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Tough teachers are ones we remember
Published Wednesday, November 25, 2009
I remember very well the first day of school the year I started third grade at Monitor School in Coal Grove. My teacher for the year was Mrs. Hall, straight up the stairs and turn to the right.
Our first assignment was to write a paragraph on the subject, “What do I want to accomplish in the third grade.”
Well, right away my “wisecracking” ways took over my mind. I wanted to make straight As on my report card and kiss a girl by the end of the year, I wrote.
My grades entering into third grade were terrible, especially in skills such as writing, spelling, and behavior. math and science, not so bad.
As Mrs. Hall looked over my paper. I saw a twinkle in her eye, as she looked at the paper, at me, and again at the paper. “Oh no,” I thought, “this is not going well.”
Mrs. Hall had me working hard all year. “Write this again,” she would say. “Work on that handwriting. Is that how to spell this word? Really? You had better look that word up!”
Every six weeks we received our report cards. After the first six weeks, I had received all As except for one B.
Mrs. Hall had me hooked and she knew it. Every time report cards came out, I grew more excited. But every time it was all As except for one B.
And to make matters worse, the B would be in a different subject each time.
Work hard on the B subject, get an A on it, but get a B on something else.
I am sure Mrs. Hall saw the look in my eyes every time I found a B on my report card. After all, that twinkle in her eyes would reappear too.
Just one B each time would keep me working harder.
Finally, the third grade was over. On the last day of school, I opened my report card. Last chance of the year! Inside were straight As. And there was the twinkle in Mrs. Hall’s eyes.
I never looked back. My grades throughout the rest of school were good. One teacher, making a real difference.
Thanks Mrs. Hall. And Mrs. Hall, if you are reading this, I have to come clean on one thing. I also kissed a girl that year, but that’s a whole ‘nother story.
Michael Campbell is a former Lawrence County resident who now calls Statesville, N.C., home.
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Comments
Posted by ontcare (anonymous) on November 25, 2009 at 10:33 a.m. (Suggest removal)
What a sweet story...It's things like these that make Thanksgiving what it really is....It's a shame most teachers now days don't take that attitude....
God bless you Mrs. Hall even though I don't even know you !!!
Posted by bluemule (anonymous) on November 25, 2009 at 2:02 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Her full name was Ida Pearl Hall, there was a nice staff story in the tribune in 2005 about her, just type in her name in "search" and narrow it down to "stories".
Posted by Carlito42 (anonymous) on November 25, 2009 at 9 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Mrs. Hall apparently was terrific. However, was Dewey Brammer the principal? I heard stories that he would sneak a peek at the kids from an upstairs observation point and discipline (paddlings) the ones who were unfortunate enough to be doing something against the rules and getting caught. I went to Dawson Bryant's eighth grade only and rode the bus that went to Middle Leatherwood. The bus stopped to pick up kids from Deering School, where Dewey Brammer was principal. One day I yelled, "Hello, Dewey!", from the bus. I never saw a man run so quickly to see who had dared to call him by his first name. Fortunately, he didn't know me, so I escaped punishment.
Posted by Carlito42 (anonymous) on November 25, 2009 at 9:16 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I have school ties to Ironton city school system (Central, West Ironton, Lawrence Street, Kingsbury, and Ironton High graduate), Rock Hill (Hanging Rock High School), and Coal Grove. All the schools had exceptional teachers, and it's extremely difficult for me to pick a favorite teacher, but my top picks are Phyllis Davies at Lawrence Street, Ann Elias at Lawrence Street, and Zitella Christy at Hanging Rock. Ann Elias, in particular, forced me to learn the math she taught and, in the process, it became my favorite subject. It would be easier for me to list the uncaring teachers than to list all the teachers who helped me from start of school to graduation. I really wish I had time to write a novel, because that's what it would take to memorialize all my wonderful teachers.
Posted by bluemule (anonymous) on November 26, 2009 at 7:11 a.m. (Suggest removal)
The principal was a woman, at that time frame, cannot remember her name though. I do remember a bus driver who was very stern. There was absolutely no talking on his bus, you could of heard a pin drop at all times on his bus!
He allowed us to sing on the last school day before Christmas break, and on the last day of school, but you had better be singing, not talking...
Posted by Carlito42 (anonymous) on November 26, 2009 at 7:58 p.m. (Suggest removal)
What year did they shut the Monitor school down? When I attended eighth grade at Coal Grove for the 1956-1957 school year, some of my classmates said that it had been condemned at one time.
Posted by bluemule (anonymous) on November 27, 2009 at 6:16 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Not sure about that carlito42, I attended Monitor in the school year 1977-78, then we moved away that summer of 1978. I do remember we had to ride a bus to the high school to eat lunch, then ride back to Monitor to finish the school day. It surely was an old school then, I remember it being cold in the school in the morning, but toasty after a while, as it had the old water/oil style radiator heaters. I don't remember a library either, seems like each class had a couple of shelves of its own books in the rooms.
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