By Lee Scott
There have been many good teachers in my life. I was very lucky. When I hear stories from my friend about her teaching years, though, I am a bit jealous. Miss Nancy is retired now, but she was one of those teachers who combined learning with fun. I never had a teacher like her, probably because I was born in a different era.
I recall going home from school and telling my mother and father I did not want to go back to school anymore because it was not fun. Both of my parents had the same not-so-sympathetic response,
“Tough! You are not there to have fun, you are there to learn.”
So, began my formal education.
When I hear Miss Nancy talk about her students and teaching, her eyes light up. She was one of those teachers we all wished for in school. The teacher who greeted you enthusiastically and made you want to learn. Miss Nancy has so many stories of ways she encouraged students to learn and to have a good time. What a concept!
One story she recently told was about gift exchanges at Christmas time. The children were not allowed to spend much money, but each child brought in something. She had them sit around in a circle with the wrapped present on their laps. Then she would start to tell a story. Within the story, there were phrases like, “then the boy took three steps to the left.” This would indicate that the children would each pass the gift in their hands three to the left. She would continue the story and say something like, “then the girl took five candies from the jar on the right and put one back.”
The story was entertaining and required them to pay attention. It had some math in it and they learned about right and left. Not only did they have fun, but they knew they would have a gift to open at the end. She also loved decorating her classrooms for the various holidays and took the opportunity to incorporate history, reading, and art all into one learning experience.
Every time I hear about an activity or story from Miss Nancy, I am awed knowing there are teachers like her. She is the kind of teacher students come back and visit when they are older; the students who were inspired.
There are many good teachers committed to their work and I was lucky to have had some of them. But I would have enjoyed going to school every day, if only Miss Nancy had been my teacher.
