Teachers typically have students for one or maybe two school years, but in the Tyrone Area School District, physical education teachers Tom Coleman and Marcus Owens have taught some of this year’s senior class since they were in preschool.
“The phys ed department [at Tyrone] is kind of like a one-room schoolhouse,” Coleman said. “We cover all grades, so we might teach first graders in the morning and seniors in the afternoon.”
Coleman said that getting to know his students as preschoolers and following them through their school career has been a rewarding experience, but this year’s graduating class marks the end of an era.
Several years ago the district began separating teaching duties in the phys ed department between the elementary and middle/high school, so Coleman and Owens don’t meet most students for the first time until they are in middle school.
This year marks the end of a journey for Coleman, Owens, and the TAHS Class of 2025 that began on the elementary school playground.
While every senior holds a special place for Coleman and Owens, a few stand out.
When asked which seniors have changed the most since kindergarten, they both mentioned Alivia Anderson.
According to Owens and Coleman, Anderson has grown tremendously since she arrived in gym class as a teary-eyed pre-schooler.
“Alivia was very shy and cried most of the time,” Coleman said, recalling her first few months of school.
Owens remembers that Anderson had an especially difficult time transitioning to school.
“A lot of preschoolers and kindergarteners cry on the first day, but [Alivia] was pretty emotional every day for the first month of the year, if you know what I mean,” Owens added.
Fortunately, Anderson eventually made the transition, and today she is a leader in her class, a member of many clubs, co-editor-in-chief of the Eagle Eye, and an accomplished dancer.
Anderson also has fond memories of having Mr. Coleman and Mr. Owens in class throughout her thirteen years at Tyrone Area School District.
“Mr. Coleman was one of the first teachers I remember in elementary school,” Anderson said. “He was always understanding and helpful when I was little and very emotional. I’ll never [forget him] because he’d always give me a prize from his little pencil box full of toys after I had a good day in gym class. I looked forward to picking one out at the end of every class and I remember he made my day a lot better.”
According to Owens, it’s been rewarding to see Anderson, and students like her, overcome their childhood fears and become successful young adults.
“Since then she has grown into an awesome student that I have had the pleasure of having in my phys ed and health class as a senior,” Coleman said.
In contrast to Anderson, Owens said senior Hunter Chirdon is pretty much the same today as he was back in elementary school.
Owens said that Hunter brings the same energy and enthusiasm to gym class as a senior as he did in kindergarten. “Sometimes, it’s exhausting!” Owens admitted.
Another senior that Owens and Coleman will never forget is senior Ian Gibbons.
Coleman calls Gibbons his “mystery student” because he never knew what he was thinking or what he was going to do.
Gibbons said he’s been having fun and joking with Coleman since elementary school.
“I remember I would do something and I would hear him scream ‘Gibbons!’ from across the room. My favorite year with him was probably my ninth-grade year with him and my [older] sister.”
“Sometimes [Gibbons] just makes you scratch your head and ask ‘why’,” Coleman said.
One of Gibbon’s most memorable high school moments was when he accidentally broke a ping pong table in Mr. Coleman’s gym class.
“I dove across the table to get a ball. It wasn’t on purpose, but [Mr. Coleman] just put his head down and shook his head,” Gibbons said.
Despite occasionally being yelled at, and having to pay for the ping-pong table, Gibbons said he has enjoyed having Coleman as a teacher for so many years.
“Usually, you only have a teacher for one or maybe two years but I had him for, I think, eight years,” Gibbons said. “Once you have a teacher for so many years [like Mr. Coleman] you can just talk to them about anything. Every time I see him in the hall we have a good talk.”
Gibbons said he also loves Coleman’s unique t-shirt collection, especially the Kool-Aid Man, the Kobra Kai, and the Flintstones shirts.
During Coleman’s 23 years of experience, he has influenced thousands of student’s lives, and the students have had the opportunity to get to know him as well.
“I look forward to having [Mr. Coleman] as I got older, because this past summer I took summer gym for fun with all my friends and it was so fun and easy with him as our teacher,” Anderson said.
Owens has been a member of the phys ed department for 14 years, long enough to see two classes of students go from kindergarten to graduation as his students.
He said he is incredibly fortunate to have worked with and mentored many current seniors for the past 14 years, from pre-K to senior year.
Teaching rewards him daily because he can experience students becoming mature, respectful young adults.
Owens’ High School and his least enjoyable grades are 7th and 8th grade.
“High School is my favorite because the students are always up for a good challenge in every activity,” Owens said.
Owens says that 7th and 8th grade students are in a difficult age range to teach.
For Coleman, the best part about being a PE teacher is teaching the students the value of being active and staying healthy.
He also enjoys being in an environment with good co-workers and said the social aspect of his job is amazing.
Building relationships with the students over time fosters a strong sense of connection for him. It often feels like he is a part of their lives, celebrating their successes and supporting them through challenges.
Coleman says that his favorite grade to teach is elementary school and, like Owens, his least favorite is middle school.
“Elementary students tend to be more enthusiastic when it comes to physical education and activities. At the same time, middle school students are often more focused on the social and competitive aspects,” Coleman said.
Unlike most teachers, as PE teachers they got to witness their students grow up as they progress through grade levels.
Coleman says that the ability to watch his students grow up teaches him valuable lessons. It shows him how time doesn’t stay still and how fast it can go by.
As this journey here at Tyrone continues, he is excited to experience the growth of his students from enthusiastic children to young mature adults.