Retiring after 40 years in physical education, Hitchcock is described as `creative and fun'

 

August 10, 2022

Deb Hitchcock remembers that in 1982 "I got my foot in the door" by becoming a para-professional at South Barber USD 255 in Kiowa for one year. That's after she graduated from NWOSU that year with a degree in health, physical education, recreation and dance.

Forty years later, she is retiring from South Barber where she's taught physical education. Immediately following her college graduation, Hitchcock got a call saying that teachers Maxine Nelson and Charleen Brintnal needed paras. She "team taught" with longtime elementary teacher Max McGee fourth- and fifth-grade physical education. Plus she taught reading and spelling.

"We had a lot of fun," she said of her time with McGee. "We had playground supervision. I watched Max play football with the kids and kept an eye on everyone out there. I learned a lot at playground time. We saw kids do everything."

Describing Hitchcock, McGee said, "Deb was very, very creative. We had a lot of fun. I just remember her laughing so hard. The Olympics she organized for the entire grade school were really good. Classes made flags for 'their country' they represented. She ran the elementary track meets so well."

When McGee retired she taught first- through fifth-grade P.E.

Longtime elementary teacher and principal Marcia Cantrell said, "When I think of Deb I think of laughter. She was a 'hoot' to work with. Her classroom was the gym and outdoors most of the time. She found such creative ways to teach physical fitness. I truly think many times her students didn't realize they were exercising! She planned and pulled off very successful elementary track meets each year. Some of her job for track meet was – flags up, parents helpers, specific jobs given, teachers keeping track of event places, helpers in the box announcing and keeping records, and even making sure the teachers had their lunch ordered on time. I was always impressed at how smooth the track meet went. Deb was a delight to have on staff and I have no doubt she will be missed. Good luck to her in her retirement!"

Hitchcock said,"The first 15-20 years were the most fun with elementary teachers Sally Forester, Bev Molz, Bev Miller, Jane Thompson, Vicki Golliher, Janet Elwood, Norma Feaster and Juanita Smith. They were great mentors that made you feel like you were part of the school. Those older teachers encouraged and were there so help you. We had teacher parties all the time. We did things together even outside the school."

In her early days, Hitchcock taught a Target on Tots class at the community building on Saturdays for age 3-5 to get the skills they needed to prepare for school. "Getting the skills they needed was the main thing like to skip and hop. Fitness wasn't a real big thing then."

She taught the junior high kids at Hardtner. That's when she started the Adaptive PE for kids with special needs. She had two students and they rode bicycles around town and swam in Hardtner's pool. "I was teaching them lifetime skills."

When the junior high moved from Hardtner she taught K-8. After longtime (junior and senior high principal) Monty Thompson died, coach and teacher (including physical education) Brad Morris became superintendent. Hitchcock took over his job as p.e. teacher for 7-12. Additionally she and her husband Nick were directors for the South Barber Recreation.

"It was fun coming from the elementary to the high school – to see how the kids had matured and their personalities changed," she said.

Encouraged Lifetime Skills for Kids, Comments from Mentor

Discussing her method of teaching, Hitchcock said, "I did things kids could do by themselves or in a group." She taught them to play cards and checkers. "We had lots of fun. I'm going to miss playing with the kids. I tried to teach kids what I learned throughout my lifetime so they can carry it on."

Looking back, Hitchcock said, "Sandy Homier really influenced me when she taught here. She was my teacher and got me started to do what I did. Sandy was fair to everybody but was firm and made it fun for everybody."

Homier now lives in Enid. When contacted to comment on Hitchcock, Homier said, "She always had a good attitude and was funny. I shouldn't say it but Deb was one of my favorites. She's gung-ho, 100 percent of anything she was doing."

Homier remembered, "We refereed volleyball games and taught tumbling together at the high school. Deb was always fun but the kids learned things from her."

Hitchcock said, "You always know when a kid is putting effort in it. If a kid doesn't have the ability, I never hold it against them. I graded each kid individually and I didn't have favorites. Kids would come and talk to me. I never had a kid go through who didn't do anything. A lot of it is pressure kids put on other kids. I tried to keep that from happening. Because I want them to be able to excel too. That's why I held my Olympics. Some of the kids who weren't the best athletes did the best in the Olympics."

Hitchcock's Olympics were on years when the real Olympics were happening around the world. She divided the whole school (by class) into teams, representing various countries.

"We had an opening ceremony. The kids made flags of different countries. They researched about their countries and put on the gym wall. We had a Wall of Fame."

Every year she organized an activity for the American Heart Association such as "Jump for Heart." Then Hitchcock made up our own program such as a "Tough Man Contest." One especially popular activity was the "Color Run," where students ran laps around the elementary school yard. Parents would throw color on them.

She organized big elementary track meets. "I still have people who call to see if their record is broken."

Principal Brent Shaffer called it "my play day!"

"Halloween was my big deal," Hitchcock said. "Kids had to guess who I was some years." She organized an obstacle course at school, known as 'The great pumpkin patch' with spooky music. Parents helped paint. They made tunnels through the bleachers and parents helped scare the kids.

"I think the parents had more fun than the kids," she said. "Anything new I tried to incorporate it. I tried to make it fun for the kids. We even did Blues Clues."

For the high kids on the internet she found the PLT4M PLATFORM with a professional trainer. It's intense workouts online they could watch through their Chromebooks while exercising. "We did Fitness First every day. There is testing like to see how many squats you could do in a set time. It's amazing what he did for kids – what it did to kids self- discipline. We've done it the last three yrs at the high school."

"It's interesting to see how kids have changed. Every five or six years kids coming through change.

"Kids have a lot of things going against them now with Covid and mental health issues. Why is it all on these kids? I think they feel a lot of pressure. The respect isn't there. We as teachers have to deal with that."

Talking about teaching personal matters to kids, Hitchcock said, "Teaching sex education is real tough now. I don't want to influence kids on way or another. There are so many rules and regulations on what you can and cannot teach. It was getting tougher and tougher every year. Our standards have sex education going clear down into third grade. I didn't teach it down there because the parent support was not there. I waited until seventh or eighth grade and talked about relationships, and if there was something going on we heard about in the community we would address that. Then as freshmen kids had a whole semester of sex education. As freshmen kids are real antsy about talking about sex. I encouraged them to talk with their parents from elementary on. I teach the same way to all grades. It works out."

She really tried to promote fitness. "I really encouraged the family unit. Have your parents exercise with you – see how many pushups you can do." She had some "Fitness Fun Night" events.

"Kids need to be more fit than they are because of gaming and watching to much TV. They need to play outside and learn there are other things besides being addicted to the Internet."

Hitchcock decided to retire a year early as "I needed to be at home," due to her husband Nick's health. She wants to spend time with her four grandkids – two girls and two boys. Their daughters are Dru Henson and Jaddee Easter.

"Jill (Daughhette who also retired this year ) and I always said we'd retire together spend more time with family." "I've never regretted any of it."

She and Nick have been married 44 years. "I always said I would retire at 40 years. That was Nick's football jersey and race car number. It's been a pretty good number for us!"

 
 

Reader Comments(2)

Charlinebeebe writes:

Deb you were always the best with kids!! Thank you for all the times you and Nick took care of my girls. We love you ❤️ Enjoy your retirement!!

Lisamiller writes:

Deb Hitchcock, I love you so much!!! So happy for you!

 
 
 

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