Potterton’s Past

Graeme Potterton has started to teach the Health and P.E. classes at Woodford County High School and has a strong background in his home in Essex, England. He first discovered his love of sports and physical education when he started to coach kids after school as a teenager. Mr. Potterton said that where he went to high school, “there was no track to run on only a field with two goals.” Also, “School sports are not as big a part of the schools in England as they are here, they were usually played after school on the field behind the school. And if you played for an out of school team, it would not travel more than forty five minutes to play against another team.”

After high school, Mr. Potterton attended Essex college in England and graduated with a degree in Sports Studies. He said the degree is “something like an Athletic Science degree.” After college, he taught in England for three years and then for five years in Arizona. It was after this that he moved to Kentucky to teach at Woodford County High School. Potterton said that teaching in these places was very different and that he has noticed many differences from his own experience with education and teaching. He said, “I had to restructure how I speak; kids here are very literal.” He also explained to me how his own education was different from what he sees here. He said, “They have something similar to the block system but not really,” he went on to explain how in his schools he had to have three hours of each core class and two hours of physical education, plus other classes like woodworking or the arts.

Mr. Potterton currently lives with his wife and children who are five and seven. He told me he likes America and he thinks he is going to stay here except for the occasional holiday trip back to England and other parts of Europe with his family. In his spare time, he likes to referee soccer, coach rugby, and support the Arsenals. He has also run a few marathons and likes to watch rugby.

Graeme Potterton is excited to be a part of Woodford County High School and enjoys teaching his students. He also likes being able to show students how to play rugby during his HIVE time and hopes this will continue. While he doesn’t know exactly what the school year will be like, he does know that he likes his tea with milk and no sugar.