An increasing number of urban school districts hire alternatively-certified teachers for many subject areas including physical education. Although there are many challenges for elementary classroom teachers who gain certification to teach physical education, these teachers' ability to apply previously acquired cognitive strategies may facilitate their students' learning in physical education. Constructivist approaches to teaching and learning suggest that alternatively-certified teachers construct their understanding of teaching within a “new” content area, in part, based upon their previous teaching experiences. Thus, they are applying pedagogical content knowledge learned as a classroom teacher in the physical education environment (Rovegno, 2003). The purpose of this ethnographic case study was to examine the impact of a concept-based fitness curriculum on the delivery of physical education by a former elementary classroom teacher in her first year of teaching physical education in a large, urban elementary school. Multiple lesson observations served as a basis for three focus group interviews with third through fifth grade students. In addition to interviewing the alternatively-certified physical educator, her traditionally-certified colleague was also interviewed. Data were analyzed using open and axial coding and triangulated across data sources. One salient theme that emerged from the data is that of “pedagogical carry-over”; that is, the impact of the teacher's previous (other certification) training on lesson instruction. By applying pedagogical strategies she learned and practiced as a classroom teacher, such as checking for understanding, the teacher was able to monitor student progress and adjust her instruction accordingly. For example, her use of “open-ended, versus yes/no questions” to discern students' understanding of key concepts was one strategy common to both settings. The teacher also used probing and follow-up questions such as “…What made you think that? and Can you give me an example?” as students performed activities and completed written worksheets, in order to facilitate the thinking of all students in the class (not only the targeted student). Further, when she determined that students did not understand, she individually guided their thinking to help them solve the problem. Data from both teacher and students suggest that checking for understanding strategies which this teacher constructed and honed while teaching in the elementary classroom were successfully “carried over” and applied in her new physical education context, therefore facilitating her students' learning. Understanding this “carry-over” effect may assist in determining the most beneficial coursework for classroom teachers who seek certification to teach elementary physical education.Keyword(s): curriculum, elementary issues, professional preparation