HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1973-07-05, Page 16 (2)PROS 4A—OODZRIC#t SIGNAL -STAR, THURSDAY. JULY 5, 1973
Special awards were presented to these Holmesvill, students. They are: sitting, Co) in
Spence English, and Brenda Schllbe Mathematics. Standing, Michael Leitch Science,
Dianne Wrennink History and Ken Wise Geographr.,(Staff Photo)
This year, as I mentioned
previously, my wife taught
English in a private school: It
was her first crack at teaching,
aside from. kindergarten and
musk, and she taught a Grade
13 class, so it was no cinch. She
worked- hard at it.
But the strain on me was
something else. Every day'`
when I got home from teaching
150 students, I had to endure a
two-hour monologue about her
"kids" and what they'd said
and done today. Once in a
while I'd try to get WI word or
.phrase about what my "kids" in a quarter,,,an.,, after a shy,
had said and done, but it was
like trying to stop Secretariat,
in full gallop, with a piece of
thread.
At the first of the year, she
was worried about a few of
them, who gave promise of
becoming recalcitrant. But by
`sheer charm and her innate
interest in other people, she
was able to establish a close
and friendly relationship with_•
every single oneof her huge
class of ten.
By the time the . last day of
school came around, she was
almost in tears as she rel 'zed
she'd probably never see ay of
them 'again, or only as com-
parative strangers.
This is something that, hap-
pens to most teachers who
really like youngsters,
especially when it's a
graduating class. There is
generally a mutual warmth on
the last day of school. The
"students suddeply realize that
it's their last day in high
school, surely one of the hap-
piest times of their life. The
teacher -suddenly realizes that
this is the last day,, that he's
made it once again without
going around 'the bend, and
that this is a pretty ,good lot of
kids.
Some" of the youngsters are
actually scared when it comes.
`upon them that - another um-
bilical 'cord has been cut and
the great big hard° world is
waiting to swallow them. Oc-
casionally there are tears.
One young. lady wanted to
know, as she wept, "How did
you"feeT�w en `you kfr`high
school?" She obyi usly meant
that she •'wasj