Fare Thee Well... Mrs. Robinson

[kybearfuzz]

"... God bless you please, Mrs. Robinson, Heaven holds a place for those who pray..."

The Mrs. Robinson in this instance wasn't a seducer, but a math teacher, my math teacher from 7th grade Geometry. Her name was Alex Robinson, which was probably the first time I encountered a woman with a man's name. In my mind she was old, but then I was 12 and she was in her early 50's. It's always the perception of the young.

A shorter lady with dark short hair and glasses, she was funny, but stern; witty, but explosive; good natured, yet terrifying. Her class was often fascinating to sit through. Not only did you learn, but you were entertained by her. If a student turned his or her back to her to talk to the person sitting behind, the room would get silent. She was like a tiger ready to pounce. Her favorite schtick was to throw chalk or a dust-filled eraser at the student. She would get in this stance, check third base over her shoulder, wind up the pitch, and let it fly. With the keen instincts of a military sharp-shooter, she rarely missed her target. The overall effect drew shock from the student and laughs from the class.

Nowadays, she'd be up on charges of assault and possibly harrassment, but that's just how times have changed. No student was ever hurt, just a bit humiliated, and even then not always. Some wore the chalk dust impression on their clothes as a badge of honor, like a war wound you couldn't help but show to your friends.

Sometime during junior high I made some wise@$$ crack to her in an effort to be funny and Mrs. Robinson got mad at me for a little while. I don't recall what I said, but I have always regretted getting on her bad side, even for a little while. Kids do stupid things, and I admit that I learned a valuable lesson from it. And maybe that was her point in being angry with me.

I read on an online blog from my hometown last night a story of how a student's mother had gone to her and complained about her son's grades. "How could he have gotten a 'C' on this test?" the mother asked. Mrs. Robinson took a step back and exclaimed, "Well, what do you expect!!?" I wish I had that on tape to show some of the parents I know who would have foolishly asked the same question.

A couple of years ago, I saw her at Wal-Mart. She looked very much the same as I remembered her, a little grayer maybe. She told me of her grandkids, her sons, etc. She seemed to be a very happy person. Ironically, my brother and I were reminiscing about her to his neighbor just last week while I was home.

I'm sad she's gone, passing away last week from cancer. It's a sign of getting older, I guess, when the fanciful people from your past start to fade away. I am proud to say that I was one of her students. I wish I could throw chalk at a young person right now in her honor.

God bless you please indeed, Mrs. Robinson.

Comments

One of the greats...

[aceofspace.livejournal.com]

She was definitely one of the great teachers in our region. She had a unique presence, the likes of which we shall not see again.

As you said, you were always a little more alert after the first week of classes. Many of the students were constantly nervous, but she still managed to inspire many of the weaker students to do better, and at the same time challenge the good students.

We're better for having known her, but math teachers everywhere have lost a hero...

[mort-83.livejournal.com]

Aw gee..that's a great post, Mark. I too, had a few teachers who could lob an eraser with deadly accuracy. But what the nuns did to us? Sheer humiliation. Awful.



I have a HS biology teacher that I was very close too (and still keep in contact with)...I will be very sad when he's gone.

[badgerpdx.livejournal.com]

I had one of those.... Mr. Fischer... a short grumpy (not really) German man who also taught Math... He'd slap a yardstick down on his desk if he thought we weren't paying attention. He was very resentful of parents, students, teachers, who thought kids were little birds that should just sit there and have things spoon fed to them like babys... We had to work, and think, or that ruler would SMACK our desks. He was a BRILLIANT teacher, and every so often, a wintery little smile would sneak out when he saw that we had gotten a concept, or that we were really working... By the end of the year, the class was doing college level calculus problems (this was 8th grade Jr. High)... Brilliant man. He retired the next year, and as I remember, died shortly therafter of a heart attack or heart disease. I STILL figure out bills, tips, and taxes in my head in honour of him. I hope it looks down from Math Teacher heaven and gives that wintery little smile.