I Have A Teaching Story For Ya... [View all]

[WillyT]

I taught from 1981 to 1989. 8th GRADE, CORE Class (English, U.S. History, American Literature, Spelling, Grammar, etc...)

But as I was becoming a teacher, I did a lot of student-teaching, met a LOT of great teachers, and had this unusual experience....

As I was helping out my former mentor teachers, on days I did not get called in to be a substitute...

You were required to wake up early and wait by the phone...

I was witness to the following series of events...

The teachers I was helping out were, as I said, my former mentors, they were young, energetic, and were put in the position of teaching Advanced Placement Classes.

They were really good at what they did, and their kids almost always ended up going to the best colleges.

But... one day the Gym/P.E. Teacher came in and asked one of my mentors if they could identify any Advanced Placement kids in their P.E. classes.

They said sure... but also asked why.

According to coach... there were a couple of kids who would never dress for P.E., would sit on the sidelines in every sport, and he was nice enough to give a "C" or "D" (Passing Grade) to them for not meeting the expectations of the classroom curriculum.

When he gave out those grades... the parents went ape-shit.

"How are OUR kids going to get into the best schools when YOU'VE ruined their GPAs ???"

They called the teacher, he explained his reasons... they called the principal, she re-explained his reasons... then...they called the District Office...

The District Office directed the Principal to rescind those grades... upwards... the Principal directed the Coach to rescind those grades... upwards.

So the coach said he was going to come to all the Advanced Placement Classes, at the start of every school year from now on, and give them all "A"'s in P.E., for the rest of the year... from now until he retired.

And although I might have dealt with it differently... I sure as hell understood his decision.