Fit to Teach: Uncovering the Hiring Process

The purpose of this article is to share qualitative findings about a study that examined the factors that school leaders value when hiring physical education teachers. A second objective is to discuss the categories and themes that emerged through focus group interviews with school leaders, current PE teachers, recent physical education graduates, and Physical Education Teacher Education (PETE) students. Finally, tips and suggestions are provided for individuals who are involved in the hiring process or looking for physical education teaching positions. The results of the focus group interviews generated four themes: 1) job application criteria, 2) interview factors, 3) hiring concerns in physical education, and 4) mixed responses on “weight matters”.