Do you remember when a teacher was treated as a real professional. Doctor, lawyer, teacher....those were what many parents wanted their offspring to become. Do you remember those wonderful ladies of elementary school days ? There weren't many men in the lower grades. They tended to gravitate towards the upper grades of junior high and high school. Unto this day, I swear I was taught by the most brilliant women that ever walked the earth. I'll be most of my contemporaries agree. They were firm but fair. You always knew the limits. I do not recall how many times; in answer to my question, I heard, "Norm, look that up in the library and you can tell the class this afternoon." The librarian, a Miss Crooms, became a real savior. I thought they were just making me do extra work, but by the tine I hit the fourth grade....nothing stumped me.
I was musing yesterday about those that made me what I am today and just how much I owed to their efforts. Let me share a little with you. My 1st Grade teacher, Mrs Robinson, spent a whole year trying to keep me busy enough to let her teach the class. I was doing 4th Grade work at home and "hated the kiddie stuff." She was unsuccessful in getting my mother's OK to move me to the 3rd or 4th Grades. During 2nd and 3rd Grades, I helped in her yard on weekends. She let me have a Coke and listen to classical music on her porch afterwards. I can close my eyes and smell the new mown grass, feel the tingling of the cold drink while Beetovoven's 5th raged in the background. Ta, Ta, Ta, DA !
In the 3rd Grade, Mrs. Riley, taught me compassion. I was an absolute hellion to those I did not like. Mrs. Riley insisted I face those I mistreated. I will never forget the day I reduced Caroline Peterson to tears during recess. Mrs. Riley saw the whole thing. She kept us both after class. She got Caroline to tell me how she felt about what happened. By the time she blubbered through the story....I was blubbering with her. I still think about that day. I an better for it. Not angelic, you understand, but better.
Well...enough for now. I love your comments...far and few as they are.
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