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I always look for a new posting from Colette van den Thillart and Nicky Haslam. Colette has the most creative mind and I love to see and read what is making her tick- So-It was natural to ask what teacher made Colette tick?
Colette writes:
It was my grade 10 teacher Miss Tipping...ironically she was British,
sort of short and stout with a very pointy nose and a mouse brown bowl
cut, and very haughty.
Thelma 'Rock' Tipping (she signed her work
'ROCK').....
Art was of course, always my thing, so when she gave me a 68% my mother
was aghast and went to see her. 'WHY?!' she demanded, to which Rock
replied, 'well she simply has no talent so i would really suggest she
drop out'. And my mother reported this back verbatim to the 13 year
old Colette.
Well thank heavens I was as stubborn then as I am now,
probably even more so, and despite the humiliation I determined I would
win this woman over whatever it took - which of course meant that I
pushed myself till the ends of the earth - loathing her all the while,
but probably secretly knowing that she was doing me some sort of twisted
favour. So that by my THIRD year with her (and I suffered her four
long years) she gave me a 98%, and of course it felt like a real win.
I've always wondered if she knew somehow that I would rise to the
challenge, though truthfully I don't believe she did!
I think teachers
and parents were just brutally honest back then, and we were better for
it - or in therapy........
& of course Colette rose to the occasion above all pointy noses! Well done.
Colette's latest post & many others are here
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Teachers like Miss Tipping are getting rare because of the phenomenon of grade inflation, and students' perception that they can only take classes in which top marks are assured.
ReplyDeleteMy high school had such high grading standards that getting an A was rare and provided a real exhilaration that was worth working for. However, lacking Colette's talent, I am glad that I never ran across the Rock, as I assuredly would have been a lost cause.
--Road to Parnassus
I think it must be so, I do think there should be something said for trying though. The education system in the US is in many ways failed. What will it take to restore it. I don't know.
DeleteLove the umbrella!
ReplyDeleteYes!
Deleteha ha - that umbrella always gets a 'like'. Parnassus I so agree, a friend just re-graded an entire class (upward of course) because they demanded it!! outrageous.
ReplyDeleteColette, thank you for everything. pgt
DeleteSo fun Colette and Gaye. Reminds me of my years in design school. The teacher who taught courses in visual merchandising and textiles was named "Sy". Behind her back I called "Sychotic" because she was a bullying, haughty, mean spirited retch. There I said it! Good riddance. And by the way, I hated taking textiles in school but ended up loving designing every form of fabric treatments! Shiree'
ReplyDeleteShiree, I must have been lucky-I did have a few teachers that I abhorred- likely the feeling was mutual. An college English teacher comes to mind. pgt
DeleteThey were all good but 3 come to mind. Mrs Lucas was a beautiful, confident, stong, intelligent, elegantly put-together young black woman. She commanded people's respect in a very pleasant way. Then there was Mrs Bridger across the hall. A slightly older and more seasoned African American. I will never forget hearing many times about the true story of Mrs Bridgers (4 years prior) hollering at my brother Walter during class, "Walter Rand, you really piss me off!). She was an inspiration to me! Also there was Mrs Flippin of the beloved Coon Middle School (8th grade only). We would get the giggles in her room and just could not stop, but Mrs Flippin always told me even as recently as a few years before she died, "I really loved your class, there was something really special about you all." We believed her.
ReplyDeleteGeorgia! I love your Mrs. Bridgers! Growing up in a small town I can identify with siblings "paving" the way for Me. I was a terrible match student and if not for a few teachers-even in college that praised my excellence in other subjects-I may have given up numbers. Love your comments-and forgive my tardy reply! PGT
ReplyDelete