Article 27, Volume 3 September 30, 2013
Ten high school teachers who influenced my life in one way or another
Let me share a little bit about how each teacher had an impact on my life.
Mrs. Evelyn Jackson - Homeroom - She was my first homeroom teacher. In the 8th grade I weighed only 130 pounds, Mrs. Jackson thought I needed some kind of nourishment. I told her that I had eaten all the food I wanted. I was small because I ran a lot.
Anyway, I started drinking more canned milk and taking daily doses of cod liver oil. By the end of the school year, my weight was up to 170 pounds. I felt so much better.
Miss Helen Spencer - Business Education - Mrs. Spencer didn't allow any foolishness in her classroom. Knowing how to type, was instrumental in the Army's decision to send me to a business school instead of the infantry. Also, I could start typing my weekly newspaper articles. The business class gave me some insight into business in the United States. Plus, she was one of the school's top 5 teachers.
Fitz Turner - Football coach - He just hung in there year after year with losing football teams. In my sophomore and junior years, we had winning teams. Despite our teams losing ways, Coach Turner was able to help football players get scholarships or grants-in-aid if they wanted to go to college.
Clara L. Harris -Language Arts - She stressed that language, written and spoken, was a necessity to be successful in life. She loved Shakespeare. She threatened to flunk 80% of my senior class (students in her class) if we did not do our work properly. This threat sent a scare throughout the school. She held her ground and the class really got serious. In the end, I believe everybody passed. Her emphasis on the correct use of the English language really helped me in my life's ventures. She was one of the school's top 5 teachers.
Mack Benn Jr. - Coach - Simply a winner in virtually everything he touched. The varsity basketball team went from the doormat of the region to regular season champion in three years. He was the defensive coordinator of the football team in my sophomore and junior years. We had one of the best defensive teams in the region. My senior year doesn't count.
In the fall of 1960, he became the head coach of the football team. The team won, I believe, only 2 games. But the best was yet to come. In 1964 the school's team, under his leadership, shared the State Championship.
Ethel W. Joyner - Foreign Language - I studied French in her class. After the first two weeks, I was lost. So, my lesson from her class was Grady you've got to know when to fold them. Get out of that elective class and take a class you can use! Just don't stay in there and suffer. Well, I suffered through the class the whole year. Just didn't comprehend. She gave me a complimentary passing grade, to go along with my A's and B's in my other classes.
In those days we didn't have teachers or counselors to discuss college plans or preparation with. However, I learned in later years that some teachers assisted their favorite students in academic choices.
Within 9 months after graduation, the Army assigned me to France. I was able to pick it up, somewhat, from the French people. Well, enough to get by.
Edgar T. Rawles -Agriculture Education - Mr. Rawles taught us a lot about being men and standing up for ourselves. He was a dedicated teacher. Also, he was my seventh-grade teacher. The first male teacher I had in my life.
Lowell W. Turner - Principal - He communicated with the teachers and students in a very favorable manner. Also, under his leadership, hundreds of future leaders, in many categories, graduated. Now, looking back, he took a lot of flack, from various sources regarding the school. Despite it all, he stayed positive, and successfully led the school for 26 years.
Thelma T. Norfleet - Homeroom teacher - She was like a mother away from home. Mrs. Norfleet took an interest in the welfare of all her homeroom students.
Ben Davis - Baseball Coach - He was a terrific coach. He taught us values beyond the game of baseball.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Well, I could name a few more, but I have to stop here. Which one do I consider the most influential in my life? Kind of hard to say, because I learned different things from each one.
Miss Helen Spencer - Business Education - Mrs. Spencer didn't allow any foolishness in her classroom. Knowing how to type, was instrumental in the Army's decision to send me to a business school instead of the infantry. Also, I could start typing my weekly newspaper articles. The business class gave me some insight into business in the United States. Plus, she was one of the school's top 5 teachers.
Fitz Turner - Football coach - He just hung in there year after year with losing football teams. In my sophomore and junior years, we had winning teams. Despite our teams losing ways, Coach Turner was able to help football players get scholarships or grants-in-aid if they wanted to go to college.
Clara L. Harris -Language Arts - She stressed that language, written and spoken, was a necessity to be successful in life. She loved Shakespeare. She threatened to flunk 80% of my senior class (students in her class) if we did not do our work properly. This threat sent a scare throughout the school. She held her ground and the class really got serious. In the end, I believe everybody passed. Her emphasis on the correct use of the English language really helped me in my life's ventures. She was one of the school's top 5 teachers.
Mack Benn Jr. - Coach - Simply a winner in virtually everything he touched. The varsity basketball team went from the doormat of the region to regular season champion in three years. He was the defensive coordinator of the football team in my sophomore and junior years. We had one of the best defensive teams in the region. My senior year doesn't count.
In the fall of 1960, he became the head coach of the football team. The team won, I believe, only 2 games. But the best was yet to come. In 1964 the school's team, under his leadership, shared the State Championship.
Ethel W. Joyner - Foreign Language - I studied French in her class. After the first two weeks, I was lost. So, my lesson from her class was Grady you've got to know when to fold them. Get out of that elective class and take a class you can use! Just don't stay in there and suffer. Well, I suffered through the class the whole year. Just didn't comprehend. She gave me a complimentary passing grade, to go along with my A's and B's in my other classes.
In those days we didn't have teachers or counselors to discuss college plans or preparation with. However, I learned in later years that some teachers assisted their favorite students in academic choices.
Within 9 months after graduation, the Army assigned me to France. I was able to pick it up, somewhat, from the French people. Well, enough to get by.
Edgar T. Rawles -Agriculture Education - Mr. Rawles taught us a lot about being men and standing up for ourselves. He was a dedicated teacher. Also, he was my seventh-grade teacher. The first male teacher I had in my life.
Lowell W. Turner - Principal - He communicated with the teachers and students in a very favorable manner. Also, under his leadership, hundreds of future leaders, in many categories, graduated. Now, looking back, he took a lot of flack, from various sources regarding the school. Despite it all, he stayed positive, and successfully led the school for 26 years.
Thelma T. Norfleet - Homeroom teacher - She was like a mother away from home. Mrs. Norfleet took an interest in the welfare of all her homeroom students.
Ben Davis - Baseball Coach - He was a terrific coach. He taught us values beyond the game of baseball.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Well, I could name a few more, but I have to stop here. Which one do I consider the most influential in my life? Kind of hard to say, because I learned different things from each one.
No comments:
Post a Comment