Should gym teachers want kids to play down?

I'm amused more than anything. I was emptying her backpack from all the crap she was bringing home from school. She had an invitation in there and I was trying to find it. When I spied this physical education report. I was curious so I read it.

I was quite amused to read her being marked down in the one area she should have exceled at. I simply figured the gym teacher didn't know her well and simply marked various items as it was his responsibility.

So out of curiousity and because I found it funny I pointed it out to her. I didn't think she would even know anything about it, but apparantely the gym teacher took it more seriously so she precisely why she was marked down.

I find it more amusing than upsetting - if read above you will notice other incidents with this gym teacher hiding things - so he sounds more like a jerk than anything.

You obviously do not have a child in competitive sports or you would realize how stupid it is to have them play as a lesser player than they are and if they really want to compete they should be doing the opposite.

If I was really upset I would have talked to the school - I am more curious as to the take on gym teachers making everyone equal and holding kids back rather than exceling - and if anyone else heard of anything so dumb before.

Actually, I did have a very athletic kid (now grown up) in competitive sports. A couple of years he was able to skip the gym requirement by being on a competitive team. This seemed fair.

There is a big difference between gym class and competitive sports. It seems to me that emphasizing equality and team play in gym class, while emphasizing excellence and competition on a sports team is a reasonable way to do things.

I wouldn't expect athletic excellence in a typical public school gym class. That is what school sports teams are for.