77 Do+you+see+yourself+primarily+as+a+physical+education+teacher%3f+A+health+education+teacher%3f+Both%3f+%0a%0aHow+do+your+students+see+you%3f+Your+principal+or+peer+teachers%3f+%0a%0aI+have+found+in+my+limited+explorations+that+increasingly+secondary+physical+educators+are+also+the+primary+health+education+teachers%2e+I+have+also+found+too+many+of+these+teachers+have+a+limited+background+in+school+health+curricula+%28save+a+single+class+or+two+during+an+undergraduate+program%29%2c+and+even+less+experience+with+effective+classroom+teaching+strategies%2e+I+know+from+personal+experience+at+three+universities+that+student+teaching+is+typically+the+first+time+many+physical+education+majors+actually+have+to+stand+in+front+of+a+classroom+and+teach+a+lesson+on+health%2e%0a%0aIn+these+times+of+increased+public+scrutiny+and+accountability+for+the+tax+dollars+spent+on+public+education%2e%2e%2eit+seems+vital+that+Health+and+Physical+Education+%28HPE%29+be+taught+in+a+coordinated+approach+with+equal+value+placed+on+each+subject+area%2e+In+fact%2c+I+would+argue+that+many+of+our+parents+and+politicians+would+support+health+education+over+physical+education+if+it+ever+came+down+to+a+vote%21+%0a%0aI+encourage+all+secondary+HPE+teachers+to+demand+their+local+college+and+universities+adopt+a+coordinated+approach+when+preparing+future+teachers%2e+%0a%0aJon+Poole%0aPELINKS4U+Secondary+Section+Editor
128 I+disagree+with+Jon+about+PE+and+Health+being+taught+in+a+coordinated+approach%2e+Health+is+a+subject+area+that+is+important+and+unique%2e+These+two+subjects+are+certainly+related+and+similar+messages+need+to+be+sent+by+both+the+Pe+and+Health+teacher%2e+However+I+believe+that+Health+needs+to+deal+with+issues+that+can%27t+be+dealt+with+correctly+in+large+group+sessions+%28Most+PE+classes+are+larger+than+other+classes%29%2e+The+coordinated+approach+often+turns+students+off+when+forced+to+sit+and+listen+or+discuss+issues+of+importance+like+self+esteem%2c+time+management%2c+stress+management%2c+substance+abuse+and+sexual+issues%2e
179 This+is+an+interesting+area+of+debate%2e+In+New+Zealand+we+have+a+realatively+new+curriculum+that+has+been+written+as+1+curriculum+with+2+subjects+Health+and+Physical+Education+with+aspects+of+Home+Economics%2e++Many+of+us+are+taking+the+following+approach+%2d+Healtha+nd+Physical+Education+are+2+distinct+subjkects+with+seperate+identities+but+there+can+be+overlap+in+some+topics+or+contexts%2e++As+discussed+there+are+implications+for+teachers%2e++Yes+many+PErs+are+teaching+health+but+they+should+only+do+so+if+they+want+to%2c+have+background+knowledge+and+recognise+that+it+can+be+a++different+approach%2eWhat+we+are+finding+in+schools+is+that+mangement+are+timetacbling+them+together+so+the+Physical+Educator+has+to+take+Health+as+well+%2d+not+alwauys+an+ideal+situation%2e+It+also+excludes+other+teachers+who+want+to+or+are+very+good+health+teachers%2e++%0aOn+the+other+side+we+do+have+tension+between+the+purist+Health+teachers+who+do+not+belive+Physical+Educators+can+and+should+teach+Health%2e++The+debate+continues%2e+%0aPersonally+%2d+I+am+a+Physical+Educator+and+a+Health+educator%2e%0a%0aAnne
232 In+the+late+70%27s+and+on+into+the+mid+80%27s+Health+and+Physical+Education+were+taught+together%2e+My+health+teacher+was+also+my+Phys%2e+Ed%2e+teacher%2e+He+was+a+good+%26quot%3bP%2eE%2e%26quot%3b+teacher+but+as+a+Health+teacher%2c+let+me+just+say%2c+it+was+like+have+two+Phys%2e+Ed%2e+classes%2e+Gaining+health+knowledge+was+vital+to+young+people+then+but+even+more+so+today%2e+The+increase+of+unhealthy+behaviors+and+health+risks+young+people+take+today+is+phemonenal+and+it%27s+frightening+to+think+were+and+how+it+may+end%2e+Now%2c+I%27m+the+Health+teacher+and+supervisor+of+the+Physical+Education+dept%2e+in+my+High+School%2e+I+don%27t+think+that+Phys%2e+Ed%2e+teacher+should+not+teach+or+are+not+qualified+to+teach+Health%2c+but+I+do+think+that+colleges+and+universities+need+to+focus+on+preparing+quality+HEALTH+teachers%2c+because+in+college%2c+in+order+to+gain+more+health+knowledge+on+top+of+my+%26quot%3bSchool+Health+Education%26quot%3b+degree+program%2c+I+enrolled+in+nursing+courses+and+minored+in+Physical+Education%2e+I%27m+with+Jon+on+this+issue%2c+encourage+the+colleges+and+universities+in+your+area+to+promote+health+education+as+a+core+subject+area%2e%0aAnnette