You know

[yendi]

When the comment from the PE teacher on your daughter's mid-term report is, "social responsibility is inconsistent," that's a little like the high school equivalent of being on Nixon's enemies list, and the sort of thing that convinces me she's doing something right.

Needless to say, her comments from her real teachers are all raves.

Oh, and yes, I'm sure there are good K-12 gym teachers out there, just as there are good debt collectors, TSA employees, and televangelists out there. I haven't met any yet (don't get me started on the ones I dealt with growing up), and this one's the stereotype of the genre, right down to being a sub-literate bully.

Comments

[spoothbrush.livejournal.com]

At my 10th reunion, I learned that one of my high school gym teachers took in one of my classmates for a few months when my classmate's parents kicked her out after she came out of the closet. Some of my gym teachers were still mindbendingly awful (and there were rumors that the reason why we didn't have a senior trip anymore was because in 1979 one of our gym teachers fathered one of my classmates on said senior trip, and everyone who knew that guy found this rumor eminently believable) but I still have to point out Skiba when the topic of K-12 gym teachers is raised.

I didn't get along well with gym teachers overall (at one point in 8th grade I had a screaming argument with one over whether or not I was in fact faking my ineptitude with a lacrosse stick) but this piece of knowledge actually made me feel a bit better about my high school, in hindsight.

[yendi]

Noted, and that really is wonderful. Alas, not a one of the bullies I dealt with -- and yes, they're exactly the creatures that schools claim that they don't tolerate -- ever even hinted that they were capable of compassion.

[spoothbrush.livejournal.com]

Yeah, this could completely be the proverbial exception that proves the rule. But I still am glad to know that this exception exists.

[arielstarshadow.livejournal.com]

Alas, I didn't have a single decent gym teacher in my early school career, either.

[arielstarshadow.livejournal.com]

I... OK, I don't even know what that means, in the context of GYM CLASS?!?!

[yendi]

Nor do we. Have I mentioned that the gym teachers I've dealt with are as intelligent as they are compassionate?

[arielstarshadow.livejournal.com]

I suppose it would be considered inappropriate to send an Email/letter that simply says "WTF does that even mean?!"

[graceo.livejournal.com]

I imagine it means that the gym teacher selected the incorrect numerical code when inserting the comment.

I imagine that an email to the teacher with a polite query about the substance of this concern would yield interesting results.

[spacehawk.livejournal.com]

I had some very nice PE teachers growing up (and then in high school, the guy we had was meh). I was always terrible at PE, but the teachers were very nice.

[tru2myart.livejournal.com]

What the frickin' frack does that even mean?!? Social responsibility in gym class??!!?? Are they implying that she's not doing enough to collect sweaty sports socks for jocks in need?

[spoothbrush.livejournal.com]

Maybe it means that like in volleyball she is not being a team player because she is too busy running away from things that fly at her head. (OK, that was me, but it definitely made me not a team player.)

[vschanoes.livejournal.com]

she is too busy running away from things that fly at her head.

aka BEING A SENSIBLE HUMAN BEING.

[greylistening.livejournal.com]

THANK YOU!

[greylistening.livejournal.com]

YES! That was me, too. My teachers were always yelling at me, "Step into the ball!" I'd think, "Are you NUTS???"

[yendi]

That was exactly it! Her teacher has chewed her out for exactly that, and attempted her own form of triggery "aversion therapy." Spoiler: The teacher has no training in any form of therapy.

[vschanoes.livejournal.com]

What the hell is socially responsible about being hit in the head with a ball?

[spoothbrush.livejournal.com]

Did the teacher use the words "aversion therapy"? If so, you probably have grounds for using the words "giant freakin' lawsuit".

[yendi]

Not as far as I know; that was Elayna's term. It was definitely the concept, but I don't have any reason to believe this person knows the word "aversion."

[vschanoes.livejournal.com]

I'm sure there are good K-12 gym teachers out there

I have to say that I only ever knew one. One. ONE. The rest of them can all go pound sand.

[yendi]

I found some good ones in college. Of course, in college, folks could choose not to take their courses.

[michaeldthomas.livejournal.com]

Grr...

At least this awful teacher didn't muck up the college or graduation stuff.

[yendi]

Believe me, we've made it clear to the headmaster that there will be hell to pay if this troglodyte threatens either of those.

[michaeldthomas.livejournal.com]

Yes, I believe I heard something about that. :)

[losgunna.livejournal.com]

I had a couple of gym teachers that weren't awful. That said, my favorite gym teacher was a total sexist prick, but it worked out well for the girls. Boys, go run 20 laps, girls run 10. He really was a nice guy, he just fully believed that women weren't as physically capable as men, and while normally I would fully disabuse any guy of that notion, it worked well for me in a gym teacher.

This was my senior year of high school, and I had put off my gym requirement until the last semester. Halfway through the semester, I started dating a guy the gym teacher knew from the football team. Twice I skipped gym class, with permission from the gym teacher, so I could go work on a physics lab (and oh, hey, guess who was in physics class at that point?), and I just flat skipped class 4 times, knowing that I could have 4 unexcused absences without losing credit for the class. Something got messed up, though, and I got the dreaded notification that I was losing credit because I'd skipped 5 times. Went to the gym teacher, he blamed it on his own loose attendance taking, and gave me credit for all 5 classes, and any others I missed.

Probably helped, too, that I was the only girl who didn't piss and moan during class, and that I could leg press 500 :)

[raidingparty.livejournal.com]

Weird. I don't remember them at all. Must not have been important.

I do know both the soccer coaches at Druid Hills, Mary Mecom and Mike Nance (aka "tight pants") were excellent teachers of English and History, respectively, but I don't know if they taught PE as well.