Sibling Assignment # 121: Tied to a Teacher: Mrs. Tregoning
This is the fourth sibling assignment we have used with Tied. Silver Valley Girl gave us this assignment. "Write about seeing someone after a long time, and how the emotional ties you had with each other contributed to your experience of being with that person again."I will link to my siblings' posts soon.
I have shared many school memories on this blog. My friend Dawn and I help each other recollect the special events and activities from Mrs. Tregoning's sixth grade class at Sunnyside School in Kellogg, Idaho. You wanted to work hard in her class. You wanted to behave. She had a way of pulling the best she could out of every student she had. She encouraged me to write stories, she chose my pencil sketch of my shoes for the art contest ( and I won!), and she inspired my love for reading and poetry. She was calm, kind, and very wise. I loved her class and had deep respect for her.
About eighteen years later I saw her again. Now I am sure our paths had crossed during junior high and high school. I only lived a block away from her house.Seeing her again was after I was married and a teacher also. I spent some time each summer at Rose Lake in northern Idaho. I was in a lawn chair on the dock reading a novel when I heard voices next door . I looked up and saw Mrs. Tregoning walking gracefully down the steps toward the beach. She was dressed in casual summer attire, carrying a drink, and laughing with our neighbors. I remember thinking, " Is that really Mrs. T.?" I had never known of her to hang out with Floyd and Eva.
I felt like I was back in sixth grade. For some reason I thought I shouldn't be laying in a chair on a dock, but up doing some important reading or reciting some poetry. All these memories of stories to the Amazon, "Oh Captain, My Captain", water color painting, the end of the year picnic in Pinehurst,and Weekly Readers came rushing back.
I got up and went and talked to her. I was an adult, but felt awkward like I was the kid too young to be at the adult party. She put me at ease though. She inquired about my life and teaching. I was sixth grade polite. I explained about my job teaching in Kennewick. What I really wanted to explain was how she inspired me to become a teacher, how I tried to carry so much of what she modeled for me into my classroom, and how she was a hero to me. Still, I was sixth grade polite.
As the group walked to the dock and loaded on the floater I went back to my chair with my head still swirling with sixth grade memories. She smiled and waved again as I sat back down. She made me feel proud to have continued with my education and become a teacher. Once again she had that quiet way of making me feel important. Thanks to my classmate Rick Chapman for posting our class picture on Facebook.
I have shared many school memories on this blog. My friend Dawn and I help each other recollect the special events and activities from Mrs. Tregoning's sixth grade class at Sunnyside School in Kellogg, Idaho. You wanted to work hard in her class. You wanted to behave. She had a way of pulling the best she could out of every student she had. She encouraged me to write stories, she chose my pencil sketch of my shoes for the art contest ( and I won!), and she inspired my love for reading and poetry. She was calm, kind, and very wise. I loved her class and had deep respect for her.
About eighteen years later I saw her again. Now I am sure our paths had crossed during junior high and high school. I only lived a block away from her house.Seeing her again was after I was married and a teacher also. I spent some time each summer at Rose Lake in northern Idaho. I was in a lawn chair on the dock reading a novel when I heard voices next door . I looked up and saw Mrs. Tregoning walking gracefully down the steps toward the beach. She was dressed in casual summer attire, carrying a drink, and laughing with our neighbors. I remember thinking, " Is that really Mrs. T.?" I had never known of her to hang out with Floyd and Eva.
I felt like I was back in sixth grade. For some reason I thought I shouldn't be laying in a chair on a dock, but up doing some important reading or reciting some poetry. All these memories of stories to the Amazon, "Oh Captain, My Captain", water color painting, the end of the year picnic in Pinehurst,and Weekly Readers came rushing back.
I got up and went and talked to her. I was an adult, but felt awkward like I was the kid too young to be at the adult party. She put me at ease though. She inquired about my life and teaching. I was sixth grade polite. I explained about my job teaching in Kennewick. What I really wanted to explain was how she inspired me to become a teacher, how I tried to carry so much of what she modeled for me into my classroom, and how she was a hero to me. Still, I was sixth grade polite.
As the group walked to the dock and loaded on the floater I went back to my chair with my head still swirling with sixth grade memories. She smiled and waved again as I sat back down. She made me feel proud to have continued with my education and become a teacher. Once again she had that quiet way of making me feel important. Thanks to my classmate Rick Chapman for posting our class picture on Facebook.
Just reading this post took me right back to sixth grade! I loved all my teachers in elementary school, but I have 3 that really stood out and will never be forgotten - Mrs. Chadsey, 3rd Grade: She introduced us to E.B. White, Charlotte and Wilbur. Mrs. Chadsey read to us every day for 1 hour after lunch. I LOVED it! My 4th grade teacher, Miss Bennett, was also dear to me. She was so pretty (like Ms. Landers on Leave it to Beaver :)). She always brought your homework to you if you were out sick. It made you feel so important to think a teacher would come to your house! And then there was Mrs. Tregoning. We kids used to always go visit her during the summer. I just couldn't get enough of her! I was so fortunate to have such wonderful teachers. Thanks Christy, for stirring that memory in me again!
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