Writing in the Discipline - Health Education

HPE 300 Concept of Teaching 

HPE 417 Instructional Planning in Health Education 

HPE 418 Practicum in Health Education

HPE 424 Student Teaching in Health Education

Teacher candidates in the Health Education discipline in the Department of Health and Physical Education complete a series of methodology courses. One of the examples of disciplinary writing that takes place in all of these courses as well as in student teaching is mastering the art of writing a lesson plan and a unit plan. Teacher candidates are introduced to a very comprehensive format of writing a lesson plan and the important components that need to be included in a quality plan. The lesson plan includes strict formatting as well as organized and grammatically correct work. It also includes reflection and family connection. This is done in HED 300 and continued in HED 417. During HED 417 teacher candidates continue to master lesson plan writing but are additionally introduced to writing a unit plan, and demonstrate this writing through the Teacher Candidate Mini Work Sample. After researching the school community, the unit plan begins with writing about the school community and health education needs of students. The unit plan includes accessibility strategies and accommodations to support student success, and the plans to provide the highest quality learning experience for each student. It includes at least three lesson plans, a block plan, an assessment plan, a rationalization in each section, and also a reflection section. During HED 418, the teacher candidates are required to write a new unit plan (Mini Work Sample). They are also required to write a structured observation and teaching journal consisting of at least ten entries at two different school placements. This journal requires teacher candidates to practice the Reflection component of the Planning, Action and Reflection (PAR) model. This journal is evaluated using a rubric. During HED 428 students are expected to produce a Teacher Candidate Work Sample consisting of all processes required by the Feinstein School of Education and Human Development. It includes the processes in the Mini Work Sample, plus additional writing about student achievements and reflection about the teaching experience.