Teachers

Dad asked in a comment that I talk about my teachers. I guess I'd have to start from the beginning.

Miss Blissenbach was my Kindergarten teacher. She eventually basically became my nanny when times were tough. She was a good friend to me and I didn't realize it until I was an adult!! She was a character and had a way of making you think differently about things. She was kind in her nature, and she really was a good teacher. I'm glad that she was the first one I had!

Mrs. Romero, who is no longer Mrs. Romero, was my First Grade teacher. Her class was taught in bilingual Spanish. She taught me , and the rest of the class, how to Mexican Folk Dance! That was fun and I always looked forward to seeing her. She was just a little taller than her first grade class. I was also her student aide after school, basically she babysat me while I was waiting for Dad to finish up with his work after school. She would ask me about boys and try to see which ones I liked try to steer me away from the ones that she didn't think were good for me, like Brian Steinfield. HA! I later would babysit for her children when I was in the middle school. She didn’t think he was a bad boy, but he did things that she didn’t approve of, like sniffing glue! I didn’t know what that meant until later in my life! I would do Mexican Folk Dancing my entire elementary school rein.

Miss Triffinger was my second grade teacher. I just remember her being really tall and skinny, with red hair and she reminded me of a giraffe. The only thing I really recall of that year in school was Mom being a parent aide and grading my math paper.

Mrs. Adams was my Third grade teacher. When I was in third grade I was out for a time due to family deaths and my own illnesses. I think I was gone for something like a solid three weeks. Thay very well may be exaggerated, you know how a child’s perception of time is a little distorted, but in any event, a cousin died, my grandpa died and I ended up sick. When I returned to school one of the boys announced loudly to the class that I was "finally" back and that they all missed me! That was nice!

Mrs. Adams was also my Fourth grade teacher. She was very cool. I loved how she would hold her mouth real tight when she would get frustrated with her class. She was a rock in my world for a time when it was a total mess! I recall her being pregnant with one of her children my Fourth grade year and Mom would call me over the summer when I was in Missouri with Grandma and Grandpa Hurtubise to tell me that she lost the baby SIDS. I didn’t know really what that meant until she explained it to me. That was very sad. She really worked hard with me to help me read and stay on top of my assignments, but she never belittled me in anyway.

Mrs. P, I cannot remember her name right now, was my fifth grade teacher. I don’t really remember much of her other than she was not always a happy person. We watched the space shuttle challenger blow up on TV in her class. We really didn’t know what just happened and she hurriedly turned the TV off. That was a somber day!

I cannot recall my Sixth grade team teachers. I had a female and a male. Mr. Van something, but the female didn’t care for me much. She constantly complained that I would look at the board too much. That’s when they went to the dry erase boards and I couldn’t see with the light glare on the board. My male teacher was much more fun and exciting!! He said that he worked with Dad before. The school time after the Fifth grade get a little fuzzy. I don’t know if it is because of all the emotional things we were going through?

Seventh and Eighth grade I had seven teachers both years and I don’t recall all of them. My Science teacher was Mr. F, I cannot recall his full name either, but I was a student aide for him my first hour of school. He was a very nice man, but I believe that he used to tip the sauce every now and again in the supply closet next to his desk. Mr. Bird was my social studies teacher. He had a blue nose and was constantly jiggling the change in his pocket. He mostly was just there to fill space and get a check. Mrs. McMullen was my pre-algebra teacher. She was a little black lady and she was an awesome math teacher! I loved her humor and the way she would teach us! She eventually became my Mom’s boss, and she’s not fond of her, but I am! :-D

Ninth grade I was in Missouri, and the teachers there are very different than the teachers in Colorado. My Physical Science teacher, Mr. Boller, was a grumpy man that didn’t seem to want to be there. He also drove a bus for the school, so I assume that he had some love for kids. I think that I may have seen him smile once. I didn’t do very well in his class, but that didn’t have to do with his teaching skills, but my inability to absorb the material he was teaching. I had to write down the entire chapter before I could understand. I probably should have had a tutor that year since my grades where horrible. I had a couple of study hall teachers that didn’t like me either because I was very social and didn’t seem to pay attention or just shut up. I think it was my way of acting out without getting into serious trouble, although it may as well have been a serious problem to those teachers. In some way all the teachers there left a mark on my little memory. I didn’t take much back from that year of schooling however. I was too busy not worrying about everyone else and I wasn’t in an environment of locking myself away from the drama, since there wasn’t any!

Tenth through Twelfth, Mr. Kakora was a VERY AWESOME teacher! He was so quirky and funny! He made me feel special, even though he made everyone feel special. Mrs. Adams, a different Mrs. Adams than my Third and Fourth grade teacher, taught Social Studies one year and would bring in props to help her teach her class and you had to be prepared to actively participate in her class! She was VERY KEWL. Mrs. Dow was my business law teacher, typing, and technical teacher. She really pushed me and helped me along the way. Her partner, Mrs. Hansel, however, didn’t care for me at all! My guidance counselor told me to drop her class because she was determined to flunk me! I refused!

Well, I think that’s about enough for today!