At Risk and physical education teacher Bob Lewis enjoys combination of working with variety of students

After running a few final basketball drills with his Boys Physical Education students, At Risk and physical education teacher Bob Lewis travels down to his room tucked in the corner of the lower B hallway. There, he prepares to help a student work on the English requirements they need to meet in order to graduate on time. When the final bell rings, he heads to the track for his coaching duties. This is just a typical day for Lewis.

While Lewis’s first degree was in physical education, he originally worked at the school as a special education teacher for six years. Lewis decided to pursue his masters in special education when the job search for a physical education job in Kansas turned difficult.

“When we decided to move [back to Kansas], it was right at the beginning of the summer, [and] people thought we were going through a mid-life crisis and all that because neither one of us had a job,” Lewis said.

After his years in special education, Lewis switched to teaching physical education like he originally intended to in college.

“When I was in special ed, it kind of seemed like I just knew a certain amount of kids and that was it,” Lewis said. “What I enjoyed [about switching] was two things: I didn’t have to write IEPs anymore, that was probably the biggest thing, and the second one was [through] getting involved with regular ed and with P.E. [I was able to] know a more wide range of students. And I also coach track, and that gives me an opportunity to know the kids better.”

After physical education teacher Travis Keal left his position as the coordinator of the At Risk program, Lewis took over. The At Risk program provides assistance, in one-on-one or small group settings, for students who are at risk of dropping out of school or not graduating on time.

“They struggle, but sometimes you can see when you work one-on-one it kinda, if you teach them a different way, a lightbulb comes on,” Lewis said. “I’ll be honest, some of them are very frustrating, because they don’t want to work very hard, and you try to encourage [working hard], and you see students in here attempt to work harder. [At risk is about] just encouraging them, and seeing how they grow and how they progress.”

Lewis said one of the most rewarding parts of his job is seeing the students he’s helped be able to graduate after all.

“It’s a great feeling. I’ve had students come back to me, or right after graduating, to tell me how much they appreciate it and that they probably wouldn’t make it without the assistance,” Lewis said. “And you get your discouragements also, students that you work with that still drop out. You never know. You can’t help everyone.”

One of the hardest parts of Lewis’s job is trying to encouraging students who simply do not want to work.

“The biggest [difficulty] is students that, and these are the ones I work with all the time, are not motivated, the ones that are difficult that don’t care,” Lewis said. “And a lot of times they don’t care and what I try to do is find the reason why they don’t care, and I don’t always find that out … You put all your effort into it, and you don’t see the progression, that’s frustrating. You’ve just got those students that don’t progress the way you hope they do.”

Lewis enjoys the combination of working with both at-risk students and athletes.

“It’s a great combination because I get to work with students that need some help and all that and I also get some activity,” Lewis said. “In [At Risk], I have to motivate them to get going. When I’m in P.E., I have to calm them down a little bit, because they’re so anxious to get in there and participate. I get both ends of the spectrum. I enjoy doing both of them.”

Back in the school’s first years, Lewis shared a room with special education teacher Connie Henderson, who he helped mentor.

“Sharing a room was really beneficial for me,” Henderson said. “When I came to Mill Valley, I did not have any experience in special education. I had been a general education teacher for many years, and Mr. Lewis became my mentor. He taught me how to do all the paperwork, but most of all he taught me how to understand the different ways students learn.”

Henderson said Lewis’s patience is what helps him work with special education and at-risk students.

“Mr. Lewis is one of the most patient and even-mannered people I know. He allows students to be themselves and works with them at whatever stage they are,” Henderson said. “He will explain things over and over again until students understand the material. But he also demands respect.”

Henderson is not the only colleague to comment on Lewis’s calm and composed attitude.

“I enjoy it. You’ve gotta have a lot of patience, working with special ed and at-risk kids,” Lewis said. “Everybody tells me I have a lot of patience, and I know I do, so I think that’s why I’ve been successful.”

Although he has been with the school since its opening, Lewis does not have one singular favorite memory. Rather, he chooses to remember the students he worked with.

“I don’t think I have any one favorite [memory]. When I look back, it’s students I’ve worked with that have graduated, it feels like an accomplishment to get them to that point, and working with special ed, [it’s] seeing the kids progress,” Lewis said. “A lot of times I’ll go into my file … I look at the names and try to remember memories of the kids.”

According to Henderson, many of these memories are comedic ones.

“What I liked most was Mr. Lewis’s sense of humor. He would like to tease people and had a touch of sarcasm as well,” Henderson said. “Students responded well to this because they knew how much he cared about them, and the interaction between them was a sign of this … We worked hard in that room, but we played quite a bit as well. It was a fun time.”

Overall, Lewis greatly enjoys his job and his co-workers.

“I just enjoy the district. The administration has been good to the teachers,” Lewis said. “I really enjoy the position I have now, I don’t want to give it up until I retire.”

While his positions have their ups and downs, Lewis wakes up every day excited to go to work.

“I think it’s a great place to teach. I think it’s a very safe place to teach. As far as I go, the district has been very supportive,” Lewis said. “Teacher-wise, I work with a good group of teachers. I find it very relaxing here. [It’s] stressful at times, but I enjoy coming to school every day.”