AASU Health and Physical Education Department

Pre-Requisites

It is important for students to plan their route to graduation early, in order to have all the pieces in place for smooth matriculation. Note the following:

Students must be accepted into Candidacy before taking the curriculum courses. This requires a formal application, documentation of success on the GACE Basic Skills Assessment, consent to a criminal background check, proof of liability insurance, etc. All of these requirements are published in the Teacher Candidate Handbook, found in the main HPE office in the Sports Center.
It is recommended that HPE majors take PEHM 2281 (Anatomy and Physiology) before enrolling in PEHM 3500 (Exercise Physiology.)
Elementary Curriculum (PEHM 4701) is recommended before enrolling in PEHM 4702 and then 4703 (Middle School and High School Curriculum.
Since many of these major courses are offered only one semester per year, it is imperative that students plan out their matriculation and double check it with their advisor each semester.

Field Experiences

Because it is required by the Professional Standards Commission, the certifying body for public school teachers in the state of Georgia, HPE majors will be required to spend time observing/working with children in the public school settings, BEFORE Internship II. Many of your major courses will include assignments working with public school children in different activities and settings. There will be specific forms documenting said observations, which will become part of the permanent record. Failure to complete this requirement will result in an incomplete grade for the course in question.

Curriculum Courses' Field Experiences

Part of the required observation hours discussed above will be achieved by the HPE major planning and executing at each level (elementary, middle, and high) a three- week unit in Health and another three week unit in Physical Education in a local public school. The AASU professors will make arrangements with the school system in advance.

Internship II

As the culminating experience for pre service teachers, HPE majors will be assigned to a local public school for the full 15 weeks of their final semester. They will participate fully in all duties, responsibilities, and functions of a fully employed HPE specialist and teach full time for 6-8 of the weeks under the supervision of both the public school specialist and the AASU HPE faculty.

Required Tests/Certifications

The GACE Basic Skills Assessment, which is a general test of knowledge, is required for Admission to Candidacy. Successfully completing GACE Content, which is a standardized test of subject matter knowledge, is required for certification. These tests are administered by the Educational Testing Service, are administered off campus, and require a fee each time they are taken. Results take 6-8 weeks to reach test takers, so it is recommended that students plan ahead.