The Saddest Thing

[maudeispam 2]

On my way home from work this morning I passed the middle school. The P.E./Gym class was running laps around the school building and acreage. Most of the teens were in healthy (skinny) form and seemed to be keeping a good pace. The instructor (firm & fit) sounded like a drill sergeant screaming at the kids. At the tail end of the line were two heavy set (one was morbidly obese) boys. :think They were doing all they could do to keep up. I wanted to cry. I wanted to stop the car and deck the instructor, :couch2: I wanted to stop and tell those boys don't give up hope and things will get better. :clap2: I was those boys all through my school career, school was hell being the FAT kid. :cry Any thoughts or comments?

[Vera 7]

I don't want to talk about school, I was misrable.

If I could sue the district I wouild for all the pain, harasment, bulling and just plain suffering.

I know that the school my kids are in now have a code of conduct that everyone must follow.

[nightingale2u 42]

I had to go in and talk to my daughter's principal last year due to something that was happening in her P.E. class. (7th grade) THe first two weeks of school I kep asking specific questions about each teacher and how she was feeling about her classes... when it came to P.E. she would look down and avoid my questions. My DD is slim but she has certainly been made fun of for being different and she is very sensative and kind. I finally asked her if she was having a problem in P.E. and she told me this....

Mom... we were running laps the other day and there were two boys that were way behind. We all sat down and waited for them to finish and our teacher started asking us to chant "slugs" "slugs" "slugs" until they finsihed. She said it made her feel horrible even though she didn't do what was asked of her. She is not athletic and it also scared her half to death that is she came in last this would be done to her. She then said... they were all doing different activities and her teacher looked around and stated... "Well... I guess I know which kids are getting As and which are getting Fs... again... my daughter was horrified as she was not doing well in some of the activities at that moment. THEN... the same boys were not doing well on another day and she asked the whole class to think up their punishment????? HOLY %$#... at this point I nearly blew a gasket!

Needless to say... there was a BIG discussion at school and this very young teacher was leaking big tears when trying to explain her behavior to the principal. She apparently was having trouble with these boys and was thinking that peer pressure might straighten them out... she really didn't realize how another child might take it OR that she was encouraging children to be bullies.

Anyhoo... I think that as adults it is out job to teach our children to be kind and actively make sure they are living what they are being taught. I was so proud of my daughter... she was petrified that her teacher was going to hate her but she did the right thing. Her teacher was VERY nice to her the rest of the year.

[Teresita 0]

I'm with Vera I don't even want to discuss gym.

Maudispan feel free to call the school principal anonymously and let them know what you saw and the other options should have been to walk. I'm sure that is some of my pain talking.

[barbara465 2]

People are so cruel and just because they are teachers doesn't exempt them. Speak out now and maybe save those boys from harrassment. It's cruel out there and everyone needs to learn compasion and tolerance. That teacher needs to be asked "how does that help" and what's a better way to motivate.

[shellyj. 0]

i had a drill sargeant type PE coach and my parents forced me to play basketball on her team.

yeah...life was hell.

i eventually just quit basketball but that made PE even harder. the witch had it out for me!

[Tired_Old_Man 1]

People of weight (we shouldn't say FAT) need to exercise.

Yes, teachers can be cruel.

But I wish my parents had taught me good eating habits. I had no trouble in P/E but many people of weight did. We need PE instructors who are not x-jocks or wanna-be jocks. We need P/E instructors who have training.

But most school districts would rather save the money. Many school districts have dropped P/E from 5 times a week to 3 or 1 or ZERO times a week.

The most exercise many people of weight get is "game boy".

Our next American generation of children will be markedly different than this generation by the sizes of their thumbs. It will surpass the heart as the strongest muscle in the body.

Yes, I am a wise-guy, but we must help our children with more than just their egos. Teachers like the one mentioned in the opening post must go. But we have to willing to expend tax dollars. Maybe even pay more taxes. Pardon me for using filthy language.

[nursekathy2u 0]

I'm with Vera I don't even want to discuss gym.

Maudispan feel free to call the school principal anonymously and let them know what you saw and the other options should have been to walk. I'm sure that is some of my pain talking.

I dont know about that.. to single them out and make them walk would almost make it worse... "look at the fatties having to walk!!" I can hear it now.. I just dont know what the solution is...

[oneflew 0]

We all know that obesity is a national problem, and it's starting younger and younger. But just as adults trying to start up a program, you have to start small so that you dont burn out. If they told everyone before you entered the aerobics class that you had to perform exactly as the instructor did and couldnt leave mid class, then how many people would go in? I think that everyone should have the option to walk, or jog walk. I think that pe coaches should be motivators, not humiliators. I was very athletic in all the sports, so I never experienced this as a child, but gosh I would think it would stay with you a long time. Shame on those teachers/coaches. :couch2:

[Tired_Old_Man 1]

Has anyone noticed that as soon as the USA get's a foothold in a country and McDonald's, et all, start opening restaurants, that the health of the people of that nation goes down while the weight goes up?

We are sacrificing our children at the alter of marketing and profits.

[Margo 0]

I believe that just because someone has a teaching degree, this does not

make one a teacher!!! Case in point.....

[MyKdsDad 1]

Yeah, I think school was probably hell for most everybody. The fat kids, the short skinny kids (me), the slow learners, the over achievers, the cheerleaders and the athletes. All of these have their own ingrained strife. Get skinny, get bigger, learn faster, don't fail....and on and on and on. All we can do is try to help our own kids to get through it. Hold them while they cry and kick butt when we have to. Our kids are 24 and 25....

[Northernsun 4]

These are the kind of things that stick with you a life time. They don't help with a persons self image, the don't make that person run home and tell their parents they want to diet and eat right, it justs makes things worse. I am 53 yrs old and I can still remember how i felt when we were doing a room decoration for a parents day when i was in 3rd grade. It was a mural going around the room of the circus. I can still hear the teacher announcing my name as being responsible for making the fat lady and all the kids laughing. You do not forget these things and I was hoping that with a new awareness of being "politically correct" this would not be a problem with the people in charge of our children. I guess I was wrong.....

[maudeispam 2]

Thanks for all the heartfelt and honest opinions and thoughts. It's nice to know I am not the only person in this cruel world who has compassion for her/his fellow man.

[BigGirlPantiez 1]

Schools offer tutors in math and reading, why not PE? It is truly a life skill I wish I woudl have learned. More health classes should be focused on nutrition, or make nutrition a part of the curriculm. They coudl even scare kids and show them some of the stuff that Dr. OZ showed Oprah.

Do you remember the Presidential Fitness testing - ugh!!