“We’re Just Gym Teachers”

”Let’s bring our coffee and sit over here.”

”Yeah, no one will miss me at my table.”

”Mine either. It’s not that I mind really. It’s just the way they talk together as if I’m not even there.”

”Or that we should just keep our opinions to ourselves because we’re ”Just the Gym teacher” and don’t know Jack shit.”

”Oh yeah and they don’t think we’re Real teachers like they are.”

”They don’t even count us as being a teacher at all and think we don’t have a degree.”

”At my school they’ve lumped me in with Art, Library, and Music and call us “The Specials.””

”Our principal tried to call us ‘Clamps’ because we “clamp and hold things together.” But it never took off and we reverted back to being called the Specials.

”Our Art teacher made up these cool tee shirts for just the Specials teachers that spell out GLAM in neon green. We wear them on dress down days and no one has the guts to ask us what GLAM means.“

“What does it mean? ”

”Gym, Library, Art, Music_GLAM” The noses up in the air teachers can’t even figure out an anagram.

“Our teachers call themselves “Educators” as if the word makes them more important.“

”You’re a teacher for goodness sake, not some fancy schmancy title.”

”I know! How ‘bout when you get a parent who is or was a teacher. Those are the ones to look out for.”

”I totally agree! They know Everything because they’re Educators.”

“There’s that title again.”

”Sheesh! I had one parent send me an email as long as an Epistle why his son couldn’t do sprints. For Pete’s sake, the kids would sprint for 1 stinkin’ minute at the beginning of class. He made it sound like I was making them run the whole class.”

”These kids go home and whine to their parents about how the “mean gym teacher made them run for hours” ”

”Or they cry. I’ve had kids cry. One kid cries whenever she’s tagged or out in Any game. This is a 4th grader. Doesn’t matter that she’s going back in the game after she does 5 jumping jacks.”

”That’s terrible! You‘re such a meanie! I can top that. I had a Kindergartener tell me she didn’t want to play the game because she “didn’t like it” I wanted to tell her there’s going to be a hellova lot things you’re not going to like about school so suck it up and do it anyway.”

One of my Kindergarteners stood against the wall and watched us play the whole time because he didn’t want to get his gym shoes dirty.”

”How about this lame ass Speaker?”

”I am So sick of this classroom drivel that we have to listen through. Not even relevant for us.”

”There’s never anything for us P.E. teachers. I want to stick a knife in my head it’s so boring!”

“Yeah. Do you remember the time when the Diocese sent us to a tennis presentation?”

”That was before I started teaching. When was that?”

”Bout 15 years ago. Man, that was the Best! We all had fun and really learned so many different activities. Now I teach the kids tennis every year and they love it.”

”I wish they would do something like that for us again. Are you Ever going to use “How to set up your classroom to get optimum learning“ ?”

“No way, and when I do have to use a classroom because I’ve been kicked out of my gym, the teacher tells me “Don’t mess up my room or don’t break anything.”

“That sucks. How often do you get kicked out of your gym?”

”Once a month when the Senior Citizens take it over. So I pray for a nice day that isn’t rainy, snowy, or too cold to take them outside. The kids don’t want to go outside though.”

”I get it from our kids too. When I say we’re going outside they act as if I said we were going to the moon.“

”I get the Looks like I’ve got horns growing out of my head.”

”How about when you get them outside? It’s either too cold, too hot”

“Too sunny, too windy”

”Too muggy, too buggy.”

”These kids are like hot house plants. They live in their houses and do nothing but games on their computer.”

”Or phone.”

”Try to get a kid to look at you or carry on a conversation.”

“Mine hand me a note as they come in and say nothing.”

”Are these the mommy notes?

”Yup! They can’t participate in gym today because they have a sore toe or finger or twisted their ankle the night before.“

”Then you see them running around playing during Recess.”

”Exactly! How ‘bout the parents who send their kids in sick?

”When I was doing morning door duty, I watched as a kid threw up on the sidewalk on the way into school and the parent brought them in anyway. “

”And they say we’re mean.”

”A 5th grader stood in front of me and just puked on the gym floor at my feet. I felt like I was in a Harry Potter movie and I was Professor Snape.“

”Too bad you couldn’t give him a month’s worth of detentions.”

”I wish.

”What grades do you teach?”

”K through 8.”

”You’re lucky. I have to teach Preschool through 8th. Some of those Pre-Ks are only 3 years old and can’t even speak.“

”What do you do with them?”

”We run a lot. One peed on the floor as they were running. From one end line to the other end line. Didn’t say a word. I found it after they all left. Thank goodness I have them only a half hour.”

”OyVay! We either get kids who don’t want to play or the ones who play like they’re trying out for the Olympics.”

”I have a tee shirt that has ‘Calm Down It’s P.E. Not The Olympics’ on the front.“

”That’s cool.”

”How’s your principal?”

”She thinks she’s the cutest thing in shoe leather and believes P.E. is a waste of time. So she cut it down to one day.”

”That stinks. ”

”Yeah, she’s nuts. How’s your principal?”

”She’s great! She used to be a P.E.teacher so she gets it.”

”Do you eat lunch with the other teachers?”

”Nah. There is way too much drama going on. Where do you eat lunch?”

”In my office. I just can’t listen to the shopping and decorating stories anymore. I’ve never been into that.”

”One time when I did eat in the lounge, I tried to talk about this book I’d been reading and some looked at me as if they were surprised I could read.”

“We’re not barbarians.”

“Yeah, we clean up well!”

“Maybe we should be getting back.”

”Yeah, I think they’re winding down.”

”Nice talking with you.”

”Yeah, you too!”

”I’ll look you up at the next Institute.”

”Don’t let those people get you down because we both know, we are more than “Just the gym teacher.””