Long ago, I taught Phys. ed. for a year, but I never thought of this angle!

Here’s a funny article from the Washington Post Fla. Teacher Charged as Children Pay to Cut Gym . The culprit is now facing felony charges, which is not so funny.

I actually taught "Gym" for a year – my last year in the Caribbean. But I never thought to take money in return for letting kids off gym.

It was our second year in the Cayman Islands, about 1980. The first year I had taught science in the big government high school on Grand Cayman. But the second year they needed someone to take a half schedule for phys. ed and they asked me. I said "sure I can teach soccer and cricket and netball" and that was that.

So we lived half a mile from the high school. And 200 yards from the beach – and a half mile from Eden Rock dive site, as well as several other excellent sites. I (being a phys. ed. dude) had to wear shorts to school (in the Tropics – great!) and rode my bike over, while Brigid took the car to the grammar school across town where she taught first grade. Across town being two miles.

It was our last year living in the Caribbean (my fourth year in the Islands, and Brigid’s seventh), and it was a great year. Lots of scuba diving, lots of rugby, lots of travel. BUT, I wasn’t much of a cricket coach.