Vent about calling a classroom teacher "Coach"

[missypie]

When I was in school, the coaches all taught Drivers Ed. I always wondered what the coaches teach now, since the schools around here don't teach Driver's Ed. Well, DS started high school yesterday and I have my answer...they teach Freshman Biology and Geometry!

We got the syllabus from each class...each one starts out with "Hi. My name is Coach XXX" as if "coach" is their first name. The kids - in Biology and Geometry - are supposed to call these guys Coach XXX. That drives me nuts. They aren't the Coach of Geometry or Biology.

Pardon the vent on our sports oriented high schools.

 

[monarchsfan16]

I had the football coach for sociology this year. Some kids called him Coach, some called him Mr. XXX. One of the gym teachers is another football coach; he's called Coach XXX almost exclusively. If they like that title I guess I have no problem calling them by it. It's more respectful to call them by what they like. And yup, high school's are sports oriented, but it seems like America is sports oriented too. I'd be more concerned about whether they can actually teach the material than what they want to be called. Most of the coaches who were also teachers at my school taught the "easy A" classes. And yes, sociology was one of them.

 

[Cindy B]

I'm guessing you live in Texas!

Here, in the NE, football is so NOT the thing. In fact our football is laughable.

That being said, I had the wrestling coach as a Psychology/Sociology teacher in high school. Only the wrestlers called him Coach XXX, but other non wrestlers called him Mr. XXX.

 

[Galahad]

If Coach XXX were a good teacher of History or what every then my kids can call him Brunhilde as far as I'm concerned. Doesn't bother be if he's called coach if he/she actually can teach.

 

[missypie]

I'm guessing you live in Texas!

Here, in the NE, football is so NOT the thing. In fact our football is laughable.

That being said, I had the wrestling coach as a Psychology/Sociology teacher in high school. Only the wrestlers called him Coach XXX, but other non wrestlers called him Mr. XXX.

Darned straight I live in Texas. DS has Asperger's Syndrome and we've always been given a home set of books as one of his accomodations ... Sorry, can't do that this year - not enough books...BUT they are going to put artificial turf on the football PRACTICE fields. (OF course, the stadium already has it.)

 

[VickiVM]

Yep, must be a Texas thing - our coaches are highly revered! (JFTR, we don't do sports except SAN ANTONIO SPURS!!) But when we went to my son's middle school orientation last week there were two 6th grade teachers with similar names - Wahls and Wall. One of them is the girls volleyball and basketball coach so in order to keep them straight the coach is referred to as "Coach Walls" (or the other way around).

 

[Bob Slydell]

Our HS Basketball coach (and later Athletic Director) was one of our history teachers. Why? Because he had a Master's in History. He just happened to also be an excellent basketball coach. Just because someone coaches, it doesn't make them uneducated in academic areas.

 

[tar heel]

Well, a lot of coaches really are teachers first. My sons have had a lot of them and most have been no better or worse than other teachers. A couple of exceptions . . . My younger son had the athletic director for Honors English. Because she was at some kind of game every afternoon and evening, it wasn't unusual for her to take a month to get papers back. The big paper counted almost half the grade and kids went for most of November and December not knowing whether they had done well or poorly. Not a good situation at all. She also had the reputation of being the HARDEST of the sophomore English teachers gradewise.

On the other hand, my older son's U.S. History teacher coached a varsity sport and was probably one of the strongest teachers he had at a really good high school. He was called "Mr." in history class.

 

[missypie]

Our HS Basketball coach (and later Athletic Director) was one of our history teachers. Why? Because he had a Master's in History. He just happened to also be an excellent basketball coach. Just because someone coaches, it doesn't make them uneducated in academic areas.

Granted. Fine. But why are kids who will never be coached by him supposed to call him coach? It's like these guys are broadcasting that their first priority is coaching.

 

[Galahad]

One of the best History lecturers at the college I went to was a basketball coach. He was definitely called "coach".

 

[kasar]

Artificial turf for high school? Those poor knees, wait till they hit 35.

The only teacher we have around here that wants to be called Coach happens to be the gym teacher, so no biggie. Weird, in other classes but I guess if he's a good teacher I'd let it go.

 

[Jenn]

Well, at our high school there are teachers who also happen to be coaches for various sports. But, they were teachers first and coaches second. It's not like they were coaching and someone said, "Hey, wanna teach a bio class?"

We had a teacher that everyone called DJ. His name was Donald Johnson - but he liked DJ better I guess.

 

[Bob Slydell]

Granted. Fine. But why are kids who will never be coached by him supposed to call him coach? It's like these guys are broadcasting that their first priority is coaching.

Because he likes the way it sounds?

What difference does it make what he wants to be called? I'd call my teacher Lord Supreme Ruler of the World if that's what he wanted to be called (I'd while I was doing so). All that really matters is whether or not he can teach.

 

[Beth76]

Granted. Fine. But why are kids who will never be coached by him supposed to call him coach? It's like these guys are broadcasting that their first priority is coaching.

I don't know, maybe they just prefer the "coach" title. I really don't see a problem with it. If they start showing preference to members of their team or are always talking about their sport rather than subject matter, then I can see a valid complaint.

 

[tlgoblue]

DS's Honors English teacher is the swimming coach. DD's Enlish teacher is the Gym teacher. I'm not sure how this is a problem.
I think coaches make great teachers. They tend to be great motivators, who have a way of getting kids to see the big picture, i.e. the relevance of their education. It also indicates, to me at least, a higher level of committment to their students, as (though maybe not in TX ) coaches are often volunteers, or at the very least, not being well paid for doing double duty.

 

[DisneyDmbNut]

Coach Martin (basketball) taught biology
Coach Miller (wrestling) taught psych
Coach Hysell(baseball) taught English
Coachs Gordon and Mauvhill (football headcoach and asst) shared teaching history

Sports was BIG in my school...Coconut Creek FL (1989)

EDIT TO ADD: I liked calling my teachers "Coach"..felt more like a friend than a teacher and that made learning more fun!

 

[tlgoblue]

Coach isn't the worst thing you could call your childs teacher. Both DD and DS had a teacher who had them refer to her by various names throughout the year. "Her Royal Highness" was one of her favorites. LOL. "Madame President" was another. She was a hoot. And yes, she did go by Coach when they entered the "We the People" and "Project Citizen" competitions. What's in a name?

 

[brerrabbit]

Yeah, I live in Texas. Our high school has a head football coach and 16, count em 16 assisitant coaches. Based on shear numbers they have to teach, and most of them are referred to as Coach xxx. Additionally, our head football coach teaches no classes, no gym, no academic, nothing. His job year round is Football Coach. In addition to his salary he is provided the use of a brand new suburban each year by the football booster club. Last year it was rumored that he was a finalist for a coaching job at another high school in the state and inn order to keep him he was given a raise. The really funny part about that was that the principal of the high school is guarenteed by contract that she will be the highest paid employee at the high school. Likewise the atheltic director of the school district has a contract that says they will be the highest paid employee in the atheletic departmant. They both got nice unexpected raises after we paid up to keep our head coach. Our stadium is state of the art with a seating capacity of 12,000 and a two tiered press box with elevator service. The field is artificial turf with Nikeized rubber and this year we are getting a $650,000 scoreboard with diamondvision replay. Yeah, I live in Texas!

 

[binny]

If Coach XXX were a good teacher of History or what every then my kids can call him Brunhilde as far as I'm concerned. Doesn't bother be if he's called coach if he/she actually can teach.

I think its a personal choice. I always thought it was cool in HS to get a break from MR/MRS thing and get to call people coach

 

[poohandwendy]

I think its a personal choice. I always thought it was cool in HS to get a break from MR/MRS thing and get to call people coach

Me too. I think "Coach'' is a tad less formal and seems more personal than "Mr/Ms/Mrs".

I think in some districts they do not have the funding to hire coaches for their athletic programs and need to use the most qualified teachers for the jobs.