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Your comments on extra-curricular activities is a super hot topic at my school at present. We have three teachers that have been deemed surplus and they all happen to be the “jocks” that have taken our school to great heights in the world of sports. There is quite a buzz around who will take over the coaching and how our school will cope without the teams. Not being of the athletic mind, I have always been amazed by the release time, banner recognition and celebrity attached to school sports. I don’t see literacy coaches, rainbow leaders, garden club members or folk dance leaders receiving the same attention. As teachers, we may not be obligated to facilitate school related groups but I think there is definate pressure to be visible in the school beyond the classroom. Mary Ellen, your parents comment regarding time away from the classroom for a sports event surprised me because I have had the opposite experience. Time away from my class with the ski club was much more accepted by my parents than the half day for our PLC’s because I was with the students. This is a difficult situation that everyone will have a strong opinion on.

Hi Mary Ellen,

I am not so sure that the question is to have or not to have such programs. Obviously, if properly conducted they are of immense value to students. The question in my mind is when they begin to dominate the total school experience and become the reason for some schools to exsist. During my Masters Program at Purdue University—-as part of my internship experience I witnessed all the positive and negative aspects of the Indiana State Basketball Championships. Schools refused to merge for quality education in fear of losing their identity to participate in the State basketball tournament.

You raise an interesting question.

Niagara—Former Coach

Mary Ellen, it is truly regretful that a parent would in essence question your teaching due to your involvement in co-curricular activities. I truly believe that education should go beyond the curriculum and that things such as character development, sports, and other less acclaimed activities contribute significantly to the growth of our students. These events also allow us to make connections with our students in a different setting and make us “real” to them. A recent study conducted by Dr. Bruce Ferguson on At-Risk students in Ontario identified several protective factors which assist students in remaining engaged with school. Involvement in co-curricular activities was identified as one such factor. Anecdotally speaking, I find that students that have idle time are the ones that get into trouble. When a student has to rush off to practice, the drama club, the band, etc. they don’t have the time to find trouble. So, keep doing what you’re doing. Remember that teaching is the best profession in the world and while not everybody appreciates it we don’t do it for that reason. Always remain positive!

Mary Ellen, I would like to reply to this discussion through the lens of moral purpose. We are not obligated, as teachers, to provide extra curricular activities at school. Our colletive agreements will see to that. I went through school playing on just about every team possible and now I coach three teams per year. The influences that coaches had on me is something that I will never be able to repay. This was my connection to school, at times the only reason I wanted to be there. I have spent many years working in the field of corrections with kids who did not have this connection. I believe I have a moral obligation to create this opportunity for kids. And I believe this is a personal question that all potential coaches or student activity leaders have to ask themselves.

I do want to let you know that I coach 3 teams a year too, am the producer of the annual Christmas production and am co-chair of the the Liturgy Committe- as well as the various curriculum teams I sit on. I am more busy with extra-curriculars than teaching sometimes! That’s why this whole situation I landed in hit me so hard. I love coaching and I love seeing kids out of the class but the pressure that parents are now demanding it while in the next breath angered by our missing class time really confused me. Thanks for your replys.

I also do a lot of coaching in my school. I love coaching and feel it gives me an opportunity to get to know the kids on a different level. It also gives them a chance to get to know me better and they seem ot have more respect for me in the classroom. I teach at a small school where its the same kids who play all the sports so they end up seeing me for an extra 8 hours a week and in a less formal environment than the classroom.

This year I had a situation where I got called into the principal’s office the day after a volleyball tournament to see our Superintendant sitting at the table. She got a call from an outraged parent because I had not played her son enough the day before at the tournament. I had just come from talking to the boy involved, who was in grade 7, and we had talked about coming close to winning the tournament this year and that next year I was depending on him and another grade 7 boy to be the basis of the team. He understood why he didn’t play and wasn’t upset at all, but apparently his parents were. They didn’t call me, or even the principal, they went straight to the SO. Afer the SO left, I was told by my principal that she was going to try and find another coach for the basketball team so I wouldn’t be placed in this situation again (instead of supporting my decision, it was less conflict for her to just get rid of me).

Since then I have spent a lot of time evaluating my views on extra-curriculars. Even with this happening, I still believe extra-curriculars are so important for students. Like Daniel, I was heavily involved in school sports growing up. I learned a lot about character education through sport, and I also used it as a way to make friends (even as an adlt when I moved to Toronto). Do I think we are required to provide extra-curriculars? No. Do I think you can be a good teacher without doing extra-curriculars? Yes. Will I stop coaching because of this incident? No, definitely not. I love coaching and the opportunity to help kids develop characte skills. I love being able to talk to them as athletes. I love having the ability to give them that experience that only extra-curriculars can provide.

I can only respond to this question as a participant and as a parent. Just like the other respondents, I remember more about my “social” time at school – Student’s Council, athletics – and how I wished that I could play an instrument so I could go on the band trip to Europe. As a parent, I watched my children participate in the various after-school activities. They learned the importance of maintaining a balance in their lives and the concept of teamwork. Our community is small and students are bussed from neighbouring communities. They had an opportunity to associate with peers that were different from those they encountered in their home town and in the classroom. Living in a small town, we do not have the community sports and arts programs that are offered in the city. Those options are not available.

Last week, Ann mentioned that she got to know her students better through coaching. My children got to know their teachers as well – just as I did. Relationships that actually last forever. I still run into my high school volleyball coach from time to time. (She actually coached my kids as well) I have the utmost respect for her as do our daughters.

I also agree with Anthony about keeping students busy. Recent studies have documented the association of participation in school-based extracurricular with higher levels of academic commitment and better academic performance. So, as a parent, I say “thank you” to all of those coaches and student activity leaders. School extra-curricular activities are important in the lives of our students.

This seems to me to be a question of balance. I was highly involved in extracurriculars before becoming an administrator, but of course I tried to make sure it didn’t interfere with my classroom teaching. Having said that, I can see now that it often does interfere with teachers’ classroom teaching. In my high school we have several teachers for whom their coaching or other extracurricular activities are more important than their classrooms. Obviously this needs to be addressed.

Another reality is teacher absenteeism does effect student learning, and coaching can dramatically effect the number of days teachers are out of the classroom. Sometimes, we have to tell teachers they can’t be out of the class anymore, and they must choose between the activities they are involved in.

In Durham Catholic we lived through no extracurriculars for three years when teaching seven courses was imposed on us during the Harris years. It was ugly, and really hurt the students and staff. As a little sidenote, it was then that the Board began to use the term cocurricular, suggesting these activities were part of the curriculum, rather than extracurricular. They are extracurricular activities, and thank God teachers offer these valuable opportunities to their students.

Hi Mary Ellen,

Your question is a wonderful one. As teachers and administrators, there are so many times that we will go “above and beyond” the call of duty. As educators, we do what we do because we have a passion for it. Never should it feel like a “burden” to coach an extra- curricular activity, or provide extra assistance to a struggling student in a Math class. As you mentioned, students remember the “memorable moments”, and are more often very likely to benefit from learning in an environment outside of the classrom. It is often times at the school level, that students are able to shine in a different way in a venue like an extra- curricular activity. Like anything, there are always going to be those who oppose strategies and decisions that we make as educators and administrators, however, if we keep the “student” as the centre focus, we must be confident with our decisions. If we believe that educaton is more than simply “textbook learning” within the confines of a classroom, and that we must be educating the whole person, then I believe that we must expose students and provide them with opportunities for growth in a variety of disciplines. Building a relationship with students outside of the classroom is crucially valuable, as it allows for students to see you as an educator or administrator in a different light. It also allows for celebration of great talent and achievement. I was saddened to read your comment about the parent at your school. Always remember that what you do is valuable and makes a lasting impression on the lives of your students. The time spent outside of the classroom with a group of students at an event or touranment, is equally significant to time spent educating inside of the classroom.

It is wrong for schools and their members not to get involved in the lives or their students. This may be a club, sport, organization, charity, and so on. Our job as educators is to teach student in a whole way. Not just about the facts of textbooks. It our student are interested in certain things who are we to stand in their way. I figured we were all in this profession because we wanted to help all sorts of people not just to help in the class room. I educated students in an inner city for a while and came to learn of the fact that many students stay out of gangs, drugs, and other things because they loved a sport or got caught up in a extra curricular activity. This is the power of those things. I hope.

Thank you to all participants in this discussion group.

It is very obvious that you all are very dedicated to the full life of your students both in, and out of, the classroom. As a teacher and coach, I too thrive on the experiences of the teams that I have coached and hope to continue to coach in the future. If I get as much out of these experiences as I do, I can only imagine what it does for my students.

There is no doubt that our students learn many lessons: team play, organizational skills, work ethics, time management, responsibility and discipline. These are the skills they receive while participating on a team sport, in a club, as part of the band, choir or drama production, the chess club, the science club or even the math club – just some of extra-curricular activities that teachers run. I could never take those experiences and lessons away from students by removing my services as a coach or leader.

I value all the input from the postings and the honest sharing of experiences similar to the one I had this winter. I must admit that it really threw me for a loop. In other discussions, comments about being under a microscope as an administrator were mentioned. I must admit that it has been one of the difficult parts of being a high school mathematics teacher over the years. Just today, I had a parent of one of my students call me who is a math teacher herself to offer suggestions on evaluations for my students. I know that parents do stress over their children’s math classes and it has always been a challenge to keep up with coaching while staying available for my math students for extra support and reinforcement in their studies. And I LOVE to coach! But I also am a passionate mathematics teacher and have the best interests of my students as my priority.

On that note, I do believe that these activities should be viewed as ‘co-curricular’ and hope that all teachers entering the field see the value in participating in any activity that they are interested and talented in. This would be not only for their students but for their own personal satisfaction as well.

A position as a coach changes the light which our students view us, while expanding our view of them. I see students that I teach in class who don’t do homework, prepare for evaluations, and seemingly have little regard for their education. They come out to the field, ice rink or ski slopes arriving on-time if not early. They are eager and willing, are team players and offer encouragement and advice to junior team members. They volunteer to assist with or organize uniforms, equipment and entry forms…you name it. It gives me a refreshing perspective about teaching that helps me think more creatively of how to make the classroom just as positive an experience for my students as I make for my athletes.

Again I thank you all for your contributions to this discussion and your very positive and encouraging outlooks. We have a great group and I feel privileged to be learning with you.