And one more thing...

I read the obituaries in our local paper religiously. I am at that time in my life, when friends of mine lose parents, siblings and the like. Today, I read an obituary for my 5th grade teacher whom I adored. He called everyone by their last name-boys and girls alike. He was in the army, so it worked for him. He was gruff, firm but loving and caring. One day, he took me aside (while my best friend waited in the hall) and told me, "if you would just pay less attention to the boys you would do a whole lot better in school." I tried to listen--but I am not sure I was successful. Just a few weeks ago, my youngest daughter entering 4th grade found out she had a male teacher. I of course, was ecstatic, as my experience was so wonderful. Male teachers are certainly at a premium but they bring something to the table that female teachers cannot. What that is, I am not sure. But I sure adored Mr. Gaughan. His disciplinary techinque was interesting. If you acted up--and I did--you were assigned an "encyclopedia page." This meant you were to write on a loose-leaf paper, from an encyclopedia until your page was filled. There were no mindless tasks with him. You were always meant to learn something, even if it was a punishment! When he yelled--it was awful, but we listened. We respected him and he respected us. I have often wondered what happened to him and where he landed on this earth. Now I know that he is in heaven--shaping up everyone who is not "in line." Mr. Gaughan, rest in peace.