This year is gym teacher Mr. Roberts’ last year at Rocky Mountain High School. He will be retired after the school year is done. 

Mr. Roberts was and has been a very good teacher. He was interviewed, here are his responses to our questions. 

Q: What has been your favorite memory here at Rocky? 

A: “100% the kids and meeting the kids and helping them succeed in life when they thought they couldn’t succeed and seeing their greatness come through.”

Q: What are your plans for after school this year? 

A: “Do whatever I want to do. Play golf, be around my wife, and travel. Things like that but just not having to get up all of the time and be somewhere all of the time.” 

Q: What is something our school can work on? 

A: “I think empowering kids. Instead of giving kids things, we should make them earn it. And go back to the style that you must earn things and that is what makes people great because then you earn it. That will mean something to them and give them second, third, fourth, five chances. Love the crap out of them and respect the kids, treat them well, and I think that is what we need to get back to.”

Q: What are you most proud of in our school?

A: “What I am most proud of? I think probably the most proud is when I can see the kids graduate and come back or call me and say thanks coach for helping me be a better person later on and having a lot of kids going on to open CrossFit gyms and basically when they call and say I made a difference in their lives.”

Q: What has made you stay this long here at Rocky?

A: “The kids, I just the love the kids. And every day they make me feel young and just doing this that’s why I love teaching.” 

Q: What made you want to be gym teacher?

A: “Summers off. I chose it because I did not think I could do much. I went home to my football coach and he said you would be a great coach and I said really, you think so? I gave it a try and that was the best decision I have ever made.” 

Q: What is hard about being a gym teacher?

A: “To me there is nothing hard. I guess the misconception that its easy down here. I think a lot of teachers think that oh your just doing P.E. and to be a good one you must be enthusiastic. It takes a special person to be down here. To get the kids to do what they need to do. Its not as easy as everyone thinks it is to be a quality fitness teacher.”

Q: What has been your best accomplishment that you have made during these years?

A: “Survival and confidence. The confidence comes from seeing the kids succeed. If you’re not teaching to have that then you are teaching for the wrong thing. I’ve missed a lot. My biggest regret is not getting through to some of the kids that I though I thought I could. It all comes back to me on how do I help out the kids?” Mr. Roberts really cares about the kids. It also makes him very happy to see them succeed.” 

Matt Banfield, a 11th grader at Rocky Mountain High School has been in Mr. Roberts’ class before. He was asked a few questions on this topic.

Q: How do you feel about Mr. Roberts leaving? 

A: “I am kind of sad that he is leaving because he makes us do a lot of work and I like doing work. But at the same time, he is very loud.”

Q: What is your favorite thing about Mr. Roberts?

A: “My favorite thing about him is probably, him giving us a lot of freedom to do what we want, and he also pushes us to do a lot, to get stronger.”

Q: Would you choose to take his class again? If so, why?

A: “Yes, I would choose to take his class again because I think he is a great gym teacher. He is a really cool guy and he pushes us to do better.”

Q: Was Roberts’ class fun?

A: “His class was very fun.”

Q: How is his class different from other gym teachers’ classes?

A: “At my old school I had a different gym teacher. He did not push us as much and he was not as loud. Roberts is good at doing that stuff.”

Q: What was hard about his class?

A: “All of the running he made us do was pretty hard even though I am a good runner.” 

Banfield was not in his class for long and still liked it. 

Challis Stanger, a 11th grader at Rocky Mountain High School, has been in Roberts’ class a few times. How does he feel about his teacher leaving and not being able to have him again next year?

Q: How do you feel about Mr. Roberts leaving?

A: “I feel sad. I know I have been with him for two years and he has done a lot for the school. He has taken all of my siblings through this entire time that he has been here. About 15 years. He has done very well. I am also very happy for him because he gets to leave and do his own thing after changing so many peoples lives.”

Q: What is your favorite thing about him? 

A: “The fact that he is always striving to make people better, always striving to make them win, even when they lose. He is trying to make people realize that winning in life is not because you are winning. But actually, due to the fact that you are either happy, or doing what you love.”

Q: What is your best memory with Mr. Roberts?

A: “I would say hitting my 350-pound squat and that man cheering me on in the loudest way possible.”

Q: Would you choose to take his class again? If so, why?

A: “I already have and yes because he creates a very positive environment and encourages you to do your very best. And that is a very good thing that you want to be around all of the time.”

Q: Did Roberts have any impact on you personally?

A: Actually, yes during first quarter. I was struggling with some issues with depression and like being able to talk to him about it. Having the happy encouragement helped a lot.”

Q: Was his class fun? 

A: “It was 100% better than any of the classes I have taken at Rocky. It just has a very good environment.” 

Q: What was hard about his class?

A: “I did not find to much that was hard. I think I would say the hardest thing was trying to contain myself and not do to much due to the fact that he was pushing you so hard and making you do so much fun. The next day you would be super sore because you did not realize how much work that you did. But I would say the hardest thing about his class is knowing that there is an end.”

Overall, Mr. Roberts is an amazing teacher we will all miss him as this is his last year here at Rocky. Make sure to give him thanks for always being there for us and caring about us students.