International Falls Daily Journal - The greatest teacher - Comments

It is a sad day when

roj2000 — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 07:50:18 -0500

It is a sad day when "anyone" loses their job, but I am still left wondering WHY District 361 needed an "Indian" special Ed teacher!! By the way, I thought the title should have been, "Native American Special Needs Education Facilitator". Since the Falls and surrounding areas have gone from the Land of Many Lakes, to the "Land of Diversity", I wonder if that great school district has a title of "American African Ed. Teacher"???? But, I would be willing to bet Ms Briggs and her neice will be voting for the "chosen one" Mr. Obama. He needs all the votes he can get.

Although Agent 47 laid an

Thomas L. Johnson — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 13:18:27 -0500

Although Agent 47 laid an egg at the start of this one, I would like to ask a question that we have occasionally brushed up against in the blog: who were/are the greatest teachers in the local school system? It is, after all, the end of summer and teachers, many of whom have been working summer jobs, are now preparing to start their real job: preparing our children to pass the educational standards tests.
My top five are these:
1. Mary Turenne. She taught Spanish like it mattered, requiring students to speak the language from day one or contribute a penny per English word to UNESCO. When she took students to Minneapolis for a language convention, she made us speak Spanish even in the buses on the way down.
2. Kevin Kennedy. Never a math whiz, I struggled mightily until Kevin Kennedy made a special effort to engage me in the subject. I remember going up 2 1/2 years in the Iowa basic tests that were so important to a previous generation. And I can still do some pretty good algebra.
3. Mrs Alice Swanson. She read to us -- the whole series of Laura Ingalls Wilders books and then others. She encouraged us to read and didn't care whether they were Irish Setter books or biographies. So I read both and continue as a reader to this day.
4. Wallace Haglund. I have mentioned before that I was convinced that shop was for people who wouldn't be attending college. Fact is, I learned more stuff that I still use -- electricity basics, layout, printing, basic woodworking -- than in any other class, except typing, of course. Who would have guessed that we would spend the rest of our lives keyboarding?
5. Henry Peters and Jim West. They both gave me the historical frameworks that lodged in the small space in my head; even today, I can tell you how impressionism is different from expressionism and why the period from 1815 to 1848 was called the age of Metternich. And it seems to matter; at least to me.
Interestingly, not a single one of these five would have been considered a friend. I had teachers who became friends, but they fit another category. I'm not saying which is more important, but the ones that mattered over the long run -- and it has been a long run -- are the ones listed above. And I have several others who are close alternates.

You're absolutely right. I

Agent 47 — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 16:08:11 -0500

You're absolutely right. I knew an amputee once, who had lost both her arms in a tragic logging accident. Regardless, she was the sweetest, most caring woman I have ever known. But for the life of me, I can't understand why there isn't a single major league baseball team that will hire her to pitch for them.

The greatest teacher

puddycat74 — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 13:54:27 -0500

I am the niece of the newly fired Indian Ed. teacher Dianne Briggs, Not only is she a wonderful teacher she is compassionate human being that would move heaven and earth to help all children. So I guess my question is Falls school Board why would you fire a person who only sees the best in people and would work so tirelessly to help them achieve it?