My Grade Three teacher was de best
MY BELOVED Grade 3 primary school teacher is still around; she turned into Gold last Sat-dey. One Hundred Years young! And how well ah remember her.
She was like de answer to ah fear-full lickle male student’s prayers.
In my primary school days, when yuh teacher failed to get his/her lesson in yuh head via yuh ears, s/he uses to try another method- two or three lashes wid ah leather strap on either de palm of yuh hand, yuh back, or yuh bottom. It was real Fo-obeah wid ah teacher walking around de class-room wid ah leather strap wrapped round his/her neck.
My Grade 2 teacher used de leather strap quite often; so did de Grade 3 teacher who ah was not looking forward to meet if/when ah got promoted. Wid all fairness dey were good teachers, both later became Head-teachers.
But thank God dey’s no more licks foh ah slow learner like me.
Man ev’ry night ah uses to pray to God foh two things: (i) to help me to get promoted to Grade Three and (ii) give me ah new teacher who did not believe in using de leather strap to mek yuh learn. Ah will have yuh know dat all my prayers were answered.
So We Got Ah New Teacher.
De school year began in January, right after de Christmas break. New class, new books even new clothes; sometimes ah new teacher.
Ah-ha! In January 1952, Class Three had ah new teacher, 27-year young Miss Adams. She was transferred from Met-Dis School to Richmond Hill Gov’t School (RHGS). Some of us knew her as our Gospel Hall Sunday School Teacher.
Our new teacher was like “love at first sight.” She was beautiful, soft spoken but very stern, and yes, no leather strap! But she laid down her Rules: No late coming, no talking in class, any sign of rudeness or disrespect will be reported to de Head Teacher, Mr. Tommy Saunders. Tommy was ah dramatist. When yuh hear him say “Bless My Jacket Button!” dah was like swearing foh him.Yuh know yuh licking sure.
Word got around dat our teacher made and sold ah nice coconut sugar cake at Met-Dis School, actually de best, so we kept nagging her to bring her dainties to sell us. Of course, quite ah few vendors brought snacks including sugar cakes to sell, but none compared wid Miss Adams’. Hers was done wid love. Grated coconut, white sugar, ah dash of essence.
Delicious.
She was ah born again Christian whose ministry was teaching de Word to young people. She brought her Sunday School and Thursday Class teaching skills (Religious Eddy-care-shun) to her Schools. Was in her class we learned all about Samson and Delilah, David and Goliath, Judas beatrayed and sold Jesus foh thirty pieces ah Silver. She laughed and den corrected us when we recited de Apostles Creed: “He descended among de dead; He arose from de dead and descended to Heaven!”
One of de fondest memories ah have of “ Miss” was when she went to Tobago on ah vacation. It was like ah Social Studies class when she returned. She told us all about dis lickle island, de people and de marine population. She opened a package of souvenirs, sea shells of all description, and laid dem on her desk: King and Queen conch, black and white Sea Egg, Lobster and Shrimp, several varieties of Sea Crabs. She kept de best foh last -de sea-horse and de star-fish.
All ah dis happened seventy years ago. Remarkable!
Give Doris Mc Kie Her Due Respect
And den at de opening of one of our school term we were told dat our dear teacher, Miss Adams was now Mrs Doris Mc Kie. She got married to Clive Mc Kie an Elder in her Church! De marriage was blessed wid ah Relay Team, four boys who excelled in Athletics, dey followed in dey maternal uncle’s footsteps.
De name Doris Mc Kie is synonymous with Teaching and Learning, whether Primary School or Sunday School. Was like every afternoon, her home was open forum foh free lessons foh de disadvantaged kids of de neighbour-hood. As ah mark of respect and appreciation, de Doris Mc Kie Learning Resource Centre was built in de community and so named in her honour.
But today, unfortunately or disrespectfully, De Doris Mc Kie Learning Resource Centre dat was originally equipped wid ah Library, computers, admin office, ah floor for Youth and Social Activities is now occupied by Public Works Office, and ah store-room.
Mr Curtis King, Minister of Eddy-Care-Shun and Rep foh de West St. George area, while Mrs Doris Mc Kie is still alive, please show some respect to de good lady, and kindly give her ah belated 100 Birthday Gift by restoring de Learning Resource Centre, in whose honour de building was named. Happy Birthday Mrs Mc Kie. Yuh were de Best. ThankYou!
And wid dat is gone ah gone again.
One Love Bassy.
_ Bassy Alexander is a land surveyor, folklorist and social commentator.
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