1946 ~ 1955
Grades one through
eight
I wonder if teachers
Fathomed the impression
They made on our young
lives
Those rag-tag kids
from Caseyville
Could they
see
Standing at the blackboard
Chalk in hand
They were sowing seeds
Chalk in hand
They were sowing seeds
Introducing concepts,
challenging
Those rag-tag kids
from Caseyville
Doctors, lawyers,
shopkeepers, barbers
Writers, researchers,
teachers, nurses
Students who grew up
proud and strong
Today they call us "The Silent
Generation"
Those rag-tag kids
from Caseyville
Thank you: Mrs. Diehl,
Miss Koblitz, Miss Kampmeyer, Miss Entrekin,
Mrs, Shifferdecker, Mr.
Kimmel, Miss Wortman, Mr.Beguelin.
I remember you, I truly do. ** Must not forget Sally Matter my flute teacher for ten years and Professor Kreider, my high school band director.
Wow, I am impressed you remember your teachers' names. Sounds like those ragtag kids did very well for themselves. Loved this poem.
ReplyDeleteSuch a poignant tribute to those teachers who taught the generation that is fighting this dastardly virus in the trenches. What a beautiful write!
ReplyDeleteI love this ode to a wonderful generation! This is inspiring and lovely Helen! I just did a training today working from home that was on generational differences. The silent generation was one of them!
ReplyDeleteOh yes, a great tribute.
ReplyDeleteThis is wonderful! Impressions like these last decades. :)
ReplyDeleteI can still remember all my teachers from grade school. They launched me.
ReplyDeleteYou know... I remember all of my teacher's names too. What an impression to have made. Got me thinking about writing a tribute to what I remember about each of them.
ReplyDeleteThank God for those teachers and thank you for honoring yours.
ReplyDeleteO Helen, I love and lived this. I can feel tears wanting to come but I'm not really the crying kin, 1968 was the last, I sobbed.
ReplyDeleteI went 1-8 grades in a one-room school and then my 9-10 in a two room school. There were three in my class there, it had a barn and so I rode my horse. Two girls, sisters grades 8 and 10, waited at the bottom of the second hill, at the corner, to ride with me. The younger moved to Hawaii after graduation but committed suicide in her early 20's. She was in the service, I think Navy. The other became a widow and came back to our home county to become assistant curator at the county museum, go paid. My dad after retiring was on the board and was treasurer and helped with the Newsletter, a volunteer.
I am so glad you can remember your teachers. I can only remember three. My parents held me back a year so I would have someone in my class. Her dad, a widower, pulled her out for the third grade to attend a parochial school. She also committed suicide at age 19 or 20. I never saw her after she left my school.
After that I was the only one in my grade, there were eight in school. Four of us were cousins.
..
Please don't say I jinxed those girls, I was a nice boy.
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Helen, I am real sorry to hear about the Tet Offensive. I feel for all those and the memories from that must overwhelm.
ReplyDeleteMy education is equally long and a bit boring from the eleventh up. 26 years between 11th start and my last degree. I dropped out for eleven years.
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Yes indeed. I write because of my grade school teachers and the love of words they instilled in me.
ReplyDeleteGood teachers leave behind an indelible legacy in their students. Thank goodness for their dedicated spirits.
ReplyDeleteIt's wonderful that you had such impactful teachers and you've written this tribute to them... I remember the names of my teachers but only a couple left an impression.
ReplyDeleteSo pleased you are happy with your education and teachers Helen.....Miss Matter deserves a Christmas Card !:)
ReplyDeleteYes, they do make an impact, don't they, those good teachers from our early years! I have many to thank, too.
ReplyDelete(And I remember all their names.)
DeleteI had many good ones, some forgettable ones and only a couple of baddies but there is one teacher that really stands out. I loved Miss Anne Smythe.
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