For 25 years, Hiatt has built strong relationships as PE teacher
Manteca High physical education teacher Andrea Hiatt acts goofy at the scorer’s table during a boys basketball game. Her playful spirit has made her a student favorite at Manteca High for the last 25 years. (James Burns/The Tower)
By MATTHEW ALLEN
The Tower
Andrea Hiatt has been teaching physical education at Manteca High School for a quarter century.
Although her occupation seems to be something of no importance other than keeping kids in shape, she is an important part of the atmosphere at Manteca High.
Hiatt’s energetic and exciting personality brings joy and uplifts the people around her, especially the students in her Body Tone. Every time you see Hiatt she's usually smiling or goofing around, dancing on the turf in the Athletic Training Facility or bouncing through Pennebaker Plaza.
Manteca High physical education teacher Andrea Hiatt teaches a student an exercise in the aerobics room. (Hanna Palacio/The Tower)
No matter what her personal situation is at the time, she always tries to make the lives of everyone around her a little more fun and exciting. It’s been her mission for 25 years.
“Lucky for me I still love my job,” she said in an interview with The Tower. “So, it's easy for me to get up (and) come to work every day and play with the kids all day.”
Senior Joey House has taken a PE course with Hiatt. Beyond learning about exercise and strengthening the body, House will remember the atmosphere Hiatt created. Specifically, the time she uplifted her day with her musical selections.
“This one time when she played Justin Bieber for me because I was having a bad day while working out,” House said.
Hiatt has a relationship with her students beyond just being their teacher.
She’s also their friend, and someone they can go to at all times. No matter the situation or circumstance.
This sort of relationship helps her encourage people on days they really don’t feel like working out.
“It's actually good when people are having a bad day because it’s sort of an outlet to kind of get them moving, and then what happens is they kind of enjoy it” Hiatt said.
The Tower sat down with Hiatt and talked about how she keeps her positive attitude and influences the lives of her students.
The Tower: How do you stay so positive while teaching?
Andrea Hiatt: Oh, well luckily for me I still love my job, so it's easy for me to get up and come to work every day and well, play with the kids all day.
TT: So how long have you been teaching?
AH: This is year 25!
TT: Why did you choose to become a teacher?
AH: Well, I mean I like the kids; I like what I do. I like the kids, I like my job. I like what I do. I mean look at how I dress when I come to work. So, there is a perk to that. And I like seeing kids succeed at the small things, just little things, even like a bench press, where at the beginning they can’t do it, and by the end they’re able to do it. It’s rewarding for me to be a teacher.
TT: How did you become a PE teacher?
AH: Funny question. I actually was a sociology major with a minor in psychology. I thought I was going to become a school counselor, and then my old teacher coach from Manteca High, since I am a buffalo too, she kind of reached out and said that her teaching job was available if I wanted to come back home because I was living down in LA, and that's kind of what happened, and I've been here ever since.
TT: How do you motivate students to work out who usually don’t want to?
AH: It's actually good, like when people are lazy, to kind of get them moving, and then what happens is that they start to enjoy it. They see results. And then they like doing it in a weird way. Generally, kids who take my class though, they know we're gonna work. So, I don't get a lot of lazy students in my class, because they know, they know what is expected.