Flashback Friday

Tell us about the teachers from your school days.

I don’t have a lot of memories from my elementary school days. Back in the dark ages we were in elementary school from the 1st grade all the way up to the 7th grade or maybe the 8th grade, I can’t remember. There was no middle school. We went from Elementary school into High School.

I know that there are some who remember their first grade teacher or there third grade teacher, but I just don’t. I think when there is turmoil in those years the family angst somehow wipes the slate clean of other things like who your second grade teacher was. I learned how to read and write and how to add and subtract but beyond that I don't have any real treasured memories that stand out in my mind.

I do remember having to memorize a poem but Edgar Allen Poe, I read and I re-read this poem until the day of presentation. We all had to stand in front of the class and recite our poem. I think the reason I remember this is because of the anxiety it brought to my like.

Annabel Lee

It was many and many a year ago,
In a kingdom by the sea,
That a maiden there lived whom you may know
By the name of ANNABEL LEE;
And this maiden she lived with no other thought
Than to love and be loved by me.

I was a child and she was a child,
In this kingdom by the sea;
But we loved with a love that was more than love-
I and my Annabel Lee;
With a love that the winged seraphs of heaven
Coveted her and me.

And this was the reason that, long ago,
In this kingdom by the sea,
A wind blew out of a cloud, chilling
My beautiful Annabel Lee;
So that her highborn kinsman came
And bore her away from me,
To shut her up in a sepulchre
In this kingdom by the sea.

The angels, not half so happy in heaven,
Went envying her and me-
Yes!- that was the reason (as all men know,
In this kingdom by the sea)
That the wind came out of the cloud by night,
Chilling and killing my Annabel Lee.

But our love it was stronger by far than the love
Of those who were older than we-
Of many far wiser than we-
And neither the angels in heaven above,
Nor the demons down under the sea,
Can ever dissever my soul from the soul
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee.

For the moon never beams without bringing me dreams
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;
And the stars never rise but I feel the bright eyes
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;
And so, all the night-tide, I lie down by the side
Of my darling- my darling- my life and my bride,
In the sepulchre there by the sea,
In her tomb by the sounding sea.

Edgar Allan Poe

Depressing I know. I can understand the devotion from an adult standpoint but looking back I am wondering what my thoughts were about this from an elementary school perspective?

Who were your favorites? Why did you like them?

I do remember one teacher. Her name was Mrs. Anderson. She was one my High School Art teacher. She was wonderfully flamboyant. She was a rather large woman and she wore flowing brightly colored dresses with lost of unusual artsy jewelry and colorful scarves. If I had to pick a familiar character that she reminds me of now I would say “Momma Cass” from he Mamma's and the Papa's. She had a unique perspective and she challenge us all to move past the norms and to head into uncharted territory, artistically speaking that is. I loved spending time in her room and would often go by her class before and after school just to see what she was doing. She would allow us explore our creative side in lots of different ways. We painted, we did sculpture, we created all kinds of different artistic endeavors. She was my favorite teacher and with of all the teenage and family angst I remember her and her words of encouragement and praise as well as the creative escape of her class room!

Thank You Mrs. Anderson!

For more Flashback Friday head over to Mocha with Linda.

Blessings Y’all

Robin