Advising and Student Information

There are a variety of degree requirements, so it is important students track their degree progress and consult closely with faculty. Teacher candidates must follow the degree requirements corresponding to the academic year in which they became a health and physical education major, NOT when they enrolled in the University.

Lesson Planning Resources

• PE Lesson Plan Template - Use this blank template when creating a new physical education lesson plan. For instructions on how to complete the template, click any of the "help" pull-down menus embedded in the document.
• Pull-Down Menu Text
• Guide to Writing Educational Objectives

Registration Resources

• Four Year Sequence - Teacher candidates who enroll in the WCU health and physical education program as freshman are advised to follow the four-year sequence. This sequence organizes all general education and major-related courses by semester and if followed, allows students to graduate in four years.
• Course Availability - Most health and physical education teacher certification courses are offered once per year. Therefore it is important teacher candidates monitor closely which semester courses are offered. Please consult the four year sequence above.
• Self-Help Guide - Advising and degree requirements document created by Dr. Cummiskey for his advisees.

Formal Admission to Teacher Education (FATE)

All WCU teacher candidates must be formally admitted in order to continue taking classes in their program of study. Students who are not formally admitted upon the accumulation of 60 credits may not enroll in additional major-related classes. The requirements of formal admission are having:

• Earned a minimum of 48 credits at the college level (100 level or above)
• Earned a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.8
• Earned 3 credits in college-level English composition (WRT course)
• Earned 3 credits in literature taught in English (LIT or CLS course)
• Earned 6 credits in college-level mathematics (MAT courses 103 or higher)
• Achieved passing scores on Core Academic Skills for Educators Test or the Pre-service Academic Performance Assessment (PAPA). Teacher candidates may be exempted from the testing requirement if their SAT or ACT scores are high enough.

To apply, complete the Formal Admission to Teacher Education Application which is specific to Health and Physical Education majors.

For more information, please visit the College of Education FATE page

Pre-Professional Experiences (PPEs)

Teacher candidates must accumulate 30 hours working with school-age students, 15 of which must be with a population of whom a majority are minority. These hours can be paid as part of employment. Teacher candidates must also accumulate 15 hours of professional development, typically by attending conferences. You may attend state, regional or national conferences or local professional development offered by a school district. All hours must be documented using the PPE form.

Certification

Teacher candidates are eligible for a Pennsylvania Level 1 Instructional Certificate. Upon receipt of this teaching license, graduates may apply for a teaching license in another state. This process typically includes completing an application, paying a fee and in some instances, taking a subject matter test.

Clearances

The State of Pennsylvania requires that all persons who interact with K-12 students in schools and on campus must clearances for their “field” courses. Courses that require clearances are listed with a star on the Degree and Course Requirements page. Teacher candidates are encouraged to renew their clearances each summer and have the documentation available before classes start. For more information, visit the College of Education’s Clearances webpage. The four required clearances are:

• TB Test
• PA State Police Criminal Record Check
• PA Child Abuse History Clearance
• FBI Fingerprinting Background Check

Study Abroad

Teacher candidates are encouraged to earn part of their education abroad. If interested, begin planning this experience your first year. Two colleges that have been used in the past are:

• University of Brighton (England)
• James Cook College (Australia)