Someone You Should Know: Keeping kids active in Edgerton

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) - Gay Lynn Drooger started her teaching career with the Edgerton Public School District in 1985.

“Got a phone call from the superintendent. I was at Northern State in Aberdeen. He said you want to come for an interview? I came for the interview, got the job as the girls basketball coach. Taught some PE and a little history back then,” said Gay Lynn.

It was suppose to be a short stop in her career.

“Then I got married to the grocer in town, thinking I wouldn’t be staying here long. Then I stayed here long,” said Gay Lynn.

The Sisseton South Dakota native, is now in her 38th year teaching PE at Edgerton.

“I really like playing games. I grew up playing games. I had a twin brother, we grew up playing any game we could play,” said Gay Lynn.

She’s also taught eight of the current teachers at Edgerton. Fifth grade teacher Jordan Gunnink is one of them.

“I remember gym being always being a very enjoyable time. We always had lots of fun, doing lots of games. As you can see the kids today, they do every from cup stacking to scarfs. I remember her more during our summer rec program. She’s the one who got us into baseball, tennis,” said Jordan.

She’s taught generations of kids in this small Minnesota town.

“It is kind of cool to see how the kids are kind of similiar to what their parents were like when I had them here. Some good, some not so good. No they’re all good. You know, I think the kids for the most part have stayed the same. I think nowadays I have to engage them a little more. I do a lot of sports specific. But I also do a lot of cooperative games. That way every kid has a chance to see some success,” said Gay Lynn.

“I think a lof of our athletic success. We talk about our football teams, our basketball teams, comes from where these kids get the interest from when they’re younger. And I think that has a lot to do with Mrs. Drooger’s involvement,” said Jordan.

Mrs. Drooger isn’t sure how long she wants to keep teaching..

“You know about ten years ago, I thought this is really getting tiring and then Twitter came along. And I got all kinds of new ideas from Twitter, ” said Gay Lynn.

So now, she uses the social media site, a lot.

“I just love sharing my ideas with other teachers, coaches. My daughter is in Adrian. We go back in forth, talking about what we’re doing this week. I have more excitement for what I’m teaching, because it’s something new, and it’s not the same thing I’ve been doing for the last 38 years,” said Gay Lynn.

Which is why the job is still fun.

“What I like the most, is to see so much fun in PE. I bet I have four kids that went into the PE field. So they’re teaching PE. One is my daughter, one is my niece, and the other two are just kids that I had. It’s just fun to come to school every day and play games and the kids, you never know what they are going to say, or do. I could be here another year. I could be here ten years, who knows,” said Gay Lynn.

And she ends each class, the same way.

“And then when they leave here, the thing I like to do the most, is tell them that you need need to show respect to everybody. And we say a cheer before we leave. And the cheer has respect in it,” said Gay Lynn.

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