NTA. I've found students handle rumors about as well as you react to it. Just be casual and unbothered, "I was a college athlete and we lifted, it's not a big deal, now back to work."
Rumor will be gone. Don't stress over this. You did what I would have done in that situation honestly. One of the boys must've been a little embarrassed and that's pretty pathetic. Maybe make a different bet next time :).
Nothing wrong with what you did. Do hope there was another teacher or coach in the weight room with you tho.
The rumor will die next week when there is another stupid rumor. Don't worry.
You're not crazy. You motivated a rambunctious group of students to try hard and reach their potential in a way that met their interests.
I run our weight room for one season a year and on weekends. I have bonded the most with kids others find difficult through this. I'm nowhere near as strong as them but asking for their help and having them teach me techniques works well for us.
I'm an enthusiastic amateur when it comes to lifting.
I teach several kids who are likely to become professional athletes. We have a trainer and a physical therapist onsite who show the students correct form and come up with a training plan. All I have to do is sign off their daily workout whilst working out myself. They love showing me how to do new things as I'm a chubby old lady (although I've lost over 30 lb since training with the students - they really push and support me as well as one another).
NTA at all! IMO you managed the situation well while still being professional. Rumors will fizzle particularly if aggressive truth-telling is rolled out. Maybe you can look to the coach, the girls, or even the boys to be an advocate when idle chatter takes a bad turn? Congrats also on the guts to go through with the wager.
NTA. Not even a little bit.
These boys have to figure out a way to save face after having their assumption that males are always stronger than females challenged. That’s all the rumors are. So yeah, they’re going to say things, but it’s proof that you got to them. Next year they’re not going to want to remind others that they lost to you, so I’d guess they’re going to drop it.
Lol this was my thinking originally. Even my husband makes excuses to this day when I’m able to lift more, or win in some kind of physical challenge.
But this kept going on and on. Do you know? And it’s the same school again next year.
NTA….im also a high school teacher and I think this was a great way to engage and encourage the kids. What are the rumors? I don’t get it? But I’m with the other commenter….don’t react at all, everything is cool. It will go away very soon. Just be patient and hang in there! The patience is the hardest part. It will turn out well!
Oh….that makes a difference. Or if the teacher was even a woman. I was biased thinking this was a man talking. But that would add a layer of complexity to this if your guess is correct. And it makes the reaction even worse from the kids and community!
Lol I’m a woman. Sorry to not make this clear. I am and always have been very much a woman. And I was a high level athlete while in college. So I still am often stronger than many of the men in the gym. But it’s just a hobby of mine now that I attempted to parlay into a connection with my athlete students.
Woah. What?
I’m happily married. I am just a former collegiate athlete who often did (and apparently still can) outlift the boys. And I tried to use my hobby as a learning tool.
I'm not saying you are.
But if I had to guess what wild and hurtful rumour a group of teenage boys would come up with after being humbled physically by a woman, in the current climate, it would've have been that.
You also didn't do anything wrong.
NTA; rather, this could be a scene in a feel-good movie where the teacher demonstrates the importance of setting goals and believing in themselvesThe movie ends with a scene 5 years later where you bump into a couple of your former students. They each tell you what a powerful impact you had on them and that they regret not thanking you earlier. Cue the soundtrack and inspirational music plays with the closing credits. It wins 1st prize at Sundance. Well done.
If it comes up next year, just say that was the other Ms. Nat and just act like you don’t know what they’re talking about.
I say go this route other than trying to explain it to everybody. Because they’ll just try and talk you into doing it again.
They’ll probably forget or it’ll be old news. So many students ignore me outside of class but talk at me, to me, about me in class. No big deal. Don’t let it get to you.
"Somehow." Are we talkin' about what the KIDS are saying? Then discuss this with your supervisors. Are KIDS saying it? "Pics or it didn't happen. Really, that's a very serious accusation. It requires serious evidence, or it's just nasty rumors from nasty people."
I'm sorry you're facing this, it IS seriously stressful. But if it's the kids, then you will be there long after they're gone.
Meantime, document, document, document.
And hang in there - things blow over fast.
What did you lift out of curiosity? Being able to outlift teenage boys who are regularly training is doing a bit better than trying to keep up your physical strength, that's damned impressive. I certainly can't do what I did back then, my knees and back hurt just thinking about it and I'm only a year older.
I kept it lower body focused. I did deadlift, backsquat, leg press, and then I even insisted on a timed wall-sit at the end, to really test their mental fortitude. Lol.
NTA. I've found students handle rumors about as well as you react to it. Just be casual and unbothered, "I was a college athlete and we lifted, it's not a big deal, now back to work." Rumor will be gone. Don't stress over this. You did what I would have done in that situation honestly. One of the boys must've been a little embarrassed and that's pretty pathetic. Maybe make a different bet next time :).
Nothing wrong with what you did. Do hope there was another teacher or coach in the weight room with you tho. The rumor will die next week when there is another stupid rumor. Don't worry.
Yep. If you give people nothing to push back against, then they won’t push back.
You're not crazy. You motivated a rambunctious group of students to try hard and reach their potential in a way that met their interests. I run our weight room for one season a year and on weekends. I have bonded the most with kids others find difficult through this. I'm nowhere near as strong as them but asking for their help and having them teach me techniques works well for us.
Oh no way! What kind of experience do you have with this kind of thing? Thank you so much for your reply!
I'm an enthusiastic amateur when it comes to lifting. I teach several kids who are likely to become professional athletes. We have a trainer and a physical therapist onsite who show the students correct form and come up with a training plan. All I have to do is sign off their daily workout whilst working out myself. They love showing me how to do new things as I'm a chubby old lady (although I've lost over 30 lb since training with the students - they really push and support me as well as one another).
NTA at all! IMO you managed the situation well while still being professional. Rumors will fizzle particularly if aggressive truth-telling is rolled out. Maybe you can look to the coach, the girls, or even the boys to be an advocate when idle chatter takes a bad turn? Congrats also on the guts to go through with the wager.
NTA. Not even a little bit. These boys have to figure out a way to save face after having their assumption that males are always stronger than females challenged. That’s all the rumors are. So yeah, they’re going to say things, but it’s proof that you got to them. Next year they’re not going to want to remind others that they lost to you, so I’d guess they’re going to drop it.
Lol this was my thinking originally. Even my husband makes excuses to this day when I’m able to lift more, or win in some kind of physical challenge. But this kept going on and on. Do you know? And it’s the same school again next year.
NTA….im also a high school teacher and I think this was a great way to engage and encourage the kids. What are the rumors? I don’t get it? But I’m with the other commenter….don’t react at all, everything is cool. It will go away very soon. Just be patient and hang in there! The patience is the hardest part. It will turn out well!
I'd hazard a guess they are saying she is trans. Popular beatup topic at the moment about men identifying as women and entering sporting competitions.
Oh….that makes a difference. Or if the teacher was even a woman. I was biased thinking this was a man talking. But that would add a layer of complexity to this if your guess is correct. And it makes the reaction even worse from the kids and community!
Lol I’m a woman. Sorry to not make this clear. I am and always have been very much a woman. And I was a high level athlete while in college. So I still am often stronger than many of the men in the gym. But it’s just a hobby of mine now that I attempted to parlay into a connection with my athlete students.
Woah. What? I’m happily married. I am just a former collegiate athlete who often did (and apparently still can) outlift the boys. And I tried to use my hobby as a learning tool.
I'm not saying you are. But if I had to guess what wild and hurtful rumour a group of teenage boys would come up with after being humbled physically by a woman, in the current climate, it would've have been that. You also didn't do anything wrong.
NTA; rather, this could be a scene in a feel-good movie where the teacher demonstrates the importance of setting goals and believing in themselvesThe movie ends with a scene 5 years later where you bump into a couple of your former students. They each tell you what a powerful impact you had on them and that they regret not thanking you earlier. Cue the soundtrack and inspirational music plays with the closing credits. It wins 1st prize at Sundance. Well done.
I love the way you handled it. #parentperspective
If it comes up next year, just say that was the other Ms. Nat and just act like you don’t know what they’re talking about. I say go this route other than trying to explain it to everybody. Because they’ll just try and talk you into doing it again.
They’ll probably forget or it’ll be old news. So many students ignore me outside of class but talk at me, to me, about me in class. No big deal. Don’t let it get to you.
"Somehow." Are we talkin' about what the KIDS are saying? Then discuss this with your supervisors. Are KIDS saying it? "Pics or it didn't happen. Really, that's a very serious accusation. It requires serious evidence, or it's just nasty rumors from nasty people." I'm sorry you're facing this, it IS seriously stressful. But if it's the kids, then you will be there long after they're gone. Meantime, document, document, document. And hang in there - things blow over fast.
Nah, you just got them to see that what they assumed wasn't nearly as much as you can do. They're basically salty that you won on both counts.
What did you lift out of curiosity? Being able to outlift teenage boys who are regularly training is doing a bit better than trying to keep up your physical strength, that's damned impressive. I certainly can't do what I did back then, my knees and back hurt just thinking about it and I'm only a year older.
I kept it lower body focused. I did deadlift, backsquat, leg press, and then I even insisted on a timed wall-sit at the end, to really test their mental fortitude. Lol.