Gym Class Memories

 

 

Group looks too larger for typical physical education class.  Taking attendance might be challenging.  If they all use the same locker room and showers, it would probably be a bit crowded

 

 The "tunnel shower" was a design to quickly shower down large numbers of PE students yet not require large amounts of locker room space.  The exiting line of students provided an efficient system to take shower attendance and towel issuance.

Many schools emphasized cleanliness for all students before entering the swimming pool.  Several authors have described their experience as freshmen entering the pool for their required PE swimming class.  A soap shower, a walk through foot trays containing disinfectant solution, then a march through this "under carriage spray" assured that they would pass hygiene inspection prior to participating in the nude swimming class activity.  

  This high school yearbook posted photos of the daily PE classes. Poor images but should bring back memories of being either a student or PE teacher. Note there are 7 vertical rows indicating the 7 class periods. There were probably 2 PE teachers, one having the boys on the left and the other on the right. The school where I taught had between 12 to 16 boys in each class and only 4 classes per day, but the photo reminds me of my student teaching year where 30+ was the norm. It was impossible to accomplish what was expected of a teacher (particularly a student teacher) in the 55 minute class period. 5 minutes after the final bell we had to take attendance and check uniforms, including jock checks (and included cup checks at schools which required them). Then have the class do 5 to 10 minutes of calisthenics, followed by the daily activity of basketball, touch football tumbling, wrestling, pyramids etc. Warm weather meant track activity such as running springs, hurdles and ...