications, because it offers experience in the real world, outside a college classroom.
Students hoping to become teachers usually also have to obtain a teaching license before they are done with their PE teacher qualifications. Not all school districts require this type of license for PE teachers, but many do, so it is important to check the requirements before applying for jobs. To get a license, aspiring teachers usually have to provide proof of a teaching degree from an accredited school and take a test. In many cases, teachers need to take additional courses every few years to keep their teaching license, but they should first check the requirements of local school districts to make sure continuing education is listed as a requirement.
