Physical Education Teacher

Briefly explain what you do for a living. 

I'm a PE and health education teacher at Kilpinen comprehensive school in Jyväskylä. My tasks include teaching physical and health education, planning lessons and assessing pupils. I'm a form teacher in three out of four years, so I'm in charge of a class almost every year. My work also includes communication between the school and homes, working in different teams and safety-related tasks, as I'm also a security officer at the school.

How have you ended up in the profession of your choice? 

I ended up as a PE teacher after many twists and turns and a lot of hard work. After general upper secondary, I applied twice to study law at university, but I couldn't get in. After the first attempt, I ended up at a business college to study a vocational qualification in business. When I couldn't get in on the second attempt, I applied to a university of applied sciences to study a degree in business administration. After graduating, I moved on to banking for the next five years.

During my time at the bank, I started to long for something new. The management of my housing company was a complete mess at the time, which opened up a new opportunity for me, and I decided to set up a housing management company with a friend. Years at the company made me realise that I don’t want to sit in front of a computer for the rest of my life.

I decided to apply to the University of Jyväskylä to study to become a PE teacher. I had never been an A-student when it comes to sports, barely a B-student. I felt I had to work hard to get in. I trained 3–5 hours a day and got coaching in different sports. My efforts paid off, as I received a place of study. Nowadays, in addition to my work, I run a training course company specialising in the entrance exam for sport and health sciences to help others who dream of being a PE teacher.

Describe your typical working day or week. 

It would be easier to describe the entire working year, as the weeks of a PE teacher vary a lot, and seasons affect the planning of the annual programme. One week could centre around basketball, the second around orienteering and the third around swimming. Sometimes I’m at the school all week and sometimes I don’t even go there.

Individual days also vary. I might have a gymnastic lesson at the school in the morning and a health education class after it. Then in the afternoon, I might need to go to Hipposhalli, for example, to teach athletics. I rarely have time for breaks, as I spent most of my time between lessons moving and transferring equipment from one place to another.

What kind of work environment or working hours do you have?  

I work at the school and in various sports facilities. The lessons follow a timetable, but I can do all the other work when it suits me best. However, I try to follow an 8–16 schedule.

What kind of competence or qualities are required in the profession? 

Being really talented in one sport doesn’t necessarily guarantee you a study place, let alone that you will become a good PE teacher. PE teachers benefit more from the diverse knowledge of different sports and the desire to learn and teach. To enjoy the work, you must like working with people and be prepared to solve problems. Creativity is also needed.

What is the best thing about your profession? 

Feedback from students is the best thing. It's great that students appreciate and like the classes, even if I had demanded a lot from them. It shows that my work is important. I also like the variety and the fact that you can plan most of your schedule. Sometimes I finish the day at noon and sometimes I work longer days.

What are the downsides of the profession or what seems challenging? 

In addition to teaching, the teacher's work involves a huge amount of different administrative and communication tasks. For example, I need to communicate via Wilma in various ways and have discussions with parents, other form teachers, pupil welfare and special needs teachers. If a pupil is not going to meet the requirements of the subject, it causes additional work.

What would you tell a person considering the profession of a PE teacher? 

If you want to study sport and health sciences, you shouldn't think too much about whether you are talented enough in sports or not. I personally think that my motoric skills are not that good, which has helped me a lot in my career as a teacher. It's easy for me to relate to the pupils’ experiences, and I’m able to find different ways to help them learn. How you succeed and enjoy your work depends to a great extent on your interaction skills.

How do you see the future of your profession? 

There is a plenty of work available for PE teachers, especially if you are willing to move, but I guess there's some regional variation. You should invest in emotional and interaction skills, as they make the work easier and more pleasant. Expertise in special pedagogy will also be useful in the future, as various learning difficulties and behavioural disorders have unfortunately increased.