Classroom Foundations

The Boston School of Physical Education and its successors adopted a holistic approach to the teaching of physical education and physical therapy. All curricular components functioned as an integrated unit just as students were expected to exemplify a balanced character and the highest attainments of their profession. For physical education students, teaching in local grade schools provided the opportunity to test the principles of their classroom education. Many students also obtained their first jobs through these experiences.

Class and lab work balanced lessons in the School’s gymnasium. Instructors expected students to understand the mechanics of the body so courses in anatomy and physiology appeared alongside pedagogy classes and a full liberal arts curriculum. While all students initially completed laboratory exercises, these courses became part of the physical therapy curriculum alone when Bouvé affiliated with Tufts. Because Bouvé students served as models of healthy living, they also received lessons in the principles of health education.