It’s time again for Kat Myrman’s wonderful challenge to tax our creative souls. Just take her photo prompt and write a story, inspired by it, in 280 characters or fewer.
Here is this week’s prompt and my contribution. Check out all the fabulous entries here.
“So, Mrs Slaney, you taught Peter, and his sister, at age 10?”
“Yes. I taught a lot of brothers and sisters over the years. Most were a pleasure to teach and really made great efforts.”
“Can you remember what you wrote on his final report?”
“What I always wrote, COULD DO BETTER!”
(279 characters)
Mrs Slaney really was my teacher in the final year of Primary (Grade 5). She was probably the greatest influence I had in all of my education. The very first task for every child in her class was to write, in the front of their Nature study/geography book, the following words:
A thing of beauty is a joy forever.
Now that is a good thing to remember!
Peter, I’m so glad your memory was jogged on this week’s challenge. You wrote a perfectly wonderful tale…some truth in her stern assessment. We can always do better. But it is also important to celebrate when we do! 😉
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Loved your take on this. Could do better was usually what I got too. And when you think about it, it is very true, all of us could do better. These days however, teachers have a more positive way of saying it.
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It was a very accurate comment on the many occasions that it was used, and I never felt aggrieved that it was in any way incorrect. I did coast along very often. I must have told Mrs Slaney, many times over the years, just how right she was about a thing of beauty! (but sadly, never in person!)
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My saddest comment was… I think Susan is very tired! That one has never left me. Ahh well, I must have had a late night or too back then! It was the same teacher, who when my best friend and I had been voted in as candidates for the children’s day queen told my friend in front of me that she was the prettiest and was sure to win. she didn’t win, but guess who did?
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How cruel….and what was your inner comment to the teacher?
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The word Cow was the preferred one at the time. Actually, I agreed, my friend was prettier but I can still remember that feeling of being put down. Fortunately for me there was a little more to it than a pretty face!
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Two not too!
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This is wonderful and a real life memory!
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Mrs. Slaney was a wonderful woman Peter. My lasting memory was on the very last day with her before moving on to secondary school when she wrote on the blackboard, saying to the class, ” if you forget all I ever taught you please remember this one word”. TOLERANCE.
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That is great! And I love her quote/motto. What a testimony to the influence of a good teacher!
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It’s the first line of a poem by John Keats.
My sister Pauline’s comment shows how she too was influenced by Mrs Slaney, a very good woman, and a great teacher.
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I think remembering the impact a good teacher had on you is the highest compliment you can pay them.
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That really IS something to remember. Your lovely memory of that time reminds me in turn of a wonderful series of advertisements that ran on the BBC (bare with me here) – I think they were for The Open University but I don’t recall. They consisted of many and varied celebrities and members of the camera saying the name of the best teacher they ever had and why. Mine was Mr Mackey because he never let me get the better of him and always reminded me that even my best could be bettered – by me.
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Ah, that immortal phrase.
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A gentle and touching interview. I like your idea of ‘interviewing’ Mrs Slaney, at least in your imagination and memories. Good one.
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Thank you.
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