DR. WALLACE: I'm a serious high school student when it comes to learning and getting top grades. I love science and hope someday to become a college professor in biology. Last semester I took what I thought would be a helpful and enjoyable class called zoology. The class was supposed to study and learn about animal life and the classification of animals. About all I learned was that a football is made from pigskin. It so happened that our zoology teacher was also our football coach and many of his players were in the class.

Let's just say that I learned more about a T-formation quarterback than I did about endangered animals. This is my question. Why do schools allow coaches to teach academic subjects instead of physical education? — Sandy, Dallas, Tex.

SANDY: A school's mission is to provide its students with the best education possible, for which purpose the board of education hires the best qualified teachers available. Unfortunately, not every teacher will connect with every student, but this has nothing to do with other duties the teacher may have at the school.

Would you complain if your English teacher was also the drama coach, or your history teacher coached the debate team? I think not. Many high school athletic coaches majored in academic subjects in college and are superb teachers in their areas of expertise. Good teachers shouldn't be reassigned because they also happen to be coaches.

On the other hand, great coaching should never be an excuse for poor teaching. Athletics are an important part of high school, but never more important than academics.

SOMETIMES THE TRUTH HURTS

DR. WALLACE: My best friend is going out with my brother who is what I would call a "redneck." He is only 19, but he likes to drink and when he does, he gets rowdy. When we are together, my best friend is always complaining about my brother, and I'm tired of hearing about the problems she has with him.

The last time she talked to me about him, I told her she should dump him because he was a bum. She told my brother what I said, and now both of them are mad at me. Is there anything I can do to get them to talk to me again? I'm sorry I said what I said, but it was the truth. — Nameless, Brooklyn, N.Y.

NAMELESS: Your best friend has put you in a tough position by using you as a sounding board about the problems she is having with your brother. I congratulate you for telling the truth. This is not an easy thing to do.

Sometimes the truth hurts so you will have to be patient with her until she gets over her bruised feelings. With your brother, you can be more direct; tell him exactly why you said what you did to your friend. He's not going to want to hear it, but he needs to know that jerky behavior has consequences.

When you discuss this with each of them, speak from a place of loving concern for them rather than in anger or judgment. If you do so, they'll warm up to you again much more quickly.

Dr. Robert Wallace welcomes questions from readers. Although he is unable to reply to all of them individually, he will answer as many as possible in this column. Email him at [email protected]. To find out more about Dr. Robert Wallace and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.