Introduction: Thank you to Owl Creek Organics in Nisland for your continuing spon- sorship of Roots Grow Deep and Strong!
A while back, I was honored to serve as a long-term substitute at South Park Elementary School. I’ve always liked the kids. It was an extraordinary experience, one that evoked a lot of personal memories and opened my eyes to exactly what elementary school teachers do every day. It also made me feel good about teaching.
Teaching is a mix of learned skills and talent and has never been an easy job. I was honored and grateful to join the ranks of a cadre of expert skilled elementary teachers. I was astonished by how much I learned from them and by how much the teaching role has changed over time.
Early formal education offers a relatively short window of opportunity for children to master fundamental skills. “Elementary school”, the common nomenclature is typically K- 4th or 5th grade. I attended “grade” school during the 1960s. Grade school referred to grades K-6, all under one roof. My grandmother attended “grammar” school in the early 1900s.
Somehow it was colder in those days especially east river. I remember shivering outside with my girlfriends on windy winter mornings in our short skirts and knee socks. We were not permitted to enter the building before the official bell. There was a dress code. We girls were only allowed to wear “trousers” under our dresses for warmth, but by 4th grade we were far too self-conscious. We were permitted to invite frostbite instead.
Our principal, a former marine was a tall, stern man with a military crew cut, He had a mysterious missing thumb on one hand. An intimidating overseer, he provoked anxiety and fear.
Our teachers were generally women of middle age with strong convictions, teaching styles, and proven sanctions for eliciting good behavior and hard work from their pupils. They were not exuberant, friendly, and they were certainly not affectionate or demonstrative. Our teachers wore tweed skirts, sensible shoes, and chalk dust. A few young men drifted into the profession, soon to be drawn away to more lucrative professions.
Technology in the classroom meant a program called TV science. We watched a male science teacher in a white lab coat on a television screen at the front of the classroom for thirty minutes twice a week. Despite the black and white picture, the very small TV monitor at the front of the room, and the frequently, fuzzy reception, I liked TV science. The instructor knew a lot about science, and I learned from the demonstrations and his easy conversational manner. I’m sure it helped that he did not have an active face to face classroom to manage.
Our report cards were hand recorded and marked in script.
Breakfast was not served at schools and there was no free or reduced lunch.
Curriculum included language arts, math, social studies, science, physical education and a smattering of music and art. One interesting social-studies lesson I remember is watching Richard Nixon’s inaugural address in 1969 on a tiny TV screen in the school gymnasium. We were all seated on metal folding chairs for the occasion. I was extremely uncomfortable, probably because I was coming down with mumps, and the experience although memorable was not illuminating.
As a substitute at South Park Elementary, I met with all 426 children twice a week. During those weeks I sang most of every day, provided advice on the best way to eliminate a loose tooth, nurtured egos, encouraged positive behavior, applied band-aids, and administered and received hugs. I tried, somewhat unsuccessfully to learn and remember everyone’s name.
I employed a small plush gray elephant called Ellie to accom- pany me to school as a mascot. The children liked having her “listen” to our singing and Ellie helped me too. In fact, it was Ellie, the proverbial elephant in the room who always reminded me to look at the classroom from a small person’s perspective.
The discrete skill sets elementary teachers practice daily represents a complex didactic paradigm that should not be minimized or overlooked.
In addition to the expected litany of duties teachers must wear many additional hats these days. Here is a short list: Teachers are subject area specialists, they are counselors, data analysists, material managers and scholars. They research curriculum trends, best teaching practices, and make decisions about an endless array of curriculum.
Teachers are also event organizers, behavior specialists, behavior management clinicians, sociologists, and interpreters. They are custodians, first responders, and of course psychics who magically know everything.
Traditionally, American public schools have maintained their identity as egalitarian institutions meant to serve all children regardless of race, ideology. American public schools seem to be working hard to level the playing field to the greatest extent possible.
At South Park Elementary School children seem to be more valued than they were when I attended grade school. The main difference is that professional educators seem to really like the kids. They are far more demonstrative and approachable than teachers I remember. Maybe that’s just a personal perception, but one that makes me feel positive. The school children seem happier too.
Read the full issue of the Belle Fourche Beacon by clicking here.
