Hello Fellow Members of the Class of 63. My goal is to post at least once a week during this experiment for contacting our old (not a good word!) classmates. There are so many of you that we have had little or no contact with over the last 44 years. It has been wonderful when we have seen you. Without fail, it has been a pleasure to see you and visit with you. My second goal is to post comments from Jim. He isn't a computer person, but in the spirit of the blog, I think I can get him to participate. In the beginning, I am going to suggest a topic to get us talking, but feel free to add comments and information as we go along. Additionally, please pass the blog information along to any of our class members that you can contact. As time goes by, I will share more information about Jim and me, but this isn't just about us; we want to know about you, too. Jim and I are both retired educators. I have been retired for starting 5 years, and Jim is starting his 4th year. We do love not having to be tied to a schedule; however my first year I kept waiting for the school bell to ring so I would know where to go and what to do, after all a school bell had been my guide since I was 5 years old. Jim, on the other hand, slid seamlessly into retirement and hasn't left the golf course yet. He loves it!
My topic today is to share a memory of one of our teachers at Childress High School. I have a picture in my head of our junior American History teacher, Mr. Jones. It was about the first day of school that year and he was a new fresh out of school teacher--young and obviously very nervous! As he was beginning his lecture of the day, he sat on a stool and fell off. Whoa, poor Mr. Jones! I am sure everyone laughed! As the years have passed by, I have had occasion to remember that event and his obvious embarrassment. I once had to be the new young teacher and have survived those moments, but I can only hope we gave him a break. (not a good word either) Jim adds to the memory by reminding me that young Mr. Jones also told us that we wouldn't need our textbooks for a while as he would be lecturing to us. Apparently, he covered his entire "two week" lecture the first day. Mr. Jones, if you are still out there, "Thanks for the memories! We would love to hear from you, too. I am sure you have memories of those "good" old days also. I recognize now that you were barely older that we were!" This memory has taught me that experience is indeed the best teacher.
Nicki
Monday, August 13, 2007
Reflections on a Teacher at CHS
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8 comments:
What a great idea! I wish I had some comments about Mr. Jones. I honestly don't remember him. I do remember a new science teacher backing into a trash can and ending up in it----------and I remember the laughter and his embarassment. ( I just had to go look in a yearbook to find his name-----Ellerbrook.) Until that day I had been chatty and disrespectful in his class. I guess I felt his pain. After that I tried to be good and not give him any grief.
I, too, am a retired educator and well remember being the new, young teacher. I always made it a point to know where the trashcans were.
August 15, 2007 12:25 PM
Nicki,
Thanks for thinking of this. I'm one of those who has had very little contact with old high school friends because I've lived all over the world instead of TX.
The teacher I remember the most is Mr. Morris, who taught Journalism. He really had an impact on my life and because of his encouragement, I now have 8 published books of inspirational poety. So if you're reading this, Mr. Morris, just know that teacher do make a difference!
Betty (Smith) Merritt
Crobmeek,
I also have a very vivid memory concerning Mr. Ellerbrook. Betty Shahan and I were lab partners in chemistry. On this particular day we were having problems getting our lab equipment set up as we could not get a glass tube into the glass beaker. Mr. E. came by to help us and in doing so he broke the glass, cutting himself. To our horror, blood went everywhere. I felt so bad for him and very guilty as if we had caused it. I think that is one of the first times I realized that our teachers were human beings much like ourselves. In addition, I realized that the best thing I could do would be to totally avoid chemistry for the rest of my natural life! So far, I have succeeded!
Nicki
Betty,
It is just wonderful to hear from you. Thank you so much for reminding me of Mr. Morris. He was my English teacher and I thought he was just wonderful and really cute, too. I remember feeling sad when he moved away. Jim and I have wondered where he went and where he might be now. Jim says that he thought he heard something about his having gone back into the military and perhaps was a professor at West Point. Of course, that is not verified.
Betty, please share more with us about your world travels and your books!
nicki
I didn't remember Mr. Jones until I looked him up in the yearbook. The one thing that came to mind was that although the yearbook listed him as Ronald J. Jones, he was vehement in insisting that his name was actually J. Ronald Jones.
As for Mr. Morris, he was a wonderful teacher who made a great difference in many of our lives. He was my junior English and Journalism teacher. He nurtured in me a lifelong love of poetry (or "po'try" as he would say in his best old country boy accent), and great literature, and wildly creative satire and humor. I was fortunate enough to be in touch with him for a while after graduation, so am pleased to provide an update.
Nicki, in response to your query, Mr. Morris went back into the Army the year we graduated, and served in Vietnam, Korea and Germany, among other places. He was indeed a professor at West Point for a period of time. His last post was at Fort Hood, Texas and he retired several years ago with the rank of Lt. Colonel. The last I knew, he was living outside a small town north of Austin.
Other teachers of note: A.B. Shaw, without whose perseverance and generosity of spirit I would never have made it through Algebra (math has never been my strong suit); Nelly Agnes Kennedy and her poetry memorization drills; Imogene Pannell (now Murray, and still living in Childress), with her wonderfully dry, sardonic wit; Mary Maude Denny and her three- and five-minute typing tests (for which I was immensely grateful in later life); Coach Joe Warren, who taught World History our sophomore year; and Norm Hemphill, Band Director extraordinaire, who made band trips fun, even when the Bobcats lost.
I retired about five years ago after 25 years of work as a paralegal, and my husband Yahn retired three years ago as Chairman of the Graphic Design and Animation Departments at the Art Institute of Houston. We live in Las Vegas, Nevada We have been fortunate enough to travel over most of the world. and it's a LOT different from Childress out there. My next trip will be to Paris (with a sidetrip to London) next March with Raenell Wynn Smith, Linda Kay Bridges Cook and JoAnn Neel Lathram.
Despite all the years away, and all the miles traveled, a bit of one of the old songs, or an old movie, or some subtle prompt will take me back to Childress, to remember the good times. Thanks, Nicki, for doing this.
okee dokee.....jis lemme unlimber this yar computer....Ah'ma try'n ta figure out how this blog business works.
Thanks to Jennifer for sending this to me.
You bet I will be sending some of my wonderful memories of Childress.....but I want to make sure I can work this thing first....
Thanks for putting this together Nicki......and tell that husband of yours hello......he taught me how to play golf......and after 50 years .....I have never won a single game.
looking forwards........Sprad
I have spoken to Mrs. Dottie Bettis in Childress to try and find out more about Mr. Morris. Mrs Bettis tells me that Sharon Morris, Mr. Morris', wife is her husband's sister. After retiring from the military, the Morris', located in the Texas Hill Country, but after a time they moved to Oklahoma. They had previously lived in Lawton, OK. Now they live in Cache, OK which is very near Lawton. Mr. Morris' mother lives in Wellington, and they are nearby to check on her. Both the Morris' are doing well, and Mrs. Bettis is sure he would be happy to hear from anyone of his former students. Mrs. Bettis has his email and when she has accessed it on her computer she will send it to me. I have the Morris's current address now. If you would like to contact Mr. Morris, let me know and I will share.
Nicki
Today I finally looked through my 1963 annual that I had found in the attic. While looking at the photos, I saw a picture of Mrs. Esther Wright. Mrs. Wright was our school secretary forever. About 4 years ago when my mother was living in Craig Retirement Community, Mrs. Wright came there to live, also. She was very pleased to see Jim and me there visiting and we saw her several more times when we came to visit with mother. Mrs. Wright is still there and doing reasonably well. She is about 96 years old now and she suffers from really poor eyesight, but she was always happy to talk to us.
Nicki
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