The Great Teacher

"The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires." William Arthur Ward



Just ask the hundreds of students who have warmed these chairs over the course of her 32 years of teaching high school English, and they'll tell you she is one of the greats! They will also tell you she is hard, demanding and exacting. Requiring the study of 12 books and the memorization of lengthy lists of weekly vocabulary words such as transcendentalism and intercalary, she takes no prisoners in her junior honors English class.



But if you're a student with a willing spirit, you should be so lucky to be assigned to this room. My mother is not only a master of her trade in teaching literature and the curiosities of the English language, although that alone is a skill to stop and admire.



She also realizes that as one in such a position she can call students up to their highest potential. Her favorite thing about teaching is knowing she has lit the fire when students come to appreciate their own work ethic and discover their true capacity by meeting the demands of a challenge. She demands greatness, and by so doing sends the message that each student is capable of such greatness. And in her class the determined student can grow and learn in ways that ultimately surpass book learning.



Though her teaching career spans a full 32 years, she has been teaching at the same school for 27 of those years, passing through this doorway daily.









The school itself is around 100 years old, but the current structure has stood since 1927. It is undergoing a major renovation project that will eventually evict my mom and her students out of her classroom of 27 years and into a portable unit. That is, if retirement doesn't come first! I thought it was important for my children to see where grandma teaches, and I also wanted to ensure this significant part of my mom's life was recorded in photographs before it is all undone.





The rather plain facade of her classroom's doorway hardly corresponds to the visual treat contained within. A feast for the eyes awaits! The place is covered with years of student creations, literary artifacts, family photos and things that are just fun to look at.




Ode to "Great Expectations"








Even the clock is adorned.


I wonder how many pencils have been sharpened here.






This wall is really the pièce de résistance. This collage is a work of art. Whoever designed this no-fade bulletin board paper was speaking truths; after 20 years of sun exposure it still retains its bright blue color!


If you've ever talked with my mom over the phone at school, this is what she's using on the other end.


This chair (circa. 1940's) would have been her last chair and testament until the end had it not been for a group of grateful students who recognized my mom's outstanding work as a teacher.



These students took it upon themselves to collect money to purchase my mom a new, more comfortable chair to present to her as a gift to honor her dedication. In a tearful scene that must have felt like something out of a movie, the students surprised my mom with the new chair. This was one of the greatest moments of her career.


The other perch upon which my mom spends much of her classroom time teaching out of the best books.


This wooden podium she teaches from was gifted to her 25 years ago by a student.


I've often wished I could occupy one of these desks. I can only imagine what I'd learn. But then again, what a load of work I'd face!






My mom is one of the most well read people I know. She reads on average 70-75 books per year! Her favorite author is Charles Dickens and she is one of the few who has read all of his novels. Her favorite book is "David Copperfield." The book that ignited her love of literature was "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Bronte, which is personally something meaningful to me as that is my favorite book!







The kids really enjoyed seeing where grandma performs her magic.




Trevon experimented with being a student at one of the desks.


Ultimately he decided it was much more fun to be the teacher!


With five classes and 125 students combined, my mom has a heavy workload. She arrives each day early at 7:00 and doesn't leave until after 5:00. She certainly practices what she requires of her students, and is a remarkable and steady example of a strong work ethic.


It's hard to imagine fitting any more students in this already crowded classroom, but if things continue as they are, they will sadly shoehorn even more desks into this small space.






The view from the pilot's chair
















Those of you who know my mom well will find the humor in this shot. She is a self-described technophobe. She may read circles around us and even type 60-70 WPM, but computer skills are not her forte. Even she will concede, however, that the computer is great for e-mail communication to students and parents.







Outdated attendance sheet clip


Leaving school as she does each day. I think of the many moments of positive influence she has wrought among her pupils each and every day. And over the course of 32 years how all of this has accumulated into developing students into people who achieve their promise.








And even after she has retired her red pencil for good, her legacy will never be forgotten. I admire her deeply. She is truly an amazing woman, mother, teacher and friend.

High School Reunion

Well, sort of. It wasn't a full blown reunion per se (who has a 17th high school reunion anyway?), but it was a reunion nonetheless. Facebook has done wonders to reunite me with long lost friends. Of course there are some people I'd just as well forget, but I have been blessed with many wonderful people throughout my life, and high school was really no exception. I had a great group of friends. And it turns out most of them are still people I'd count as good friends today if it weren't for time and distance widening the gap. Well now that I'm back in the bay area, as are many of them, it's been a great opportunity to reconnect. One weekend a few of us got together and did just that over lunch in San Francisco. It was a really lovely afternoon of catching up, so nice that our lunch turned into a 5-hour chat-fest. Thanks to one of my friends who had the good thought to bring her camera that resulted in these fun photos . . .

35 Years of Friendship

I think it's no secret that I'm having a hard time here. It's been 8 months and no signs of clearing up yet, but there have been some sunny spells that have lifted my spirits. Mostly in the form of reuniting with good friends and family.

After a couple previous failed attempts I was finally able to make contact with my bestest friend from my earliest days of life. It was so great having her here, and finally meeting her family!




At least we got one shot where all the kids were looking in the same direction, even if it was at the dog!