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Message: [QUOTE="RSHERMVIKES, post: 2247290, member: 2251"] I taught Elementary Physical Education from 1970 to 2000. The first 3 years in MO and the last 27 in East Lyme, CT. I was also the HS Wrestling coach and I "coached" Physical Education, I didn't teach it! I was as tough and hard-nose as any teacher in the system! I rarely smiled during classes and geared my classes to teaching them varied activities with emphasis on student safety. I came down the hardest on those that did something without thinking that wound up hurting another student! A day or two before the last day, classes came by to say goodbye and they always had questions to ask me, the best one, was a 4th grade class asked me if I had any teeth? I taught them through Kindergarten 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grades and they never saw me smile once! I showed them my teeth and explained that in 27 years in East Lyme I had 2 kids get hurt, one girl was doing pushups slipped and chipped a tooth on the floor, and the other was a girl who tripped going over a low hurdle and landed wrong breaking her wrist! I asked them if they remembered seeing a student in class or on the playground doing something stupid that hurt themselves or another student and they all shook their heads yes, telling me what they saw. I said I felt I had an obligation to send them home as they came to school that morning, on their feet! When I see kids I taught back then and are in their 20's or 30's or older, I am amazed that they tell me I was one of their favorite teachers and they loved coming to my gym 2x a week! They say they knew I cared and I was tough but fair to all the students! It really made me feel good that the kids appreciated my actions! Kids want structure and discipline as long as it's fairly applied! [/QUOTE]

Verification: First name of men's bb coach