High school can be very mundane at times, but one teacher who always makes everything a little bit more exciting, while adding humor by using his favorite word, “Pinhead” is Mr. Steve Cooper.
Mr. Cooper is currently sixty years old, and is a physical education teacher at the Fruita 8/9, in Fruita, Colorado. Although he lives there now, Mr. Cooper, or “Coop” as some people call him, was born in Rifle, Colorado in 1957. Growing up, he went to Rifle Junior High and then Rifle High School where he played football, basketball, and baseball. He described himself as an average student, “Dead center average,” is what he told me. He graduated from Rifle High in 1975, and went to many colleges prior to his graduation.
After Mr. Cooper graduated from high school, he attended several colleges, including Colorado State University, Abilene University, and Colorado Mesa University, formally known as Mesa State. He majored in selective studies, with a physical education emphasis. He minored in history and taught social studies, before physical education.
Throughout Coop’s life, he’s had many interesting jobs outside of teaching. He worked for the city rec department in Rifle, the trash service in Rifle, he worked on an oil shell, and was also the JV football coach at Rifle high.
Even though Coop is older than most people still in the work force, he still finds time outside of work to do things he’s passionate about. Hunting, fishing, gardening and shooting are the main things he likes to do in his off time. Coop is married, and has one twelve year old son.
Mr. Steve Cooper is a great person to be around, always making jokes that make everyone laugh, calling that kids who never listens a pinhead, waving hello to you in the morning as you’re walking down the hallway. He’s very old school and likes to keep his classes strict, but still allow the freedom to have fun. You definitely want to stay on his good side, or one day you might hear, “Hey pinhead,” and think, crap he’s talking to me.