Teacher Stories: Colin Jaeger, Physical Education and Health Teacher at Washington Street Elementary, Toms River, New Jersey
I was very much not into sports at a young age, and then something clicked around middle school. I went to Ambassador Christian Academy in Toms River and joined some sports teams and ended up being the student athlete for the school all of a sudden, out of nowhere. And my Phys-Ed teacher at the time – she really inspired me. Terry Mills was her name. I was that kid all the way up to like sixth grade who was a short, chubby kid that wanted to be picked last. My Phys-Ed teacher when I was younger, she would be like, “Yeah, you always wanted to hide in the corner and not really participate.” But now, I make sure I don’t allow them that opportunity to hide. I don’t do two team captains where someone is going to be picked last. I always make the teams. I kind of take pride in knowing my kids. It’s a small school, so I know every single one of them. And then in high school they’re like, “Hey, you should think about being a teacher.” And I didn’t think it was a good idea at the time. I don’t like being in front of crowds, and I still don’t, but I discovered I have a heart for the kids and wanting them to experience what I experienced growing up.
I want them to have a safe place where they can enjoy gym, whether safe as far as physically safe, but also emotionally safe too. Where they can make mistakes and still have a good time and grow alongside one another. I try to treat them like I would my own kids. I tell them every day is a fresh day. I only see them once or twice a week for 40 minutes, so I’m able to give them that fresh start every time. You get a warning if you’re acting up unless it’s something serious, and I have a little area on the bleachers. I’ll say, “I warned you. You’re not respecting it. Take a seat. I’ll be over to chat in a while.”
It’s humbling, because I’ve been doing this for 22 years. One of the English classes in High School South in Toms River, has their classes write out a letter to a former teacher, and I have a big poster on my wall in my office of high school students writing me letters of an impact that I’ve had on them. So, it’s like one big letter for all the students. If I’m ever having a down day where I’m like, “Why am I doing this?” I can check back to those letters.
Interview by Gregory Andrus
