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Physical & Health Education
The PHETE program at Longwood University prepares teacher candidates to meet State licensure requirements to teach both health and physical education from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade.
Teacher candidates can also elect to become certified to teach Driver Education.
Our program is a competency-based, fieldwork intensive curriculum that ensures students obtain hands-on teaching experiences throughout their academic career.
As a result, graduates enter the workforce confident in their ability to deal with the many challenges faced by public school teachers in today's world.
Longwood University PHETE Majors regularly work with the American Heart Association to correlate their Educational Kits with the Virginia Standards of Learning.
For information regarding the PHETE major, contact program coordinator Vonnie Colvin: colvinay@longwood.edu or 434.395.2452
Questions About Becoming a Teacher in PHETE?
Questions about becoming a teacher (pdf)
2011 PHETE Handbook (pdf)
Program Minors
Licensure or Certificate Only
The Virginia State Board of Education must approve all teacher preparation programs at colleges and universities within the Commonwealth of Virginia. As such, students should understand that the Commonwealth mandates many of the requirements of our teacher preparation program.
Students who complete teacher preparation in a state-approved program are eligible to apply for a teaching license. In Virginia, licensure is earned to teach both health and physical education from pre-kindergarten through grade 12. There is no separate certification to teach just Physical Education or just Health.
Licensure Requirements
Longwood will recommend a student for a Virginia teaching license if:
- A passing score is reported on PRAXIS II and the Virginia Communication and Literacy Assessment Test
- The grade in student teaching is A, B, C or Pass
- The overall grade point average is at least 2.50, and
- The grade point average for the professional semester is at least 2.75
Physical and Health Education Teacher Education Faculty
Allison (Vonnie) Colvin, B.S., M.S., M.Ed., Ed.D.
Professor of Physical Education
Program Coordinator
104K Willett
434.395.2452
colvinay@longwood.edu
Phil Gapinski, B.S., M.A., Ph.D
Assistant Professor of Health Education
B.S. in HPER
M.A. in Health Education
Ph.D. in Health Education
Certified Health Education Specialist
104N Willett Hall
434.395.2547
gapinskipa@longwood.edu
Donna Kanary, B.S., M.S., Ed.S.
Lecturer
114 Willett
434.395.2544
kanarydm@longwood.edu
Chrystyna Kosarchyn
Professor of Health Education
B.A. in Political Science
M.A. in Health Education
Ph.D. in Health Education
Certified Health Education Specialist
104H Willett Hall
434-395-2543
kosarchync@longwood.edu
Matt Lucas, B.S., M.Ed., Ed.D.
Associate Professor
205 Willett
434.395.2538
lucasmd@longwood.edu
Dr. Lucas' Website
Claire M. Mowling
Assistant Professor
104P Willett
434.395.2549
mowlingcm@longwood.edu
William Thomson, Ed.D.
Associate Professor
104F Willett
434.395.2935
thomsonwc@longwood.edu
