Monday, March 3, 2014

Thank You, Mrs. Nixon

I found my middle school math teacher's obituary in the local paper and was sad I hadn't taken the time to thank her.  Mrs. Nixon may have been Richard Nixon's sister-in-law, but to me she was the best math teacher I ever had.

I remember how she made us solve problems systematically -- showing each step of our work.  I still use her method of teaching percentages more than 30 years later.

So often, we look to the latest strategies, but in my opinion good teaching is timeless.
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2 comments:

  1. The Teacher's Desk 6March 3, 2014 at 8:27 AM

    I so enjoyed this blog post, Mary! A few years ago I had the opportunity to THANK my sixth grade teacher. He is the reason I am a sixth grade teacher. He passed away a year later. Soon after I had one of my former students come to me and say the same thing. I was reduced to tears. Mrs. Nixon knows how you feel!!!!

    And... the older staffers and I (I am one of them... sigh) were talking about all the teaching fads and trends that have come and go over the many years we've been teaching. It's getting difficult for us to keep up! Our conclusion: GOOD TEACHING IS GOOD TEACHING AND FORGET ABOUT THE FRILLS! I think I like your wording better.

    Have a wonderful week!
    Angela

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    1. Mary BauerMarch 4, 2014 at 11:40 AM

      I am also one of the older staffers at my building and I agree with you. One of the "new" strategies presented at a recent professional development was something I learned my first year of teaching.

      Thanks for stopping by.

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