PETE Personal Essay

"WHY I WANT TO TEACH"

Prepare a carefully typed written essay (2.5 to 3 pages in length) answering these three areas of interest:

What type of work experiences, leadership activities and volunteer responsibilities have you undertaken that would give your future employer (principal or school board) additional insight into your potential as a physical education teacher?
What are you career goals, both short and long term, in the area of Physical Education?
What are your reasons for selecting teaching as your profession?

Here are other areas strongly recommended to address in your essay:

What are your reasons for preferring elementary, middle or secondary levels of education?
What positive personal traits and characteristics do you possess that will make you a great teacher?
What can you offer to your future students, school?
What are your weak traits? What will you do to overcome them so as to become a better teacher?
What led you to this area of study? Who influenced you and did you have a mentor, hero, or a role model?
Why become a Physical Education teacher and not a math, English, geography, or history teacher? What sets Physical Education apart from the other disciplines?
Why use your teaching skills in a school setting rather than in a corporate or community recreational center?