Bob Totten

Cutter's Log - Stardate 0102.02.30


A middle school teacher of mine, and a football coach of mine, Bob Totten passed away on Tuesday.

Mr. Totten taught government and civics at Challand. He was also a recess and detention supervisor, and was the first face we saw when we arrived at Challand each morning. To many he was a very strict man, and we all knew never to irritate him. One of my favorite classes at Challand was his, though.

He was our seventh grade civics teacher. The assignments, study guides, tests, quizzes, and even answer forms (yes, there were answer forms) for the tests and quizzes, were pretty much recycled every year -- it was the first time we really saw this kind of thing, and it was weird to us students. What was also weird to us is that he passed around green markers to correct the tests and quizzes. He wanted them in green marker.

When you're young, you don't quite understand why the things were the way they were. But when you get older you start to get it. Recycling does save a lot of money and time. I don't really know what the green markers were supposed to mean, but I think it reminded me later on to have an understanding for others wanting things the way they want them.

My favorite quiz game that he used was called "Around the Class" - similar to what my fourth grade teacher did for math studying. Around the Class was a game where we would compete against other classmates one-on-one deskside and answer class-related questions. The game would either end at the end of class, or when one has made it around the entire class. I loved the game, my classmates probably hated it because of me.

Some of us eighth graders were still being watched by Mr. Totten, as he was an assistant freshman football coach at the high school. I was a manager, so I didn't really interact with him often, but he was always good to me in that capacity. Mr. Totten retired from teaching and coaching when my class graduated high school in 2005.

Being a before-school recess supervisor is simply an extra duty to the teaching profession. Bob Totten fit that job well in addition to his other teaching and coaching duties. He was the first face we saw that ended our transition from innocent grade school kids to young men and women. He didn't treat us like our grade school teachers did, but rather as adults.


It was a sudden a change when we were first given a talking to by him for doing something wrong. In a way, it helped give us discipline that we needed for the life ahead of us. We continued to talk when we met on occasion after high school. One time while he was filling up his van at the Shell station, the pump didn't shut off automatically. So here he comes into the store, and treats me as if I was a sixth grader at recess.

His lessons of discipline, his teaching, and his professionalism. That's what I'll miss most about Bob Totten.


Rest in peace.