As students excitedly gear up for the first days of summer, Montreal gym teacher Dave Reid is preparing for his own taste of freedom.
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After five decades of teaching physical education at Riverdale High School, the 71-year-old decided it was time to hang up his whistle for good.
The choice, Reid says, was bittersweet.
“It’s not a happy occasion for me, but it’s got to end somewhere,” he told CTV News.
Reid landed the job when he was 21 years old, back in 1967, and was drawn by the opportunity to be active all day rather than trapped behind a desk.
“I fell in love with it right away,” he said. “I think that being a teacher is probably one of the best jobs that there is around.”
His longevity at the school means that he’s taught and coached thousands of students. He’s run into them all across the world, from beaches in the Dominican Republic to the Spanish steps in Rome.
In some cases, he’s taught two generations within the same family.
“I’d asked him if he remembered my mom and he did -- and he also remembered my aunt, who used to come here also. I think he remembers all his students,” one student said.
The sheer number of students he’s taught is staggering, and Reid admits he has a trick for remembering their names.
“So I call everybody Big Guy. So when you see them later in life, you say, ‘Big Guy, how’s it going? So they think I remember their name, you know?” he said with a laugh.
His passion for sports and lifelong dedication to teaching is a source of inspiration for other teachers in the school. In at least one case, a former student decided to follow in Reid’s footsteps.
“He definitely did inspire me, and that was based on the relationships that he had with his students. It’s something that I strive for as a teacher,” said teacher Shaun Wallach.
“If I could have a legendary status like Mr. Reid in this school 50 years later, then I’ve done something right.”
With files from CTV’s Vanessa Lee
