Today I've mostly bin...

[Bunnylump]

That conjures up quite an image, Giraffe!! It sounds like they have a good sense of humour!
I didn't think teachers still wore gowns. They did when I was at school, but that was about a million years ago!! It sounds very different to our school.

I've been in a science lesson today when the teacher ended up doing "musical science questions" for the kids (they had to go round answering questions and move when the music started), then we had them doing "Who wants to be a millionaire?" (they could "phone a friend" if they couldn't answer the question). The hysterical culmination of the lesson was when the science teacher had them all clapping each other, then "Miss", then the PE teacher (who was randomly there for no apparent reason). Of course when he asked them to clap HIM they all stayed silent and sniggered. He pretended to be upset and "punch" the burly PE teacher, but unfortunately the PE teacher automatically put his arms up to defend himself, and accidentally punched the Science teacher in the eye, sending him flying. I laughed until I cried.

[MBH]

Two great school stories - that's put a smile on my face.

Nice to know that some things never change - PE teachers are still bullies [Is it any wonder I've got no interest in sport or 'fitness' of any kind]

[Bunnylump]

Actually, I'm usually in agreement with that. Certainly most PE teachers seem to be sadists. However, this one is a lovely chap. (I think it says it all that he had a "free" period, and chose to come into the science lesson to help out with the bottom set kids).

[giraffe]

Sounds like chaos! (but fun)

I don't think they wear their gowns for anything except prizegiving, to give gravity to the occasion, which was why the choice of music was so bizarre.

[MBH]

Certainly most PE teachers seem to be sadists.

Whenever I think of PE teachers, the catchphrase that goes through my mind is "Heads Will Roll" - His name was Mr. Heads, and he was round

Thick, stock, rugby-player build plus a few layers of 'padding' - and on the football pitch he came in to tackle kids about Fernando's build like a ton of bricks Then in the Winter you'd see him sitting in his car at the half-way mark of the cross-country run - usually when there was more than 4 inches of snow (or slush) on the ground.

The idea was (I'm sure) that it would make us 'tough' and 'manly'. What it did for me was give me the idea that when I'm grown up and have a choice that I will damn well stay curled up in front of the fire and read a book!!!! And I have!

[Bunnylump]

I hated PE so much that I used to bunk off. ALL the time. So much so that when the PE mistress came to writing reports all she could write was "satisfactory", because she didn't know who I was!! I used to take myself off to the guitar teacher and play guitar, or to the library and hide in the corner with a book.

[SparkOut]

My daughter's best teacher was (he's still at the school and so is she, just that she doesn't have him this year, sadly) her maths teacher. Oddly, he started out as a PE teacher, and after an accident that left him with a bad limp he retook a degree in maths and retrained to teach that as his subject. He's helped my daughter no end and she has improved dramatically over the two years she had him for maths. He's the friendliest, brightest chap that really is a gifted teacher, knowing how to make everyone enthusiastic, build their confidence and can make them shine.

[Bunnylump]

That's true dedication, to retrain like that, isn't it? But clearly worth it -good maths teachers are like GOLD DUST.

We had a PE teacher when I was at school, who's still there now. One of my son's basketball team went to that school, and gave up the sport altogether after he forced him to train UNTIL HE WAS PHYSICALLY SICK. The real shame was he was a really talented player, who could easily have played for the England. (Another lad from my son's team IS on the England squad, and he's hoping to play at the Olympics in 2012).

[eirian]

I remember when we had a male supply PE teacher. We had to have another teacher supervising the changing areas (all girls school) of course, but the lessons themselves.... Well, we got to try out sports we hadn't otherwise tried - football and basketball spring to mind. Up to then, we'd only done tennis, netball and hockey - that's an all girls' school for you! So good to try the more 'male' sports!

I would have liked to take PE lessons seriously, but unfortunately, that just wasn't 'done'. Bit like how its now cool to be bad at maths, it just wasn't accepted amongst your peers to enjoy playing tennis... Ok, so I'm a lazy person, so it didn't actually take that much to persuade me to go along with the general lack of enthusiasm!

[Laura]

In the final two terms at my secondary school, just to try to get people to turn up to PE, you could do trampolining. The problem was there were 30 girls in a class, and two trampolines. You had to wait forever just to have a go. So the other option was to go to the other end of the sports hall and play badminton. This was nearly as boring, so my friend and I decided to change the rules a little. As well as having to hit the shuttlecock etc. on each turn, you had to say a word which started with the last two letters of the previous word. It made it much more challenging, because you had to actually think at the same time. That was always my problem with running and swimming etc. It's just too boring!

[Bunnylump]

Oh, I'm with you there, Laura. That's why I like walking. There's so much more time to take in the countryside and enjoy it, and of course you can have a really good chat at the same time!!

[fernando]

I think PE teachers are being a bit more adventurous. I know that later on in the year, I am doing volleyball and I believe that kingsley is doing fencing

[Bunnylump]

Just as long as the fencing doesn't get practiced at home with a sharp stick!!

[clvrlad]

strange first time ive heard diy called a sport
we didnt do fencing but we had lots of others including the spear chucking...

[giraffe]

One of the PE staff at K's school has gone on maternity leave, and instead of getting a spare PE teacher they are getting assorted specialists in for a term eg fencing! Sounds like an imaginative use of time and staff.

Although it's a girls school they do cricket, rugby, football as well as the usual rounders, netball, hockey etc. In fact that is one of the benefits of an all girls school it's not a case of boys do rugby, girls do netball. The girls get a look in at the "boys activities"

[clvrlad]

well i for one enjoyed played netball at highschool :-p

we only did for one term though :-p

[eirian]

giraffe - mind was an all girls and we got no chance at anything other than standard girls sports until they got the male supply teacher. Mind you, we only got to do cooking and sewing rather than woodwork as well... just not fair! (It was otherwise an excellent school, and I wouldn't have wanted to go to a mixed school at all)

[giraffe]

Mine was all girls and we only played cricket once, with the PE teacher stood there holding a book telling her how to play! Footy and rugby were off the menu too. I think things have changed a bit since our day.

[Biscuit]

In the final two terms at my secondary school, just to try to get people to turn up to PE,

In our final year at school we could swop sports for community services. I chose helping out at a local infant school.

I had chicken pox and german measles within 3 weeks of each other.

Biscuit

[SparkOut]

I thought it was a great skive when I was at school that after 5th form Wednesday afternoons were "games" time and with appropriate supervision anything appropriately "physical" was allowed, so some elected to do swimming for instance, while others did the usual rugby or cricket, etc. I did golf. Never got very good, and have played probably 3 or 4 times since I left school, until Monkey had his birthday lesson a couple of weeks ago and I joined in.
A few year's later Mrs S's cousin was doing things like ten pin bowling (being paid for by the school as a curricular sporting activity!) instead of "real" sports.