The Creation of LC (Language/Communication)

In 1969 Junior High Principal H.H.Hassler turned the Reading/Spelling Classes over to me. Mr. Hassler had been my own principal 12 years earlier at the same school. I began teaching as an equal to most of the teachers who taught me in 1957-58. I knew them well and their old-time teaching style. I sat in their classes day after day. The last thing I wanted was to be perceived as a boring teacher and the work meaningless.



All I was given to teach with was a spelling book and the literature book Focus. I was shorter than most of my students and only 26 years old. I knew the only way I could survive in the classroom with 30+ students was to make it interesting and fun. It was unheard of then, but the first thing I did was move the desks out of a straight row.......



We not only did reading and spelling with a new twist but also visual literacy (films), newspaper, art, drama, speeches and radio broadcasts. Students became stars in the community because of the plays and nonsense we created together. When students suggested doing a skit that was a play on Saturday Night Live, we did it. We submitted editorial cartoons to Harold Maples and "Animal Tales" to George Dolan at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. I was told by an official at the newspaper, "Your class gets more ink than any of the teachers in the metroplex." It was your class and my class, and we had fun while we learned.



It was a great ten years for me, and now because of Facebook, I get to find out what has happened to all of you in the many years since.



*You wrote essays in my class entitled "What I'll Be Doing in Twenty Years" so I'd like to know how it turned out.

Thursday, December 24, 2009

Class List

Thanks to all of the following for contacting me and joining the group. This is fun, and there's more to come. If your name is not on the class roll, it can be if you will contact me.

Angela Anderson
Donita Archie
Brent Bledsoe
Kimberly Braithwaite
Wanda Britton
Bill Brown
Chad Campbell
Terie Campbell
Carole Caraway
Sheila Cason
Angelia Chambers
Brent Chambers
Shelly Cheatham
Barry Christian
Van Christian
Saralinda Christopher
Kasi Clark
Kylynn Clark
Joan Crawford
Yvette Crosby
Julie Crouch
John Darby
Jana Davis
Guy Dawson
Matthew Derrick
Tammy Driver
Rhonda Duncan
Lezlie Duncan
John Paul Dunn
Kathy Ellis
Emily Evans
D'Layna Fenner
Larry Ford
Kyle Fornes
Suzy Foster
Leslie Gandy
Diane Gilley
Melissa Griffin
Chet Grissom
Carey Hadderton
Robin Haggard
Tim Hale
Tina Hale
Regina Hatley
Roy Hayes
Ralphine Haynes
Diana Heaton
Kyle Heffley
John Higgs
Terri Hillin
Tammy Hopson
David Howard
Amy Howell
Amy Jackson
Delette Jenkins
Dario Jimenez
Jana Jones
Jana Kimbell
Kevin Kitchens
Olivia Kuper
Marc Lancaster
Tracey McMillian
Stacey Malone
Scott Manley
Kari Martin
Bari Mayberry
Grieg Mayberry
Greg Mefford
Lendall Mefford
Craig Mills
Paul Moody
Kelly Moore
Ginny Moring
Melissa O'Neal
Dianna Owens
Tori Owens
Kim Pack
Rob Parnell
Jody Parsons
Shannon Patterson
Lance Stacy
John Mark Pendleton
Darren Peacock
Fred Phillips
Johnna Pollan
Linda Riggs
Robin Riddick
Don Roberson
Gary Roberts
Brett Robertson
Elaine Robertson
Suzi Robertson
Tammie Sargent
Rivers Shaw
Suzy Shuffield
Ronnie Singleton
Rob Stalnaker
Ann Stephen
CJ Stewart
Barry Sullivan
Diane Taylor
Dana Taylor
Ridge Taylor
James Terrell
Randall Terrell
Candi Thompson
Randy Thompson
Danny Thurman
Liz Traweek
Ernie Turley
Chris Turney
Dawn Vissotzky
Karen Ware
Mary Washington
Daryl Watson
Kellie Weaver
Andrea Westbrook
Angie Westbrook
Johnny Williams
Stacey Wills
Mike Wilson
Phillip Wilson
Dawn Vissotzky
Richard Young


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Tuesday, July 14, 2009

I continue to hear from so many friends and former students on Facebook.

How amazing is it that a bond made by teacher and student exists for a lifetime. How awesome is it that a simple assignment made to 7th graders in the 1970's-80's is verified via Facebook of what they are really doing in twenty years. When I assigned essays like "What I Will Be Doing in Twenty Years", I never dreamed that a marvelous invention like the internet would be available to document the outcomes of lives.

My history at Stephenville Junior High began in 1957 when I entered as a 7th grader. Ten years later in 1967 I began substituting at the same school I had attended. In 1970 I was hired full-time and stayed until 1980. Ten years at one school was wonderful. The next eighteen years as counselor for Dublin ISD was equally as good. If I had written my own essay of what I'd be doing in twenty years, I wonder what I would have imagined?

I knew a man who spent all of his years at S Jr High, and now it is named after him because of his years of devoted work. During my second year at Stephenville Junior High, our math teacher Mrs. Cunningham (who had been my 7th grade math teacher in 1957) got a student teacher named Paul Henderson. Paul was hired after he finished student teaching and never worked anywhere else. Paul Henderson Jr High was named after him as a tribute to his dedication.

When I was a sophomore in Stephenville High School, we were excited to move into the NEW high school. Years later after teaching in the old junior high building in the top picture, SISD made the decision to build a new high school and move us to the old high school building. Some of you attended in the old building and some in the new. Whatever, I was there in both of them as student and as a teacher. What fun is that to think about now.
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I have heard from many former students but the two most touching came from Billy Brown & Regina Hatley. Both of them sent me kind words which I posted immediately on this blog. Not long after Billy & I shared "lols" about he and Larry Ford toilet-papering my house when they were in the 7th grade, he suddenly passed. A while later, I learned through Facebook of Regina's passing. Although I was very sad to heard the news about both of them, I am content that we communicated after so many years & I learned of their happy & successful lives.



Here are some quotes from other students who I remember quite well. Thanks to all who took the time to write to me. I hope to hear from more of you.





This is Regina Hatley's quote to me from March 2009 when we re-connected on Facebook. I had not seen or talked to her since she was in Junior High but I remembered her very well and was excited when she emailed me the following:



"Wow! I am so glad you found me. Your group page brought back a flood of memories. I particularly liked the old yearbook pictures of you. I realized you were the same age at that time that my son is now! Those were the days in my memories. Since my memory is complete mincemeat, I do not remember the collages or what I was going to be doing in 20 years but I am pretty sure it wasn’t going to be working for an electric company. You hit the nail on the head when you said you tried to make learning interesting. That is my foremost memory…your class was always interesting. Sometimes I even got uncomfortable because you made us think outside the box. It was great for me, but definitely out of my comfort zone of being boring. J I am so happy to see you again…and all I can hope is that I look half as good as you at your age. Wow."



Her last sentence greatly saddens me. My prayers go out to her family and friends who loved her so much.



Other quotes I have loved from former students:



Suzy Shuffield "I am glad Leslie can remember that skit! I must be older and more demented!! I remember our articles we submitted to George Dolan and mine was printed about my deer hunting dachshund!!! I still have dachshunds for pets and I now deer hunt!! I love your page !!! Have to pass on the essay ... Hated those in school and my dachshund refuses to write it for me."



Lance (Shannon) Patterson "While I have no idea what my collage was so many years ago, I do remember that you had a very fun class. In particular, I remember a class play that we did which I think was titled “Does the Show Fit.” It was about a talent studio which and the play “borrowed” heavily from Monty Python. Thanks for bringing back some great memories."



Van Christian "Hey Judy! Okay, somewhere in my mind you will always be Mrs. White, but that seems sily at this point in both our lives.I shared something with my son a couple of weeks ago that relates directly to you. In either 7th or 8th grade, I forget which, you showed us the film An Occurence at Owl Creek Bridge. I have never forgotten the impact it had on me, and now, with the internet, it was easy to find it so that Zac could watch it too. He loved it."



Mary Washington "I am so glad you created this group. It's an online reunion. I must tell you that every time I hear Eleanor Rigby, I think of your class. Look forward to facebooking with you."



Jody Parsons "Well hello stranger! Wasn't it 7th grade!!! I'm now teaching 7th and 8th grade English in Hamilton, Montana and loving it! I've been teaching for 24 years and am still having a blast! I moved to Montana in 1990. It's so peaceful up here. Hope all is well with you. Great hearing from you."



Dawn Vissotzky "I live in Keller and have been teaching inner city and at risk kids for 25 years! The last 15 in Fort Worth. You were a great counselor at Dublin too! It is fun hearing from former students. I taught computer classes and coached for 12 years, then High School English for 8 or so years and the last three years I went back to Middle School Technology. I remember you were my student teacher, too."



Brett Robertson "I remember the collage! I didn't remember you assigned collages, though. :( Mine had lips and eyes (and looked very similar to my online "art"). Was this an assignment about advertising (do you remember)? Glamour? I remember working very hard on that assignment. I remember that collages were a new concept for me at the time (influential in that way). Didn't I make it in the shape of a (full sized) guitar? With strings? (I did). I remember I liked the way it turned out. And I remember (maybe) you kept them til the end of the year and I was worried you wouldn't give mine back to me! (you did). I tried to keep it for awhile after. The strings fell off. It became "bendy" at the neck. LOL"



Robin Riddick "Your class was the fun class in 7th and 8th grade. I had you at both the old jr. high (icky) (74-75) and the "old" highschool (75-76). I remembered I really liked your handwriting and tried to write like you, lol. My collage was a tv set - don't ask me why. It had antennas, nothing like my flatscreen today. ha! Thanks for taking me back to a much more simple and innocent time, of knee socks and Dorothy Hamil haircuts."



Larry Ford & Bill Brown (Shortly after this Bill Brown unexpectedly passed away. I am so happy that Bill and I got to have the fun with the following. His wife also emailed me after his passing to say what a big laugh she and Bill got out of this.)



(One night Larry & Bill toilet-papered my house on Mimosa St, and I caught them just as they were leaving. I recognized Larry in the dark and screamed, "Larry Ford, you come back here and clean it up!!" They did. This was his response when I reminded him of that incident yesterday.)



Larry: "Hey Bill, Ms White found me, says we didn't get all the toilet paper cleaned up. We need to come back and finish!"

I responded to Larry that I am not revealing my current location, and here is Bill's answer.



Bill: "I don't blame you for keeping your home location secret, you never know what Larry and I may try. I have two boys, 17 and 14. We have had our house TP'd ,Shaving cream, confetti, flour and honey at different times and some at the same time."



John Darby"Well, yes I do remember you Mrs. White! How are you? I do remember your class, it was the one I got shorted on! We only had it for half the year! Then they sent me to this other class....well that's another story!Great to hear from you and I hope all is well."