As the school year begins again, I have to say that teachers
have my utmost respect. I’m an
elementary school substitute teacher and I really don’t see how full-time
teachers do it every day. I cry at the
thought of going back. The students are
not my kids, but they become your kids when you have a daily relationship with
them. Sometimes that’s the best some of
the children will ever get. Sad, but
true.
I also know
some teachers that owe my children. My
boys’ trained them –well-! This is about
my all-time favorite teacher.
My youngest
is the one that really made me jump through hoops. He had to be potty-trained before he could go
to Pre-K (pre-kindergarten). He ran it
right down to the wire, but he got to go to school. He was –so- proud! He was also –so- lucky! His first teacher was a new teacher; she had
no preconceptions, but still did an absolutely awesome job.
She is an
adorable little black woman, tough as nails, and my kid put her through the
hoops. She might scold me for saying
that, but she is.
The first
time she called me she was uneasy.
Again, she was a new teacher.
Here comes the call from a new, black teacher to a white mother to
explain the problem: “Your son jumps up
from his desk, runs up to me, grabs me around the neck, kisses my cheek and
runs back to his desk.” I don’t know how
to write about the tension in her voice, but it disappeared when I answered
“I’m sorry. That means he LIKES you!”
and laughed.
That wasn’t
my only call from her. The next one came
to inform me that Thing 4 had a problem with their reading volunteer. The volunteer would come in to read to them
once or twice a week, and yes, she was a black woman. She also wore a dress. The problem arose when Thing 4 would creep up
and start caressing her leg while she was reading.
Bless his
little heart. His Mama worked at a ranch
and well company. I wore jeans and boots
to work every day. He didn’t know what
to think about –stockings-. He’d never
seen them before. He was completely
enthralled.
We have
some really awesome teachers and volunteers in our school system. I’m jealous, though. Thing 4’s Pre-K teacher is the only one that
can get away with calling my youngest Marine “Pooh Bear.” She’ll also scold me if I don’t get a new
picture of his daughter. I don’t –ever-
want time-out in her classroom.
- Bess
A jack
of all trades, Bess Tuggle has been a Covington resident since the late
70’s. She's been a K-Mart cashier, cabinet builder, vet tech, office
manager for a beef cattle ranch and water well company (where she was
able to hold benefits for D.A.R.E. and Scouts), a court reporter,
business manager, assistant at a private investigation firm, legal
assistant, convenience store clerk, landscaper and elementary school
substitute teacher. Her greatest pleasure is being a wife, mother and
grandmother. Her stories are all real, and all names will be withheld
to protect the innocent, and also maybe the guilty, depending on the
crime & the Statute of Limitations.
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