Memories That Bring A Smile To My Face (Part I of Teaching 1975 - 76)

Part I: When I was a teacher in 1976, I had the wonderful experience of teaching all of the subjects in the last eight grade in a K-8 school in Omaha, Nebraska. It was a self-contained classroom iand the school had no seventh grade so we truly were separate from the remainder of the school. We were a world unto ourselves. For the most part, the students were unaware of their potential, seedlings that simpy needed to be nurtured and given the opportunity to grow and eventually flower.

At that time, I was a young, long-haired, idealistic, liberal teacher who wanted to explain the world (as I sought to understand it myself) and at the same time was knowledgeable enough to understand the importance of the core courses (reading, writing, math) that would allow the students to explore all of the other subjects to whcih they would become exposed. My methods were sometimes so standard it is hard for me to believe - diagraming sentences which I am not sure that I could do today (but perhaps it remains in my mind), drilling math facts (did I really have the students "race" to complete the math fact sheets), worksheets on everything. Sometimes, my methods were creative that even now I smile - math word questions using the names of my dogs and silly events, using the lyrics of the Beatles and other to teach poetry and analysis, field trips to new places to which most students would otherwise nver go with thought provoking, challenging questions and the use of the socratic method before I truly knew what it was. I was then and throughout my teaching career heavily influenced by "To Sir With Love", and I believed then and now that the message of that story was true - teachers can make a difference in lives. So, the opportunity to teach is an opportunity to be valued, and one that changes one's life - forever.

That year and throughout my teaching career, I was given a tremendous amount of lattitude by principals and the school adminstrators, even though my looks were not conservative - for I had the beard and long hair that might have made some leary, but I think that my understanding of the basic skills and how to teach them, my ability to set goals and expectations, and to fulfill them, my relationships with the students and their parents (who looked at this 24 year old with both questioning eyes and respect), and my dedication, made it possible for everyone to have faith in me.

That year saw an explosive growth for some (certainly me) and hopefully the laying of the foundations for future growth for others. One of my personal favorite aspects of the year was the debate and speech elements. One young man who studdered whenever he spoke discovered that in giving speeches (such as the Gettysburg Address) his studder vanished. A class of young people who lacked the ability to listen to others learned the importance of listening and preparing, and won more than one trophy in the debate contests we entered. We got lots of credit for being a small school, with 20 students and one teacher, and yet excelling in the system-wide contests. I certainly felt the pride, but it was the pride that I saw in the students that was the real reward. The year started with my asking everyone to set goals and ended with (if I do say so myself) a magnificent graduation comlete with a wonderful graduation booklet and class newspaper (containing predictions for the future, a class will, creative writing and more). I remember my closing speech (which I think included a paraphrase of the Sandburg quote "some see thengs as they are and ask why, others see things as they could be and ask why not" and a challenge to each one to always ask "why not" and then to make it happen) (and in this reflection, I realize that I have used this phrase and challenge many times in my life. (Continued in Part II)