I know I said that I was finished blogging about teachers but then I started thinking about Mrs. Davis. I learned a lot from Mrs. Davis. She was my high school math teacher and took me through Algebra, Geometry, Solid Geometry and Trigonometry. She was a good teacher and I seriously considered becoming a math teacher. But the things I remember most vividly about Mrs. Davis are silly little details.
1. She was in her 50s and her hair was greying in back first, sort of a skunk look.
2. She lived on Euclid Avenue, which seemed appropriate.
3. She drove with one foot on the break and one foot on the gas. I learned this when she drove another classmate and myself to IU in Bloomington for a state math competition.
4. She was a big fan of James Whitcomb Riley and took us to visit his home on the drive back from IU.
5. When she wrote on the black board, wearing short sleeved dresses, her underarm skin wobbled excessively. This made me swear to myself that I would never wear short sleeved shirts when I taught and I never did.
6. When I was a Senior my middle brother (not the west coast one) started his freshman year at Woodlan High School. On the first day of school I walked into an afternoon math class and Mrs. Davis said to me in kind of a shaky voice "That Smith* boy, that Smith* boy, he's not related to you, is he?" When I admitted that he was my brother, she just shook her head and walked away. I knew it was going to be a long year and I was right. The phrase "John Smith* come to the principal's office!" echoed through the hallowed halls at least once a week. Mrs. Davis saw it coming.
*Name changed to protect me and my west coast brother.
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