In Central Michigan College, during...
Illustration
In Central Michigan College, during my freshman year, Miss Jones (as I shall call her) taught English. She boasted openly about her tough discipline and of the extremely good performance she demanded of all of us. She talked too much, no doubt, and with braggadocio reminded us of her personal goals saying, "I intend to become the most honored teacher here, and my students better produce with excellence or else!" Across the hall was Miss Smith who taught French. She showered her students with words of appreciation; she said, "You can do it!" They believed her, too. She encouraged the class to talk in French about the football games, the debate team, the clothing styles, even the school's rules of behavior. Her gentle voice was always warming and a welcome thing. At the end of our second year, the language students could enter a state-wide contest in their own field. Miss Smith's French students took first place, scoring much higher than their nearest competitors and Miss Jones' team ranked fourth out of the five teams in their competition. -- Hoornstra
