Miss Miller

I have not had many teachers. I left school in grade 9 and most of my school years were taught in classrooms that held more than one grade. I’ve had less than 9 teachers.

One of my teachers is retiring and is being celebrated this weekend. From what I hear hundreds of students from all over are returning to celebrate her. This does not surprise me at all. She was a really good teacher. I have many memories of her, and none of them bring anything but a smile to my face. This includes me struggling to not smile as she was strapping me for yet another act of rebellion. I think what I was enjoying was the fact I was given a choice between a strapping or no baseball. As much as I hate baseball, I hate sitting in a classroom even more so a strapping it was.

She was from New York and was direct and blunt like New Yorkers are famous for. I was an English kid. Neither of us were from the area, so I remember both of us being very confused about soccer being played with more than one ball. She was a goalie, and I liked to score goals, so once again we were natural adversaries. I remember in a mini tournament we were on opposite teams. It was overtime and she had saved a ball. She had not yet scooped it up so despite the fact it felt a bit late, I walked up and booted it in. We had a long debate about the legality of the goal, and even though I was right, she used her position of power to overrule me, and called it no goal.

She loved football. I like catching one, but had no time for throwing one. If you have tried to throw that weird ball you know what I mean. She was asking someone to be the quarterback to which myself and others responded with apathy and indifference. We didn’t care. This sparked an interesting day in which she decided to turn the tables and ‘not care’. I remember her having us do penmanship, and then throwing it in the garbage saying, “I don’t care enough to grade them.” As a kid who cared very little about my grades, this suited me.

I was disciplined a lot, but it was always fair. I also learned a lot. Coming from a different background she gave us new perspectives. She shared books with us that she loved, sometimes even reading them to us. Many of the books are with me today. There was one about a hobo that helped out a logging family. I have always wanted to be a free soul, able to help others, and that book has inspired me.

There was cones on the roof, Volleyballs in urinals, and escapes to town during science experiments. There was broken hangers, failures to sing, flunked tests and lines, lots of lines. But somehow as a Gr9 educated person in the world, I have never felt less educated than those around me. My Math is good. I can carry a conversation. I can even write now and then. Well that last part is debatable.

I hope she has a special day. She was a great teacher to me. Of the few teachers I had, she was one I remember well. Fondly.

I think back to a time when I sat at a desk, ate a bagged lunch with my friends, played sports with my teacher, and moved my lips as others sang to avoid punishment. I remember it clearly, and it was some of the best days of my life. I am thankful for Ms Miller and the time she spent teaching me the things she knew. I hope she has the day she deserves.

If you read this far, thank you. Tris.