Author: Randy Nichols

50 Million Strong by 2029: The role of Teacher Preparation Programs in Creating a Culture of Wellness in Schools

Health and well-being are central to the mission of public education, and a healthy school environment is shown to improve academic performance (Birch & Videto, 2015).  At Slippery Rock University, our goal is to prepare school wellness educators who are certified in K-12 health and physical education and serve as key players in creating a healthy and vibrant school. Our teacher education curriculum is based on the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) model, and candidates are prepared to view the entire school as their area of influence. In this article, we’ll explain (1) why we created a new teacher education program, (2) the School Wellness Education program’s alignment with 50 Million Strong, (3) how we encourage teacher candidates to think differently about their role in schools, and (4) how we created a culture of wellness in the Physical and Health Education Department at Slippery Rock University.

Why We Created a New Teacher Education Program
Our inspiration to design a new program started when enrollment in the teacher education program was low. Action needed to be taken to sustain the program and to increase the recruitment and retention of high-quality students into the health and physical education professions.  Based on low enrollment data, faculty within the Physical and Health Education Department scheduled a series of meetings to begin the process of designing a new program. Faculty wanted to create something new and relevant that would attract more students, but most importantly, something that society needed and would value.

The importance of creating something that society needed was influenced by a series of books, including Start With Why by Simon Sinek (2009), Good to Great by Jim Collins (2001), and No Sweat: How the Simple Science of Motivation can Bring You a Lifetime of Fitness by Michelle Segar (2015). According to Sinek, what separates great leaders and great companies from the rest is that they start by asking “why?” Before designing courses for the school wellness education curriculum, we made a point to begin each discussion with “why?”  Our “why” became to create a healthier and more physically active society through schools. Public health and school health data suggests that this is something our society needs (Birch & Videto, 2015).

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Changing the Face of American Physical Education Teacher Education

At Slippery Rock University (SRU) PA, we’re working towards achieving SHAPE America’s 50 Million Strong by 2029 commitment through our new School Wellness Education program (that includes teaching certification in health and physical education). We began this program redesign by thinking about our purpose and asking ourselves the question, “Why?”

Why SRU Created Something New
In 2011, the job market for physical and health education teachers was bleak even though health data showed that schoolchildren were more likely than ever before to be inactive, overweight, and unhealthy. At SRU and across the country, enrollment in health and physical education teacher preparation programs was declining. Simultaneously, college-bound health and wellness enthusiasts flocked toward careers in Exercise Science, Public Health, and related wellness professions.

Recognizing this changing career landscape and its programmatic impact, SRU’s department chair felt inspired to act. Experts both from within the fields of physical and health education and innovative thinkers outside of the field were asked to identify what the university could do to improve its teacher education program, and perhaps more importantly to identify what SRU could do to help those outside of our profession see the value in supporting quality public school health and physical education.

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