Speaking of teachers....
We were?
My favorite high school teacher was Miss Kivett, English/Lit teacher grades 9 thru 11.
When I was a freshman Miss Kivett was my Eng/Lit teacher…although I can’t remember if she was part-time or a substitute (I don’t think she taught full time that year), but I do know I really liked her. Maybe it was because she was so young and fresh that I took notice and finally enjoyed a class. She had a way of presenting the learning material that made you want to know more. Going into my sophomore year, I was hoping that Miss Kivett would be my Eng/Lit teacher again. She was! That was the year that I finally turned myself around and started paying attention in classes. She was the single most important factor of me trying to make better grades, which I did (except for algebra). She made me want to learn more and study more (again, except for algebra!!) I had Miss Kivett again in my junior year and I was ecstatic. She got married and became Mrs. Almond and left CG. She was not there our senior year, but she left behind at least one girl who appreciated her and her teachings.
Was there a special teacher for you at CG, who stood out above all others in one way or another?
Also, why was our senior yearbook green & yellow and the year before it was black & white? Why not red & white, our school colors? Someone has to know the answer to this. Come on, I've lost sleep.....
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8 comments:
Joker,
Many months ago on my blog I, too, wrote of admiring Miss Kivett. I had two teachers that turned my life around.
She was one and the other was Miss Saundra Pennock.
One sunny day, this young, fresh breath of fresh air came flying into the teachers parking lot in her little white sports car convertible with a long scarf flying out behind her.
Out steps this tall, thin, absolutely beautiful woman walking on the tallest spiked heels ever to set foot on sacred CGHS ground.
Newly arrive from the Northside of Indianapolis, she was something we had never set eyes on before in our little rural community.
She had those most amazing sprakling brown eyes and short hair cut, that only she could pull off and clothes that came straight out of the best department stores.
She taught Freshman English and until then, I had had absolutely no interest in English. She was fresh out of college and ready and willing to take on this poor misguided girl.
After two hard years for me in Jr. High, she absolutely turned me around and brought learning to new heights to me. I had felt, for whatever reason, maybe delusion, that girls were not the important thing in classes.
I had a previous English teacher that put all the sports team members around their desk and spoke to them directly. The girls were in the back of the room.
Maybe for control reasons, or whatever, but if made me feel unimportant.
I have to say my whole attitude changed in Freshman and Soph. English after that.
Miss Pennock showed me how important I could be and expected alot from me and I tried very hard to succeed.
The following year, I was blessed to have Miss Kivett and she continued on with wonderful teachings.
Over the years, I have wondered how many other students lives those two wonderful teachers touched.
I loved Miss Kivet and Miss Pennock too. Like you Joker, I think they made a big difference in helping me get turned around and focused on school.
I can't remember any bad teachers at CG (unless you can Miss. Tearman and Mrs Ruffe) nor can I remember any teachers I didn't like.
I loved Mrs. Clements too; her class was the first time I could tackle a math problem and actually make the rules work. I was thrilled,,, felt like I had super powers! Needless to say I NEVER felt that way in Algebra. I loved her geometry class
Mr. Bridges was a kick - I really enjoyed the way he presented Beowulf and Shakespeare etc. Mrs. Morrison was incredibly patient -- how she tolerated my lame brain and all thumbs approach to Home Ec., I'll never know.
Mr. Miller was a stitch! I really enjoyed his classes. Mr. Roby too.
Do you remember when Miss Pennock asked us to read Shirley Jackson's The Lottery in class? As I recall I had a terrible cold and decided to take a nap instead of reading.
Later, at home and by myself, I read the story and scared myself to death!! No wonder she wanted us to read it in class
Another time in Mr. Huff's history class, he asked "What are camellias". I was in the first seat, I had seen Omaha's Wild Kingdom,,, so I shot my hand up. "It's a lizard that can change colors!" Mr. Huff graciously did not roll his eyes nor fall off his chair laughing but patiently explained the difference
Of course, we were studying the Civil War and the thought of all those klansmen wearing a symbol of a color-changing lizard makes my heart smile every time.
Just one more thing. Does anyone remember reading Mask of the Red Death in Miss Hahn’s class?
The only bad teacher I can remember was 4th grade - Mrs. Doty. She was scary and mean with a capital M. She had brown short cut hair (almost like a mans) and warts on her face..I'm not kidding. She openly admitted she liked boys better and did not care for nor trust girls. Since I was basically a quiet child (in school) I never had a confrontation with her, but those more outspoken then I, had some real run-ins with her. Did anyone have Mrs Doty for 4th grade?
I found Mr Bridges nice, but boring and when he asked us to prepare a paper by the end of the semester on some controversial subject and I received an A-, I liked him a lot better.
I liked Mrs & Mr Clements and OJ Sloop, too.
It seems like the 4th grade was meant to be our initiation into the "cold cruel world". Of course I think Mrs. Ruffe was a 2nd grade teacher and she was mean to Two Dogs. Between Miss. Tearman and Mrs. Doty it's a wonder we didn't all grow up thinking we were Kenny on South Park – that is, getting killed everyday!
GB's class got sex education along with the 3Rs. There was a pig lot outside their window and they had the local version of Wild Kingdom on a daily basis. I can just hear Steve Irwin describing the action. "Crickey!! Have a look at that beauty. Aw he’s in love with that gorgeous sheila. Makin' bacon slicker than a lizard drinkin' "
It's so sad that kids miss all that stuff. I'm not sure I would wish Miss Tearman on ANYone but I never had to guess where my folks stood. "She's your teacher! She is RIGHT"
But ya know, a lot of those elementary school teachers only had 2 years of college if that. Sure wouldn't work now. Some of those old crones must have been barely hanging on to their jobs,,, but I don't think they were afraid of getting fired.
This is Joker's "Favorite Teacher" post, right?
Well... since we've taken a detour, I'll ride along a while.
I was pretty much teacher's pet in first and second grade, (Mrs. Parrish and Mrs. Saunders). I loved them both.
Then came third grade and Mrs. Walker.
My Mother thinks Mrs. Walker may have been having mental difficulties. All I know is that she took a "Mrs. Tearman" attitude toward me, and I was crushed. She took the wind out of my sails, and literally may have ruined me for school until college. I enjoyed Mr. Dietzer, but I'm not sure I learned a damned thing in Fifth grade... I loved Mr. Legan and I think did okay academically with him, but I sure didn't set the world on fire. My memory of the rest of school is that I wanted to be done with it.I enjoyed the extra-curricular stuff and the socializing, but academically I was goin' through the motions. I think most teachers figured that out and gave up on me.
Things might... MIGHT have been different if Mrs. Walker had not been my third grade teacher...
But who can know?
I think out of all the teachers I had that really was there for us kids, Mr. Hillenberg was at the top also. I remember him talking the principal into letting us start volley ball and long periods outside on Fridays, he made sure the other 6th grade classes got involved also. He was a great teacher. He made coming to school interesting. He really stepped up the sports involvement for us.
My first grade teacher was Mrs. McKenzie and her husband taught the fifth grade. They were an awesome couple.
Miss Kivett would be right up there among the favorites. I visited our favorite principle this weekend. Would suggest visiting him soon......
I was working in a soup kitchen recently with a fellow named Marvin Hawkins. He was a football coach at Center Grove before moving on to Southport. When his wife came to pick him up, suprise!, it was my 4th grade teacher, Mrs. Hawkins. They still live in the Southport area and are in good health. Anyone remember Mr. Bankston? He taught history and thought he was a comedian, but was a good teacher.
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