General Chat

I love all of your anecdotes. The only thing I don't like about Pe ios cross-country and dancing. I mean why are we doing dancing in PE?? lol. We have to do it every year to practise for the school dance which I don't go to anyway and it bores me. I don't like cross-country because grumpy teachers make us do cross-country while they just record times and drive around the course in their cars. One day we had to go out in a hail storm! Some of the teachers do take part ( the younger ones), but the others are too old and unfit to do it! lol. Well this is the last year I have to do PE! Thank God for that! lol :-) Lucia

I have fond memories of many of my teachers, although there were a couple of real GITS. There was a chap called Bundy, who frankly was a complete A**hole. As for sports teachers, I wasn't particularly talented in any sport, but was always enthusiastic, so didn't incurr the wrath of any teachers.. The was one that wasn't universally popular, but I liked him, a chap called Hunter.. imagine my surprise when I saw him on Sky Sports recently - he's head coach of the England under 18 football team (or something along those lines).

yeah was a bit of a bugger.he use to make us lap around the field and wasn't satisfied with our performance until we were crawling back on all foursxxxxx(:

Deanna - it was parents like you who helped to make the job rewarding. There were always, and please God, always WILL be, mums and dads who share in the life of the school community in some way. Not everyone has a lot of time to give but the occasional friendly contact means a lot. You are perfectly correct. Some teachers had/have few 'people' skills and probably should not be in a classroom. My own experience tells me that they seldom last long, as the job simply becomes impossible without such skills. I always said that once I ceased to enjoy teaching, I would stop as it was not fair to the children, or to myself. Well, I stopped a year ago, as I felt I was getting too old and out of touch, but I don't regret the years I spent working with children. I only regret the poor standing given to teachers in the public eye. Sorry to get hot under the collar - I don't usually

I have great admiration for my PE teacher, she was disabled by polio and yet still galloped around the field teaching us hockey. She was brilliant and an inspiration. Today i work in a school and believe you me, we have to have policies on EVERYTHING, Even a policy on writing a policy...YEP! Teachers are scared witless of the thought of being sued for doing their job, that the job just doesn't get done properly anymore. I truly believe the cane should never have been abolished - if you deserved it you got it, if you behaved you didn't and that was the top and bottom of it. These days kids get away with what they want - they have no respect because they think they have nothing to fear. Jess x

I was never away from the schools! I had a good relationship with the teachers and helped alot at school. That does not mean I was blind to the fact that, there were teachers who should not be there. Just as there are doctors, nurses, shop keepers,policemen/women, or any other job you care to mention, who should not be there. The sad fact is that there are people who are NOT good with people! Deanna

Also, another pet whinge, is the number of people who believe their children over the teacher. It is OK for lots of parents to whinge about kids not being disciplined, yet when teachers try, a lot of parents come down on them like a ton or bricks. Elect me for dicatator (I mean PM!!) and we would have the best teachers in the world :)

Also in defence of teachers, I think the amount they get paid is an abosolute scandal. The most important person to me is my wife, followed by my daughter. I hate to think of all the people who don't become teachers because the money isn't enough, and the people who do become teachers because the money is better than anything else they can get. Personally, I think the people who are going to have a massive impact on the life of my daughter should be upstanding, educated, patient, and great teachers. We need to make the rewards enough to ensure that we have thousands more 'would-be' teachers than places. That way only the best get chosen for the profession. Many teachers are great, but I think a lot of the great ones eventually leave..

In defence of teachers everywhere ....did you ever have really nasty students/parents? I am sick to death of the constant slagging off of the profession. Yes I WAS a teacher, and worked my guts out for years trying to make sure the kids in my care got the best I could offer. Overwhelmed with public praise and thanks for my efforts? You've got to be kidding. I usually bite my tongue when I see public attacks on my profession. Sure, there are the occasional bad apples - as in any profession. Who hasn't been patronised by some doctor/nurse/ social worker etc etc. But most of the people I've worked with have been hard working, caring people who put their hands in their own pockets to help out needy kids. It wouldn't hurt as much if people were as ready to give praise as they are to criticise, but it is much more common practice for people to slander the teacher from outside the school gate than to come inside and share a conversation about what should matter most to them both - the kids.

One of our PE teachers ran off with a student and they are still together now!

its that long ago Lucia, I can't remember....

I've never met a NICE PE teacher. In my own school years or my childrens. They have a great knack of putting even athletic' minded children off PE. Deanna

i had awful pe teachers! oh it makes me shudder just thinking about it! they made me play hockey! i hate hockey! they made me do cross country while freezing my arse off, anything actually! i hated them all! they were really on a losing battle with me... but more than that i hated country dance at christmas! boy turn to pick the girls!!!! aaarrrgggghhh!

Sorry to say I had a wonderful PE teacher. so much in fact it's what I wanted to do. I stayed on at school until 18. but unfortunatley my dad was so ill I wouldn't go to college... something I really regret. I had a friend who went to Dunstable as a PE teacher. Pat

I have a twin brother, and the same PE teacher taught us for three years before she saw us together and realised we were twins. She thought there was just one of us who really liked PE!!

Mags Our school was in Fareham, Hampshire. Perhaps the register and communal showers was the norm. back in 1960s. We had no checking though.

Oh yes Mrs Mitchell..... witch from hell!! She used to think it was OK to slap girls across the back of the legs on a freezing cold wednesday afternoon!! Well one day she hit me once too many times.... suffice to say i got suspended by telling, or should I say SCREAMING obsenities at her!! Oops!!

Gwyn - you didn't go to a school in Dunstable by any chance did you? - same gym kit same 'shower routine' After our very first PE lesson at the school - we were made to go into the shower one by one in front of the rest of the class!! - I suppose the idea was that it would make us less shy about showing our bodies - it didn't!! It was excruciatingly embarrassing and had quite the opposite effect. Over 40 years on it still rankles. And as for that 'register' - did you ever have the front of your drawers pulled out and peered down to check to see if you were telling the truth??? I don't think that would be tolerated today do you?? Magsxx

I think all PE teachers are nasty lol I was always last on cross country, hated getting muddy from hockey, couldn't run, couldn't throw and only loved netball INSIDE!! lol Much happiness Debi

No, not nasty but sometimes sarcastic. I went to an all girls school, did gym in a T shirt and grey interlock knickers, ( very smart?!!) Afterwards we were expected to have a shower in the communal showers, which was always a rush and there were obviously some 'days' when we didn't want to do this. That was OK but the teacher kept a register, marked accordingly and was forever commenting about some girls' very irregular cycles. The people who really put us through it were the keen trainee PE teachers. They found so many weird and wonderful exercises for us to do that our muscles ached for days and we could all be seen struggling up and down the staircases.