In City And County Schools
. Eacli morning for the past 7
weeks, eighteen Seniors have dres
sed in tweed suits, or blouses and
shifts and heels, grabbed their
lesson plans and bulletin board
material, rushed to breakfast and
hailed a ride to various schools in
and around Winston-Salem.
Known as the practice teachers,
these, girls, equipped with three
years of preparation, teach in the
county and citj^ schools of Win
ston-Salem for 8 weeks during the
first semester of their senior year.
The first four week period was
spent in the county schools. There,
for one week, the girls observed
the classroom and in turn were
observed by the teacher under
whom they worked. ,,
The last three weeks were spent
teaching two hours each morning,
under the partial observance and
guidance of Dr. Elizabeth Welch,
head of the Education , Department.
At the end of that period each
practice teacher taught for one en
tire day.
Between the periods of teaching
in the county schools and the city
schools, the “Miss Brooks’ ” to be
had a weeks vacation. Jean Cur-
rin remarked that vacation was “a
blessed time to sleep, clean up the
room, write letters, and catch up
on the campus gossip.”
The four weeks spent teaching
in the city schools follows the
same procedure as that spent in
the county schools. ■ This period
ends on December 10.
The elementary grade teachers
had a first choice of their grade
in the county schools and their
second choice in the city schools.
On the secondary level, each girl
teaches whatever grade is offered
in the major subject during the
hours between 8:30 and 10:30 a.m.
Asked what problems , practice
teaching afforded, the seniors felt
that arising at 7 ;00 in the morning
was a major evil and that some
times young boys were a discip
linary problem. To all of . them,
however, practice teaching has
proved to be an invaluable experi
ence, aiding them in preparing for
their profession after graduation.
A list of the seniors- practice
teaching this year and the subject
and grade they teach in the county
and city schools are; Jean Currin,
Hanes and Mineral Springs, 9th
and 10th grade home economics;
Anne Edwards, Mineral Springs
and Reynolds, plane geometry, al
gebra, and general math; Norma
Hanks, Mineral Springs, U. S. his
tory, 11th grade.
Gertrude Johnson, Mineral
Springs and Hanes, algebra I and
n, plane geometry and general
math; Barbara Kuss, Griffith,
French I and II; JoAnne Money,
Gray, 8th grade and advanced art.
Francine Pitts, Mineral Springs
and Gray, 9th grade home econo
mics; Freda Siler,'Mineral Springs
and Reynolds, biology, general
science and chemistry; Marguerite
Blanton, Presbyterian kindergarten
and Ardmore, 5 year olds and
grade 2; Diantha Carter, Ardmore
and Oak Summit, grade 6; Emily
Hall, Kernersville and Children’s
Home, grade 4.
Sally Hudson, Hanes Elementary,
grade 2; 'Sue Jones, Presbyterian
kindergarten and Kernersville, 5
year olds and grade 2; Sara Out-
land, Oak Summit and Ardmore,
third grade; Barbara Smith, Pres
byterian kindergarten and Central
I'dementary, 4 year olds and grade
1.
I Norma Spikes, Sedge Garden and
; Central Elementary, grades 1 . and
12; Helen Carole Watkins, Sedge
I Garden and Presbyterian kinder-
I garten; grade 1 and 4 year olds;
Ca rolyn Watlington, Children’s
Home, grade 2, and Kernersville,
grade 2.
Little Theater
Gives Pla ns
The Winston-Salem Little The-
I ater presented the three-act com-
j edy hit, “The Curtain Rises,” at
8:15 p.m., Monday, at the Reyn-
j olds Auditorium. The organization
^ played host to the Vagabond Play-
i ers from the Flat Rock Playhouse
i who arrived in Winston-Salem
Sunday.’ This production was the
second offering of the Little The
ater this season.
“The Curtain Rises,” written by
Benjamin M. Kaye, successfully
I ran at the Vanderbilt Theater, New
I York, with Jean Arthur playing
j the leading role of Elsa Karling.
; Veronica Lake has recently toured
, the summer theaters in this same
role.
The Vagabond Players, with
Robroy Farquhar as managing
director, toured six states in the
spring of 1953 with “See How They
Run.” The same company played
to more than 35,000 people this
summer.
The next production by the local
players will be “My Three Angles,”
j Dec. 7-11 at the Playhouse. Tickets
j are on sale at the Little Theater
j Playhouse on West Fourth Street,
I the Arts Council Center, and the
: Robert E. Lee Hotel newsstand.
: There will be four ■ more locally
. produced plays.
Leaving for a morning of practice teaching are Freda Siler, Gertie John&on, Carolyn 'Watlington, Norma
Spikes, and Barbara Smith.
Kisses, Wasps, Parties Compose
Memories of Student Teachers
By Sandy Whitlock
For 7 long weeks many members
of the Senior class have been in
troduced to the practical side of
education ' through practice teach
ing. They got up at dawn, dressed
in heels and hose, skirts and
blouses (sweaters not being al
lowed), and departed from Salem’s
“strong walls” to spend , laborious
hours in mental combat (and some
times even physical combat) with
students not always so much
younger than they, themselves..
Many and various comments on
practice teaching can be heard
from Salem’s new teachers. Now
that it is almost over, they can
reminisce in near objectivity. Much
to their surprise, not all the mem
ories of their introduction to teach
ing are bad; and in a few gases
even some “fond” memories pre
vail.
'To let the rest of the student
body know what the practice
teachers have been through (or,
haven’t been through), and to let
the future practice teachers know
a little of what to expect, here are
a few experiences which the prac
tice teachers- this year have had;
Norma Spikes, teaching the first
grade, had quite an admirer in her
Bebe Defines
The Individual
Called Teacher
class. He was a little seven year
old boy, who insisted upon placing
a firm, but slightly wet, kiss on
Norma every time she came in or
left the classroom.
Meanwhile, in the third grade
almost the opposite was happen
ing: Carolyn Watlington had to
keep looking under the tables for
one of her little pupils. It seems
he was shy and preferred the floor
to his chair. '
While Lucy Spencer (Mr. War
ren Spencer’s four year old daugh
ter) was trying to explain her
definition of the flood to Helen
Carole Watkins in kindergarten.
Sue Jones was trying rather des
perately to convince her second
grade pupils that, contrary to their
belief, she was not thirty-three
years old.
Speaking of misunderstandings,
Jo Money, in her art class, had a
time showing her studentso that a
mobile was a work of art, and not
always a traveling blood bank.
The practice teachers of these
elementary grades really pulled in
the “loot” at the end of their first
four weeks teaching. For instance,
Emily Hall’s class gave her a party
and presented her with gifts.. She
is still receiving mail from one of
her students.
Sue Jones’ 'class showed their
appreciation ■ of their practice
teacher by giving her a box and
bag of food on her last day—plus
a potted plant. She had so much
“loot”, it took three of her stu
dents to help carry it for her.
On the high school grade level,
Salem’s practice teachers held their
own quite admirably. Freda Siler
had twenty-eight boys in her class.
This experience seems self-explan
atory. On the other hand, Jean
Currin, who was teaching home
economics had no boys in h^r class,
though some of the male students
in her home room threatened to
apply for her course.
Anne Edwards, teaching , seniors,
had many incidents occur to her.
One day a wasp flew into her
pocket, and she went screaming
from the room, much to her stu
dents dismay (?).' Another day
two boys succeeded in successfully
tying her sweater sleeves behind
her back. No dull class routine for
Anne; something new every day.
Bobbi Kuss had to teach French
to the son of a French professor.
The boy completely confused her
by getting his father to write his
French theme, which Bobbi found
(Continued On Page Five)
By BeBe Boyd
(With apologies to Dr. Gramley)
Between the awkwardness of
practice teaching and the mastery
of a doctor’s degree, we find a
pleasant individual called the
Teacher. She or he is found to be
in various sizes, weights, ages and
shapes.
Teachers are found everywhere
on the campus and off, on the
desk, up and down halls, popping
rubber bands, unbending paper
clips, drinking coffee, dropping
books and papers, enjoying a pipe
or a cigarette, laughing at the
faculty table, and attending movies.
Mothers love them, janitors
tolerate them, salesgirls envy them,
parents glorify them, the President
protects them, the Board of Trust
ees scans them, and the maids
cater to them.
The teacher is Truth with glas
ses on. Poise adulterated only by
wedge-heeled shoes or men’s dark
slippers, Wisdom with an earring
sliding off its ear or a tieclasp out
of place, and Hope-for-the-future
with a class which makes only A’s
and B’s.
A teacher is a jumble; she or he
has the energy of a midget H-
bomb, the wit of Groucho Marx,
the irresponsibility of a three year
old, the voice of an orator, the
enthusiasm of a kitten, the imag
ination of Einstein, the insight and
foresight of a prophet, the friend
liness of a politician, and the
knowledge of Webster.
They like to leave school promp
tly at 5, to receive homework on
time, to sit back and enjoy senior
impersonations of each other, to
wear new tweed suits, to talk in
formally with the students over a
cup of coffee, to attend a light
concert, to have holidays, and to
be asked to parties.
They dislike term papers, singing
in the dining room, catching colds,
Saturday classes, acting as chaper
ones for the dances, freshmen con
ferences and not having matches.
Nobody is quite so poised yet
so harried. Nobody else can cram
into the desk an old tube of lip
stick or a can of pipe tobacco, a
book cover, two fountain pens, a
red pencil, last year’s calendar,
four faculty notices, a comb, an
emory board, the school news
paper, the key to the desk, soiled
(Continued On Pa^e Five)
'v n