Silencing the Whispers: Making PE More than PE

Abstract

Many classroom teachers in our schools do not know what physical educators truly do. There is a need for additional strategies for physical education (PE) teachers to be viewed as contributors to not only students’ development as skillful movers, but also to the goals of the entire school. By implementing new cross-curricular best practices, the PE teacher can be viewed positively as an academic contributor. At the University of North Georgia, preservice teachers are successfully implementing two new strategies at the elementary level. The goal is to support the entire school’s curriculum and, as a result, silence the whispers of the “gym coach” stigma. This article provides emerging strategies to new and veteran teachers on how to successfully implement cross-curricular content within their physical education programs without needing to make overly invasive changes.