Monday Memory

Since I pretty much gave you all my weekend window as a play by play, I have decided to do a Monday Memory for my blog today. In honor of going back to school this week (for teachers) and next (for students), I thought I'd do a memory of my own school days.

Did I Ever Tell You About My Elementary School Teachers?

I attended a small school in Tampa. The school, Riverhills, was a neighborhood school with VERY few students bussed in. I started there as a first grader (no mandatory K back then) in 1970. I went there all the way through Elementary until I was bussed to the sixth grade center.

I remember all my teachers. I'd love you to meet them:

1st Grade: Mrs. Hudson was my teacher. I loved her! I learned to read in her room. I remember our textbook had a character named "Mark" in it. I loved the story about "Mark in the park after dark." Do you think I learned phonics?

The special thing about Mrs. Hudson is that she also let us read "real" books. We got to read Dr. Seuss books to partners. The person who read the most books got a prize at the end of the year. I won! I still have the little "Bookmouse" that she gave me. It was a prized posession!!

2nd Grade: Mrs. Wadsworth came along early in the school year as the original teacher had to leave. She, too, was such a great teacher. I remember doing my first book report in there on Dr. Seuss's McElligot's Pool. That year, I had an intern: Mrs. Beverly Lewis. Oddly enough, I would teach with Beverly many years later!

3rd Grade: We were in a pod during this year and "moved classes". The teachers in the pod were: Mrs. Alonso, Mrs. Woodruff, and Mrs. Hunter. I had Mrs. Hunter most of the time. I went to reading with Mrs. Woodruff. She loved to do extracurricular things with us. I remember eating "Japanese style" with kimonos and all...and taking a trip for Tacos after reading about Mexico. We also made 8mm movies with her. It was great fun.

4th Grade: Mrs. Brewer was my homeroom teacher. She loved to say funny little poems like this: Itty bitty fly upon the wall, Him got no friends at all, Him got no one to comb his hair, Him don't care, him got no hair!" I don't know why I remember that! I also went to Mrs. Almand for reading during that year. I would later go to high school with her daughter. Mrs. Almand was my language arts teacher. I made my first diorama in her class for the book, "Island of the Blue Dolphins" by Scott O'Dell. I also remember Mrs. Brewer reading "Old Yeller" to us and all of us just crying!

5th Grade: I had Mrs. Pate. She had a reputation for being a tough teacher. And she was. But, she also had a soft side. I remember doing state reports that year and having to make floats representing the state. I also remember cooking foods from "around the world" as part of social studies.

Riverhills was a very special place. The teachers genuinely seemed to like their jobs and kids. They weren't under the same pressures we are today as far as teaching and learning goes. But the common thread that makes good teachers has not changed...they must be passionate and love kids!

And that, my friends, is MY Monday Memory!!