My kids love this story even though it horrifies them:
My grade 7 teacher was a nun called Sister Zelda. When she was angry, she’d march up to the plaster statue of Our Lady (readers who went to Catholic schools will know what I’m talking about), not to pray for patience, but to grab a plastic gladioli from the vase at Our Lady’s feet. The gladdy was nice and whippy, perfect for whacking the back of our knees.
It’s like something from a Roald Dahl story, but it’s true and it’s a great tale to tell when my kids complain about a tough day in the classroom.
My schooldays were not all horror-stories. I was blessed to have some wonderful teachers – most notably Mrs Sharpley in grade 5. Mrs Sharpley was young and groovy. She wore her long dark hair loose and let us call her ‘Anna’ outside the classroom.
On Thursday afternoons she introduced the ‘circle of friendship’. We’d sit cross-legged on the floor and tell the class our problems and share our triumphs.
“My parents won’t let me have my own room even though mum never sews in the sewing room.”
“I think I might make the North-West netball team.”
“The grade six girls bully me because I like ABBA.”
Just as an FYI, you should know that this post is sponsored by OfficeMax. But all opinions expressed by the author are 100 per cent authentic and written in their own words.
Mrs Sharpley was like an Oprah prototype. Funny, caring and wise. We loved the ‘circle of friendship’ and we loved her – and I think because of that year we became a very tight group, well able to withstand the rigors of Sister Zelda’s class a couple of years later.
Thankfully, my kids’ teachers so far have been more in the Mrs Sharpley mold than the Sister Zelda one. Some have been of the no-nonsense, no-kid-shocks-me approach and some have been fresh out of college, all enthusiasm and new ideas.
I’m grateful to anyone who steps up to be a teacher, and although I’m sure there are ‘bad’ ones out there, one has yet to cross my kids’ path. There have been a couple of standouts though… Like Katie Jordan, who taught my youngest in her first year of school. Friendly and funny and a beautiful singer, Miss Jordan went above and beyond. It was a tough year – a child in the class lost her mother after a terrible battle with cancer. Together with classroom assistant Mrs Brennan, Miss Jordan kept the class happy but gently aware of what was going on in Molly’s family – even bringing packed lunches every day for the little girl.
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So many teachers who deserve to be named, but in all honesty none have had the responses out of my 11 year old like his current teacher. His second male teacher so far in his 7years of schooling. He looks up to him and has him trying new things. For example my son has always loved sport, just not playing for a team because of confidence issues, but this year his teacher told him he needed more guys for the basketball team. He said to him, you don't even need to know how to play, you just have to turn up like the rest of us and have a good time trying. My son now comes home on a Friday raving about his basketball matches, and the ones I get to see on his inter school sports days are a true pleasure. This teacher told my son that if he ever has a problem he will go out of his way to make time for him. The best sort of role model in my books.
My daughter came home from daycare the other day and said with absolute assurance 'miss K.. And miss C love me'. Heart melting!