Physical education electives offer an opportunity for students within a physical education program to select from a wide variety of different course options that suit their goals and interests. We explore some of the top physical education electives and how physical education teachers and programs across the country are encouraging lifetime fitness through a physical education electives model.
Importance Of Physical Education Electives
The goal of physical education is to equip students with skills, knowledge, and interest to pursue a lifetime of fitness, health, and wellness. But when a physical education program lacks variety and choice, it can often lead to low engagement and participation.
And this also comes at a time where physical education has been a hot topic of discussion in schools. “Should physical education be required?” has always been a question in the world of education.
Often the arguments against physical education stem from games and sports being the primary focus of the class. As a result, many students associate PE with stress, anxiety, and flat-out failure.
Jodi Reardon, the physical education department chair at Wyomissing and 2021 Pennsylvania PE teacher of the year, knew that this negative view of PE was impacting her students,
“When I talked with the guidance counselors, I would hear stories of students not wanting to come to school because of PE. I have even seen doctor’s notes asking for alternatives to class because of the toll it took on kids.”
But Jodi didn’t want the solution for students’ stress to be removing PE entirely. Instead, she wanted to shift the focus of physical education to serve students better,
“I want students to see the positive connections to physical education. Not only are there physical benefits, but mental, emotional, and social. If we can help students find something they enjoy doing, they will be more likely to reap the long-term benefits of lifetime fitness.”
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Foundation First, Then Physical Education Electives
While some schools jump right to physical education electives, many physical education programs start with an introductory semester or year to help build a strong foundation and set students up for long term success in physical activity and fitness.
To start every student out with a strong foundation, Old Rochester High School in Massachusetts requires 9th graders to complete an Intro To Physical Education course.
The Intro to PE class focuses on introducing students to a wide variety of lifetime activities. For example, the class exposes students to tennis, ultimate frisbee, weight training, pickleball, and more lifetime fitness activities.
Allison, who leads most of these classes, explains the role the course plays in the big picture of lifetime fitness,
“With smaller units, students try different activities while building lifelong skills. If they like the activity in the unit, they can explore it further in future physical education electives. If they don’t love it (which they won’t always), students at least have the basic skills they can tap into down the road.”
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2 Examples Of Physical Education Electives
Not sure what type of physical education electives to pursue in your school and program? While there are countless options to introduce to students, here are a two of the most popular physical education electives that schools are seeing spark student engagement and excitement.
1) Weight Training Elective
Weight training is one of the most popular PE electives across the country.
Class options and names include:
Intro To Weightlifting
Advanced Weightlifting
Athletic Performance
Strength Training
Strength & Conditioning
Let’s take a closer look at MACCRAY High School in Minnesota that grew it’s weightlifting elective course from 6 students to 6 sections.
After 10th grade, physical education becomes an optional elective at MACCRAY. When Cole Christopher first started teaching at MACCRAY 7 years ago, the weightlifting elective had only a handful of students. Now, he says it has become one of the most popular classes for 11th and 12th graders,
“It is amazing to see how much the weightlifting program has grown throughout the last few years. Better yet, the class has become the favorite part of students’ day. So while it is an optional elective, we still see a huge number of the 11th and 12th graders.”
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2) Lifetime Fitness Elective
Designed to expose students to many “lifetime fitness” options available like yoga, dance, pilates, dance, and more.
Class options and names include:
Mind Body Connection
Movement Arts
Total Wellness PE
Let’s take a closer look at the Lifetime Fitness elective at De Pere High School in Wisconsin. When Nicole Haese first revamped the Lifetime Fitness course, she had 1-2 sections a year. Now, the school has 8 to 10 course sections per year. As a result, De Pere students are building lifelong fitness skills that they can tap into for the rest of their lives. Nicole says that the Lifetime Fitness classes have been a game-changer for students at De Pere,
“Many students start the semester unsure, even nervous, of what they can achieve. But over the semester, students start to see progress and improvement that boosts self-confidence and comfort in fitness. That is what it is all about.”
And Nicole explains how the course and physical education elective is huge for female students at the school,
“The Lifetime Fitness classes have a large percentage of female students. Over the semester, you can see the girls build confidence in fitness. Better yet, they start to get excited as they see progress and improvement.”
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The Importance of Technology and Curriculum in Building an Elective-Based Physical Education Model
In creating an elective-based model of physical education, having the right resources is essential to cater to diverse student interests and abilities. The integration of technology and a dynamic curriculum allows schools to offer a more flexible, student-centered approach to PE, encouraging higher engagement and fostering lifelong fitness habits.
While all of the schools featured in this article are using PLT4M, let’s take a closer look at Arroyo Grande in California. The school of over 2,000 students works hard to offer options and choice via electives.
Arroyo Grande High School in California has committed to creating an individualized student-learning experience in physical education. The school of over 2,000 students is seeing increased engagement, motivation, and participation.
While large schools and physical education departments sometimes struggle to tailor and personalize fitness with so many students, Arroyo Grande has found a path toward bolstering individual student success.
As the school continues to evolve its physical education program, Steven Allen says there are more great things to come,
“We have worked to keep building out how to get more students involved in physical education and athletics, and utilizing tools like PLT4M will support our continued mission to grow and develop students and athletes at Arroyo Grande.”
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Key Takeaways On PE Electives
Physical education electives can spark excitement across the entire student body. Match students interests with awesome and engaging electives.
- STRUCTURED Student Choice empowers students to take ownership of their fitness, health, and wellness NOW and into the future
- In the age where PE time is constantly on the chopping block, engaged and excited students will become your best advocates for more classes and resources.
- Don’t go at it alone! Just like any other subject, PE should advocate for and have access to high quality resources, curriculum, and technology.
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