One Bad Teacher
The destructive influence of a single individual
It’s amazing the negative repercussions a single bad teacher can have on your life. Normally I don’t waste time reflecting on dark moments from the past, but a recent conversation with my brother brought to mind memories of my high school physical education teacher.
Mr. R was the assistant football coach, and he obviously patterned his mannerisms on Mike Ditka. He used to prowl the sidelines on Friday night, hugging himself and growling. He persisted with the absurd pantomime even though he didn’t have many responsibilities to the team and it was obvious nobody listened to him. There’s nothing more pathetic than a middle-aged man desperate for the attention of high school athletes.
Gym class was a different story, and there R made it clear that his authority reigned supreme. Anyone unfortunate enough to have him as an instructor could count on enduring his wrath as he exercised his personal frustrations. At some point, somebody should have stepped in and told the guy that he taught gym. The purpose was to get kids to run a lap, not destroy their lives.
GPA
I grew up in a small town of 2,000 people and graduated 6th out of a class of 106. In my rural community, football was about the only way that you could distinguish yourself…
