Online PE Teacher Classes and Courses Overview

Online physical education (PE) classes are found in graduate programs designed to assist individuals who wish to develop or update their athletic teaching skills. These courses are appropriate for both primary and secondary education professionals who are certified in physical education.

Overview of Online PE Teacher Courses

Although most upper-division physical education courses are typically open to PE teachers with suitable licensure only, there are also programs that offer non-licensure courses to fitness professionals who wish to extend their career opportunities. Teachers with licensure in unrelated fields interested in studying physical activity are welcome to participate in many of these programs as well.
Students without licensure can receive a Graduate Certificate in Physical Education, Health Education, and Coaching, while students with a teaching license are able to earn a Master of Science degree in Physical Education.

Requirements for Online Courses

Online physical education students need a computer with reliable Internet access. To read, watch or listen to presentations and video content, a high-speed Internet connection is recommended. Online students should be comfortable using e-mail to communicate with faculty and fellow students.
Schools typically provide students with a distance-learning instructional platform, such as Blackboard, to make class materials available and to submit assignments, papers, projects and exams. Students requiring technical assistance can usually receive help through the school's website or by phone.

List of Online PE Teacher Courses

Effective PE Teaching Course

This course provides students with an overview of the foundations of teaching children physical education in the classroom. Core course topics include lesson planning, classroom discipline, and assessing and evaluating the fitness levels and capabilities of students. Professionalism and ethics are also covered.

Coaching Methods Course

The various methods and approaches for coaching a variety of students with different cognitive and skill levels are central to this class. Participants explore traditional and present-day fitness concepts to design youth activities that are physically challenging, effective and age appropriate. Students are encouraged to promote physical fitness as a way of life to children and adolescents.

Supervision and Assessment Course

In this course, students explore ways to maintain a secure gym or playground environment while concurrently observing the development of individual cognitive and psycho-motor skills. They then use these observations to provide feedback to their students to facilitate further physical development.

Game Development Course

This course examines and analyzes various educational games that are designed to aid children in the development of their fitness and psycho-motor levels while simultaneously teaching them sports tactics and sportsmanship. Traditional athletic categories of fielding, target, invasion, net and wall games are all covered.

Nutrition and Health Course

Classes of this type are often taught by experts in the fields of nutrition, medicine and public health to provide future PE teachers with accurate and appropriate health information. Students are encouraged to educate children under their care about the hazards of improper diet and lack of physical activity and its connection to childhood obesity.