University of St. Thomas

Welcome to the health-education teaching facts page, where you'll be taken beyond the course offerings and program description and deeper into the health-education teaching major. You'll learn what St. Thomas students are doing now to enhance their educations and how recent graduates are succeeding in the real world. More importantly, we hope you'll be able to use this information to decide if this major interests you. When asked what one phrase best describes the health-education teaching major at St. Thomas, a faculty member replied, "vital."

As a health-education teacher you would be licensed to teach health to grades five through 12. Health-education teachers work in classrooms, as opposed to physical education teachers, who teach in gymnasiums. Many students who are interested in teaching health also major in physical-education teaching, as many public school districts will only hire a person who has both of these licensures.

As a health educator, you would be gaining knowledge in the field of health and wellness which would be applicable to individuals of all ages. The health-education licensure, however, focuses on students only in the fifth through 12^th grades.

The majority of UST physical education and health education graduates find employment as teachers in a school setting. Graduates of our program are able to apply for K-12 licensure, so we see majors teaching at all grade levels. Majors choose this field because they are passionate about children and helping to keep them knowledgeable, skilled and active individuals. Our majors love the field of physical education and health education and know that as teachers they are doing a very important job.

Internships. Physical education and health education teaching majors do not complete internships. Throughout the studentsÕ course work, such as in the physical-education-teaching methods course, they will complete clinical hours which require them to work in a school setting along with a licensed teacher. The Health and Human Performance Department offers three teaching-methods courses in which students work in schools. The required education courses taken through the School of Education also require clinical hours.

Study abroad. In the past we have not had physical-education and health-education teaching majors travel abroad. The majority of our majors decide to complete a double major and have a tight coursework schedule to complete to graduate on time; still, studying abroad would be a fantastic experience for prospective teachers. If students are interested in doing so, they need to consult with faculty member in the Health and Human Performance Department well in advance.

The faculty in the Health and Human Performance Department work individually with all of the majors in the department to further each studentÕs growth and professional development in his or her chosen field. Faculty members collaborate with students on research projects, participate in the ÒInquiry at USTÓ conference and attend other professional conferences, such as the Northland Chapter of the American College of Sports Medicine (NACSM) where they give poster presentations of completed research. Faculty members have also taken students to state and national professional conventions.