Newspapers / Meredith College Student Newspaper / Dec. 19, 1963, edition 1 / Page 4
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Page Four THE TWIG December 19, 1963 Meredith Student Teachers Reveal Headaches and Joys of Job Students Range from "Problem Kids" to "Perfect Angels" By MNE WORRELL Long hours — tired feet — sore throats — detailed lesson plans — endless hours spent grading papers — the anxiety of being “watched" — these typical conditions suggest the plight of seniors who are in the process of student teaching on the calling her “Miss Goblin.” Likewise, a junior high student teacher, Mar garet Rackley, was called “Miss Rackles” by her pupils. Many of the student teachers have had recurring problems created by students. So that events might run smoothly, it has been the duty of Meredith’s student teachers to perform such acts as administering aid to youngsters with bloody noses and separating “courting couplcs.” Karen Raines’ teaching is hindered by one student who insists on whis pering under his breath. Her prob lem is complicated by one little boy who feels compelled to say, “Yes, ma’am” after Karen’s every utter ance or after every message over the intercom. Margaret Rackley re ports that her apt students, when working with colored chalk, “delight in painting everyone else’s nose, shirt, arms, hands, legs — every thing In sight.” Meredith Angel On the other hand, there arc those students who are, in opposi tion to the problem pupils, com pletely enamoured with their stu dent teacher. Such is the case of Martha Osborne, who tcaches art on the junior high school level. Upon appearing at school with a new coiffure, Martha noticed a simi lar hair-do on one of her student’s drawings of an angel. Deliberating dith student teachers report that stu-lover the appropriateness of such, a dent teaching has its rewards also.!coiffure for an angel, Martha was The many unique occurrences (Surprised when the student an- coupled with the training gained rcn-1 nounced that the model for his angel der student teaching a fascinating was his student teacher. So enam- and unusual experience. joured with Linda Evans was one Student teachers, particularly nine-year-old youngster that he told Linda’s supervising teacher, “J wish I were fourteen!” Mary Lib Wilson was impressed when one of her StiidcDt tcachor Joy Adams conies to bcr room after a long but exciting day at school. elementary or secondary level. De spite their predicament, the Mere- those teaching on the elementary level, are amused with the behavior of their students. Betty Brock, who teaches the first grade, is over-1 pupils, after asking his student whelmed with the enthusiasm of her I teacher her age, commented, “Oh, first graders who continually clap “like seals” when they are excited. However, Betty is not so amused with one child who often sings aloud in the boys’ restroom and who must, consequently, apologize to the teacher in the adjacent room, Articulation Antics Student teachers find that many of their pupils have trouble pro nouncing their teacher’s name. Nancy Godwin, a sixth grade teach er, states that her students, for a while, mispronounced her name, I’ve dated a twenty-one year old womcm before.” Meredith’s student teachers have found themselves in unusual situa tions since they began their student teaching. Lou Mathis, a social studies teacher, recalls the day her supervising teacher forgot about Lou and unconsciously locked her in the classroom. Margaret Rackley was placed in a not-so-pleasant circum stance when one day she was forced to walk, in high heels, several miles from Josephus Daniels Junior High School to Hillsboro Street. Rose Humphrey and Linda Thomas, during an after school pause In the Bee Hive, exchange amusing experiences thev have practice teaching. ^ No Old Maids Many of the student teachers find that their students presuppose too much. For example, Bonita Bailey and Betty Brock are, as far as their students are concerned, Mrs. Bailey and Mrs. Brock. One presumptive pupil surprised Lou Mathis by ask ing her, "Miss Mathis, how many children do you have?” The second graders of Ruth Ellen Johnson in sist on playing “matchmaker." It seems that these youngsters call Mr. Erwin, the bachelor principal of the school, “Mr. Johnson.” Lclia Mc Farland, who teaches at Emma Conn Elementary School, was asked the name of her fiance. Upon re ceiving Lelia’s answer, the pupil commented, “Oh, yes, I believe I’ve heard of him.” Lillian McFarland, Lelia’s identical twin sister, found that supervising teachers can be equally presumptive. Her supervis ing teacher at Sherwood Bates com mented one day, “1 thought I saw a girl at Emma Conn School that looks just like you, but 1 guess it wasn’t you!” However trying and perplexing student teaching may be, student teachers are rewarded whenever, as explained by Nancy Godwin, “a child’s eyes light up and you realize that he has grasped the meaning of the point you have made.” Memory Wizards Reveal Secrets of Talent By BEVERLV CHEWNING During their years on the Mere dith administrative staff. Miss Mary Bland Josey and Miss Mae Grimmer have gained reputations as having remarkable memories. They have inspired the admiration of many for their exceptional ability to remem ber names and faces of Meredith girls as students and alumnae. Both Miss Josey and Miss Grimmer deny any special ability, but credit this capacity to the nature of their work. Miss Josey, assistant director of public relations, said, “Memory is only a by-product of my work.” She commented that she remembers names similar to the way in Thirty-two Volunteers Work at Dix As Part of MCA Extension Program By GAIL STEVENSON As one phase of the extension program of the MCA, a group of 32 Meredith girls have decided to be volunteer workers at Dorothea Dix Hospital in Raleigh. This is a yearly project at Mere dith, although Sarah Bell, this year’s chairman, states that enthusiasm is much greater. Last year there were only seven volunteers and this year there are thirty-two. Before the girls begin working with the patients, an orientation ses sion is held at the hospital. The girls are given a brief talk about the patients they will work with by one of the hospital doctors. Before the girls meet the patients they know something of their past his tory and illness. Volunteer's Role According to Sarah, the few hours spent with the patients is “very re warding" for both volunteer and pa tient. The volunteer is there “to give the patients good companionship and to make them feel human.” She states that many of the patients arc lonely, and that the volunteers let them know that there is some one who cares. This year the girls from Meredith wilt visit one ward of approximately l_30_nien twice a month. Various ac tivities such as cards, bingo, oc casional parties, and singing sessions will be held for the men who range in age from 17 to 75. “Honor Card Palients” These men are all “honor card palients” at the hospital, which means that they arc free to walk around the hospital grounds, smoke, and carry money. Because of limited space in the game rooms, the girls are usually with only fifteen of the men at a tinie. Sarah stated that after visiting the hospital several times the patients learn to call the girls by name. She added that the volunteers’ main ob jective is to be a friend to these men, whether it is done by playing cards with them or simply attempting to strike up a conversation with some of the more withdrawn ones. She laughingly added that "more than once 1 have been confronted by men who are card sharks. I can’t help but feel defeated before I even be gin playing.” No Pay Received These volunteer workers receive no pay but, in Sarah’s words are “richly rewarded.” These girls are an essential part of the help offered mental patients at Dix Hill. The Handbook given all volunteers sums up the importance of the workers with these words: “You are some one who maybe for only a brief moment, takes the patients thoughts away from himself. You are . , . someone who is a good listener, not emotional but sympathetic, and one who the patient wishes to see again.” which a teacher remembers material through frequent repetition, as she encounters a specific name on nu merous lists and through corre* spondence with applicants. She con fessed that she has a tendency to associate names with geographical areas as a result of her correspond ences. Visits Seal Memory Miss Josey also commented that frequently the nature of a visit with an applicant enables her to remem ber the student. She recalls her visit in Ann Nooe’s home since Ann's school was dismissed on that spe cific day because of snow. Similarly when she called on Mary Alice Bell at school there was no place in the school for a conference and the prin cipal suggested that they go to Mary Alice’s home since it was near the end of the school day. Miss Josey also recalls Mary Baldwin’s first visit to Meredith accompanied by her parents. Mary’s mother, an alum nae of Meredith, was also a history major, and Miss Josey remem bers her efforts to locate Dr. Wal lace while revisiting the campus. Techniques Like Miss Josey, Miss Grimmer, secretary of the alumnae associa tion, credits her ability to remember alumnae through her correspond ence with them. Her association with the students, especially daugh ters of alumnae, enables her to re member names and faces. She associates girls with their friends in college, the town they are from, or perhaps an incident. She commented that a girl may look like her mother and thus her recollec tion of both mother and daughter is aided. Sometimes A Mix>Up When asked if there was any one incident which she especially re membered, Miss Grimmer related an occurrence at a Granddaughters’ breakfast. When she asked the girls to give her their names, she was happy to discover that one of the girls was the daughter of a graduate whose address she had been unable to obtain. Miss Grimmer confessed that at times she fails to associate the right name with the right girl at the right time. Miss Josey and Miss Grimmer are Meredith gruduates. amused at many of tbclr recollections
Meredith College Student Newspaper
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Dec. 19, 1963, edition 1
4
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