A good teacher can have an immense impact upon the future. What teachers inspired you.
I Remember You Mrs. Reynolds!
- Donald R. McClarey
Donald R. McClarey
Cradle Catholic. Active in the pro-life movement since 1973. Father of three, one in Heaven, and happily married for 43 years. Small town lawyer and amateur historian. Former president of the board of directors of the local crisis pregnancy center for a decade.
I remember Sister Margaret Daniel, 4th grade, OLHC School, East Orange, NJ.
Sisters of Charity. Lovely, kind but firm.
Early 60s, a completely different world.
Very grateful. AMDG.
Mrs Barrington. She also had us in 5th grade. She would read out the morning spelling words whilst standing next to the heater warming herself.
I remember the name of every teacher I have ever had since starting school.
But don’t ask me what we had for dinner last night. Early onset dementia…dunno
I was in fourth grade in 1967. My teacher was Mr. Peabody (always loved that name!). My best memory from that year was every day after lunch he would read part of a chapter book to the class. In retrospect it seems he was wisely acknowledging the natural postprandial lull, avoiding any difficult subjects, while at the same time introducing us to some great children’s literature. A very fond memory!
Mrs. Tyley: She was critical of my penmanship, rightly so.
In 4th grade I had Mrs. Weakley, but don’t remember a whole lot else about her other than her name. My 5th grade teacher, Mr. Kinsella — a guy just out of college at the time — I remember for 1) playing contemporary songs like “Rocky Raccoon” on the guitar as part of our music class, and 2) reading The Hobbit and Tarzan of the Apes aloud at the end of our study periods.
Miss Rudolph, at McGrath Elementary in Brentwood, MO. She was tough and not well liked, but fair. Unfortunately, my most vivid memory of her class was was that I was there on Nov. 22, 1963. Right after lunch a messenger from the Principal’s office brought in a note informing us that Pres. Kennedy had been shot, and a short while later the messenger returned with the news of his death. We were sent home at that point.
Mrs. Perry, my homeroom teacher. First black teacher at our school. I thought spit balls through a straw were funny. My Dad did not, and when he heard about it, he brought me back to school, and in front of Mrs. Perry and the high school principal, he paddled my a$$ till I couldn’t sit down without discomfort. Today that would be called child abuse, but back then it was called discipline: spare the rod, spoil the child. That cured me of any prejudice against black people.
Sister Peggy 🙂
She was a winner!
Sister Mary Eleanor of St Francis Xavier Parish in Grand Rapids Michigan.
I remember her working hard with me on my speech impediment. She was patient but stern.
An old photo of our first communion showed 67 children, 3 priests and one monsignor.
Those were some days alright. My first communion banner was Jesus on a hill with arms outstretched wearing a white robe..and above his golden crown one word;
J O Y
Sister Marie Julie, OP, who thought tough math worksheets were “funnsies”. Tragically, she died of cancer the following year.
Sister Henry, IIRC. 1960. St. Monica’s School, Dallas Texas then had about 20% of its current population, but who’s bitter?
Mrs. Eddy and Mrs. Calloway. The latter practiced a very hands-on form of black board justice. I remember one time she handed out folders by placing them on our desks. She strictly told us not to touch them. What do I do? I opened mine up. She marched right up to me, slapped me across my right shoulder, practically taking my arm off. She got in my face like a drill instructor and screamed, “I told you not to touch it.”
I prefer not to. However, I gladly remember my 5th grade teacher’s name, Mrs. Bradshaw, to whom I was an undeserved trial, but who taught me well.
I was reading Greg Mockeridge’s account and it sort of “hit” a bone of contention w/ me.
I hear all the time how mean the nun’s were.
We’re they honestly mean, or just strict?
I recall a tweak on my ear once for disobedience of some sort, but never thought it being mean.
Would any of you share your thoughts on that subject?
I feel as though the accusations are a bit inflated but maybe I’m wrong. (?)
Phillip, I went to public schools. And those nuns with rulers had nothing on the teachers I had in elementary school when it came to corporal punishment.
…sorry Greg.
The stories Iv’e heard through the years about bad or mean nuns sprang to mind when I read your comment..even though you never mentioned nun’s. Mia Copa.
Mrs. Schaaf and Mrs Brandon.
Mrs. Schaaf introduced us to Indian Bread, a form of corn bread, based on the historical presence of the Pawnee tribe in our area.
Mrs. Schaaf also read to us. I believe this introduced me to Laura Ingalls Wilder.
Mrs. Brandon had the Oregon Trail game on the Apple II, a big deal at the time.
Miss. Johnson, very pretty fourth grade teacher at Bowley School in Fort Bragg, NC.
In 4th grade–way back in the mid-90s–I had Mrs. Groves at St. Joseph School in northern Indiana. (4th grade was the only year my teacher wasn’t named “Mom”!) Mrs. Groves taught me that I always quit after the first try and I needed to always try, try again. I will always be grateful for that!
Sister Ann Dolores was my fourth grade teacher at St Thomas More in Arlington VA. I remember Sr. Ann as being thin with big blue eyes. There was another nun at the start of the school year. I can see her young, attractive face but cannot remember her name; she was Chilean and was reassigned to a school in Santiago. I started hating math that year because Sr. Ann had a clicker. She would time us going down the rows, shouting out the answers to computations from our workbooks. I hated being rushed. My 3rd grade teacher was Sr. Annetta. She was strict, especially with the boys who had to sit up front, but not mean. What a great teacher; I loved her.
I learned a lot that year. As my brother still says everything we learned at that school set us up for life. Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (IHMs) were very well educated.