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Complete these steps to become a PE teacher in New Hampshire:
The New Hampshire Department of Education Division of Program Support Bureau of Credentialing administers the process that evaluates the credentials of potential teachers before qualifying them for licensure in the state.
The Bureau also provides detailed curriculum guidelines for teachers that instruct K-12 physical education (PE) students. These guidelines are designed to help New Hampshire students:
- Achieve and maintain a health enhancing level of physical fitness
- Engage in a physically active lifestyle
- Exhibit responsible personal and social behavior that respects self and others in physical activity settings
- Identify that physical activity provides opportunities for health enhancement, challenge, enjoyment, self-expression and social interaction
- Demonstrate an understanding of movement concepts, principles, strategies and tactics as they apply to motor skill development and performing physical activities
- Demonstrate competency in motor skills and patterns of movement including the ability to apply these skills and patters to a variety of physical activities
Step 1. Complete a Bachelor’s Degree in Physical Education Along with a Teacher Prep Program
You have to possess at least a bachelor’s degree to be able to become a certified PE teacher in New Hampshire. The state requires that you possess a wide range of knowledge about teaching PE to become certified as described in section 507.16.
While the traditional way to become a PE teacher in New Hampshire is to obtain a bachelor’s degree from an approved teacher’s preparation program (Alternative 1), the state has approved a number of other ways to qualify to become a PE teacher as well (Alternatives 2 – 5).
Alternative 1 – This is the route to learn to become a PE teacher by training in one of New Hampshire’s approved teacher preparation programs. As of 2014, two institutions of higher learning in New Hampshire offered degrees that lead to physical education teacher certification. You have the option of becoming certified through a bachelor’s program or by obtaining a master’s degree through a fifth-year program.
Both schools require that you meet strict standards before you can be admitted into the PE teacher preparation program. In one case, you must pass the state required Praxis I license exam before the beginning of classes in the fall of your sophomore year. At the start of your junior year, you must also maintain at least a 2.67 overall GPA.
You will need the approval of the Chairperson of your institution’s Education Department to apply for your certification with the state of New Hampshire.
Alternative 2 – The state of New Hampshire provides this route as a pathway if you have PE teacher certification from another state or country. The details on obtaining this type of certification vary depending on whether your previous state of residence/employment is a member of the interstate agreement.
Alternative 3 – You can apply for certification through this route if you have attained the knowledge, skills, and competencies through means other than those of the first two routes. There are two processes that you can follow to become a PE teacher using Alternative 3:
- The first process includes both an oral review and a written examination. You will need to provide a letter of intent to pursue this route and verification from an employer that you have been teaching full time for three months. You can obtain further details from the Bureau of Credentialing at 603-271-2407.
- For the second Alternative 3 process, you will need to provide a proof that you have a regional or national license to teach PE.
Alternative 4 – This route to certification is restricted to areas that have a critical shortage of teachers. As of 2014, PE was not a field that had a shortage of qualified teachers.
Alternative 5 – If you have the content knowledge to teach PE and have attained competency in the educational areas described by the Bureau of Credentialing, you can become certified to teach PE in New Hampshire through this on-the-job training route.
To teach PE at the secondary level, you need to meet the following requirements:
- At least 30 credit hours in PE
- An overall GPA of at least 2.5
To each at the elementary level, you must have coursework in the following fields with a GPA of at least 2.5:
- English
- Mathematics
- Science
- Social Studies
To obtain certification through this route, you will need to obtain a statement of eligibility from the Bureau of Credentialing. Your next step is to find a local school district that wants to hire you and is willing to provide a teacher mentor to guide you through the process of becoming a PE teacher.
Step 2. Take the Appropriate Exams
All PE teacher certification options require you to pass two sets of exams to be able to get your license to teach PE in New Hampshire. There are two exceptions to this requirement:
- Having a master’s degree or higher
- Having taught as a credentialed teacher in another state for at least 7 years
Praxis CORE
You will need to demonstrate that you possess the basic academic skills of mathematics, reading, and writing. The most common way to show this is to take the Praxis CORE test. You are exempt from having to take this test if you have SAT, GRE, or ACT scores above the 50th percentile.
If you are preparing to join a teacher education program in New Hampshire, you may have to take this test before you will be admitted to the program. The state of New Hampshire may accept alternative tests if you are from another state.
Praxis II for PE
You will also need to demonstrate your mastery of the field of PE teaching. The standard way to do this is to take the Praxis II content PE test. You may be able to satisfy this requirement if you have taken an alternate type of PE examination in another state.
If you take the Praxis test in New Hampshire, your scores are automatically sent to the New Hampshire Department of Education.
Step 3: Apply for Your New Hampshire PE Teacher’s License
Application – Once you have completed your education and passed all of your tests, you can apply for your PE teacher certification from the New Hampshire Board of Credentialing. The Board provides detailed instructions on how to go about this process.
You will need to submit official transcripts of all your college coursework. You can either have your institution(s) send them electronically as a PDF or through the mail. If you are enclosing them with your application, they need to be sealed and have an official signature.
Statement of Eligibility – If you are applying for a statement of eligibility for an alternative route, you should scan the following items into individual PDF files and send them as an attachment:
- Current working resume
- Employer verification of teaching including the following
- Assignment
- Length of employment
- Copies of the following:
- Current teaching license
- Any testing that you have completed
Step 4. Meet the Requirements to Renew Your New Hampshire PE Teacher’s License
Once your New Hampshire PE teacher’s license is up for renewal, you will need to get an on-line recommendation from your Superintendent before you can start the renewal process.
You can renew through a new streamlined online process or with a paper application. This will involve updating your personal and work information. You will also have to fill out a Criminal Disclosure Form as part of this process.
Phys Ed Teacher Salary in New Hampshire
It has been found by the New Hampshire Employment Security, Economic + Labor Market Information Bureau, that the median New Hampshire PE teacher salary is $73,833. Interestingly, this is almost 22% higher than the nationwide median, which is $57,690.
The average salary throughout New Hampshire among PE teachers is actually 3.7% higher than the median at $76,699.
There is a 32% spread in the pay schedule, with entry-level PE teachers averaging $58,507 and tenured-level PE teachers averaging $85,795.