Gretchen Lima

Gretchen Lima is a new health and fitness teacher at the high school. Prior to working at the high school, she taught 7th and 8th grade health at the Pierce and Driscoll elementary schools. She has coached the girls diving team at the high school for the past three years.

How does teaching high schoolers compare to teaching middle schoolers?

So the freshman health and fitness class isn’t very different.  It’s comparable to 8th grade. As far as the electives go, I feel like the culture at the high school is a little bit more relaxed. At Pierce it was relaxed and chill too, but freedom with responsibility is a huge part of the high school, and that’s the biggest difference that I’ve noticed.

What’s your favorite part about teaching health and fitness?

I enjoy the classroom health portion and getting high schoolers excited to take their health and fitness seriously. I want them to actually want to be active throughout their life, in high school as well as when they go do whatever they want to do in the world. I want them to stay healthy as individuals because I’m passionate about staying healthy and staying fit, and I just want to pass on that passion.

What is your favorite part about the high school thus far?

Honestly, it’s been kind of fun to see the students that I’ve had in the past because I taught K-8 at Pierce for three years. So my group of eighth graders when I first taught in Brookline are now the seniors of the high school, and it’s just kind of fun to see them as adults now and as grown individuals. I really got to know my Driscoll 8th graders intimately because there were only two classes of 8th grade, and I went to the Farm School with them. Being able to see them as adults is kind of cool.

How did you get into coaching?

I was a diver in college and I have been coaching since I graduated high school, pretty much, so it’s been a long time of coaching diving. I love it. It’s my favorite sport.

If you had to tell your athletes one thing, in terms of diving, what would it be?

Do you. Don’t compare yourself to anybody else. Diving is a sport where you can think and always compare yourself to other people, but don’t compare yourself to other people. You do you. Do the dives that you know how to do, and be the best athlete that you can be.