School and Community Summer 2024

1984

An Easier Way “There must be an easier way to make a living,” I declared, searching the classified ad section of the evening newspaper. My husband was working a bridge game, checking off the play of each hand with a pencil. Bidder, I was informed, was threading his way through three no-trump, with only two entries to the dummy hand. “A job where there’s no homework at night and no papers to carry home and grade every weekend.” “I carry them home too,” Paul murmured, checking off another play. “Essay tests take me hours.” “Yes, but you’re teaching university juniors and seniors,” I countered. “What they write makes sense. When I get them in high school, they have to take English. They aren’t even sure where a sentence begins and ends.” “Touche,” was the preoccupied reply. Apparently, three no-trump was still in jeopardy. “And so little of my day is spent really teaching. Half of the time I’m mothering some freshman who’s intimidated by an upper classman or another one who feels his stepfather hates him. I have to average grades every week so I can okay the school athletes for eligibility. Then if I declare one ineligible, I’m on his hit list. He gets even by shooting spit-wads when my back is turned.” “Yeah,” said Paul in an absentminded attempt at consolation. “Para-legal assistant,” I read from the classifieds. “Surely easier than teaching. No principal or school board looking over my shoulder.

Three Cheers for PTTA N o, that’s not a misprint. PTTA stands for Parents that Teachers Appreciate and new members always welcome. There are no dues, no meetings, no programs. Many parents are PTTA members, but just don’t know it. Here’s a list of members in good standing: • The mother who fed her son a good breakfast. • The parents who tucked their daughter in bed at 8:30 so she was well rested for school. • The father who sent the teacher a note saying his child wouldn’t be riding the bus home as usual. (Boy, does that save confusion at the end of a busy day!) • The parents who started helping their son with spelling words on Monday night, not Thursday night. • The parent who sent medicine to school and a note telling exactly how much should be given and when. • Parents who talk to their child’s teacher regularly and offer their cooperation in helping the child be a good student. • Parents who have taught their children good manners, the difference between right and wrong, how to get along with others, responsibility, honesty and a sense of humor. • The father who said this morning, “Have a good day, son. I love you.” • Parents who provide a quiet place for home study and a special place to display outstanding schoolwork. • The mother who listened to her first grader read a story that could only hold the attention of a six-year-old, when there was dinner to be prepared and laundry to be done. • The father who answers his child’s questions when he can and who says, “I don’t know, let’s find out together,” when he can’t. • Parents who say please, thank you, excuse me and I’m sorry and children to do the same. Get the picture? These people do so much to make a teacher’s work easier. They allow a teacher more time to teach, which is why we’re here. The great thing about PTTA is that it already has so many good members. But our goal is 100 percent membership. What’s in it tor parents? A well-behaved, well-adjusted, pleasant child who can learn at school. Why? Because mom and dad take a little extra time to see that each day is a good one. —By Nancy Anderson

No parents wondering why their son isn’t passing, even though he hasn’t opened his book in two months.” “Ad writer,” I read on. “I’ll bet lunch hour in an ad agency is longer than 23 minutes. Coffee breaks. Maybe more than four minutes to use the restroom.”

“True,” Paul put down the paper and filled his pipe. “You went into teaching when it dawned on us that rearing six kids on a professor’s salary wasn’t working financially. But our kids are grown now. You should have your freedom now that our nest is almost empty.” “Empty,” I echoed. “Here’s an ad for a librarian in a small college only 40 miles away. All those books and no kids. Freedom.” “Three no-trump bid and made!” Paul checked off the last play of the bridge

hand exultantly. “Except it’s a loss.” “What? Our kids? The bridge hand?”

“You,” he said. “Those scared freshmen. The kid whose stepfather hates him. Who’ll they turn to if you leave?”

—By Helen Troisi Arney

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