The memory of Miss Willie Mae Hall evokes strong emotions from those who knew her, and especially those who were in her first-grade classroom. When I think of Miss Willie Mae, I'm reminded of what General George Patton retorted when somebody pointed out that his soldiers didn't like him; "I don't won't them to love me, I want them to fight for me". I think maybe Miss Willie Mae cared less that her students loved her than that they learned from her. I've heard many stories from her students, and one thing is apparent: many of her students were afraid, if not terrified, of her. Miss Willie May was iron-fisted in almost a literal sense. Some of us recall her grip upon our hands as she helped us form the letters of the alphabet on the blackboard. A grip so tight that she sometimes crushed the chalk in our hands. I can still envision the classic shapes she insisted we learn to reproduce for some letters of the alphabet - but learn to reproduce them, we did.
Most students can recall some specific instance in which their fear of Miss Willie Mae led to a bad experience for them. But like other legendary characters, time has softened our harsher memories of her and we remember her in a kinder way. And, of course, she gave her students a few good reasons to remember her kindly. She was the first to arrive at the school every morning, and during the winter months, she had the coal-fired stove in her classroom glowing with warmth by the time her first students arrived. During my first year in school, Miss Willie Mae took our class to her home where she treated us to home-made ice cream and cake. Then there was the first-grade graduation ceremony that Miss Willie Mae staged for every first-grade class. What six or seven-year old child could ever forget marching onto a stage dressed in a white gown to receive an authentic certificate of graduation from his/her first year in school?
Those who only knew Miss Willie Mae in her first grade classroom might wonder if she was different when she left that environment. I got to know Miss Willie May in a different setting, and I can report that she was a completely different person outside her first-grade classroom. The Intermediate Sunday School Class of the Toomsboro Methodist Church was led by Miss Nina Beck, a very nice lady. All of us in that class dreaded the day when we would be promoted to the Young Adults' Class, which was headed up by Miss Willie Mae. But when I finally moved up to the Young Adults' Class, I was pleasantly surprised that Miss Willie Mae ran the class in a democratic manner and treated all of us with dignity and respect.
Most students can recall some specific instance in which their fear of Miss Willie Mae led to a bad experience for them. But like other legendary characters, time has softened our harsher memories of her and we remember her in a kinder way. And, of course, she gave her students a few good reasons to remember her kindly. She was the first to arrive at the school every morning, and during the winter months, she had the coal-fired stove in her classroom glowing with warmth by the time her first students arrived. During my first year in school, Miss Willie Mae took our class to her home where she treated us to home-made ice cream and cake. Then there was the first-grade graduation ceremony that Miss Willie Mae staged for every first-grade class. What six or seven-year old child could ever forget marching onto a stage dressed in a white gown to receive an authentic certificate of graduation from his/her first year in school?
Those who only knew Miss Willie Mae in her first grade classroom might wonder if she was different when she left that environment. I got to know Miss Willie May in a different setting, and I can report that she was a completely different person outside her first-grade classroom. The Intermediate Sunday School Class of the Toomsboro Methodist Church was led by Miss Nina Beck, a very nice lady. All of us in that class dreaded the day when we would be promoted to the Young Adults' Class, which was headed up by Miss Willie Mae. But when I finally moved up to the Young Adults' Class, I was pleasantly surprised that Miss Willie Mae ran the class in a democratic manner and treated all of us with dignity and respect.
Perhaps everyone who knew Miss Willie Mae has his own notion about why she worked so hard and seemed to throw herself into the task of teaching first graders their letters and numbers. Whatever her reasons, the Toomsboro community was (still is) fortunate to be the beneficiary of her dedication to her chosen career.
0 comments:
Post a Comment