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Captain America   | Best and Worst Teachers in the Big Two | 03-06-2001 |
The title of All-Time worst teacher is a tie in my opinion. Mrs. Hogenson and Mr. Sega have to share the honor. Although, nothing was funnier than leaving a "Magic Marker" open in Mrs. Hogenson's room overnight and watching the carnage...Unless it was Black Joe beating the hell out of Scott Beck during class. Black Joe almost ran me over in the hallway one time when I was inbetween him and smoke break in the teacher's lounge...  Best teacher, of course, was Jim Bursch. Anybody else care to share any thoughts on the JAJ/Minne/THHS faculty? | ||
| voice of reason | Re: Best and Worst Teachers in the Big Two | 03-06-2001 |
| The worst teacher had to be RL Smith. He did not do a damn thing, except for read the paper and do the cross word puzzle. As far as teaching goes he was by far the worst. I am not saying he did not like the students, but he did not teach a damn thing. Best teacher... Jim Shields. No offense captain, but you may be slightly biased. | ||
| Drifter | Re: Best and Worst Teachers in the Big Two | 03-06-2001 |
| Best was Geno Goedel (Mrs. Pokorney was a close second). Worst was a tie between Bear and Onstad. | ||
| Big Blue | Re: Best and Worst Teachers in the Big Two | 03-06-2001 |
| What about Bill House? He was unique. No one will approach him. What about Dr. Norlander? How many fires were set in that room? | ||
| Falcon Edie | Re: Best and Worst Teachers in the Big Two | 03-06-2001 |
| Are we talking worst teachers in THHS or are we including the John A and Minnehaha? My list would include for worst teacher Waddon Johnson (9th Grade Science) or Arnie Swanson. Best teacher-Dave Rossiter. Elementary school teacher-worst was Miss Manlove and the best was Miss Shaw (despite the glass eye and the BO) | ||
| b-loop | Re: Best and Worst Teachers in the Big Two | 03-06-2001 |
| leave miss shaw's eye alone..one never was quite sure where she looking- What about Raymond Rask? In my opinion, he was not only a great teacher, but also a wonderful story-teller and friend. Clyde Birkholz was a good teacher if you were a Jr. or Sr., but if you were a freshman, you better stay the hell out of his way!!! | ||
| The.White.Chevy | Re: Best and Worst Teachers in the Big Two | 03-07-2001 |
| Here's a sample of some of the valuable stuff I learned in high school: During 10th grade health class, Krysiak showed these god-awful, anti-drug filmstrips. One was called "LSD, the Acid World," and one of the scenes featured a whacked-out girl studying a piece of fruit. Well, when we took the test on that unit, he actually asked us to name the fruit the girl was staring at. Here's the scary part: 30 years later, I still remember the answer. It was an orange. Now, is that a valuable piece of education, or what? | ||
| The.White.Chevy | Re: Best and Worst Teachers in the Big Two | 03-07-2001 |
| Anyway, you can guess how I'd grade the quality of my health education. I thought that Dale Sorensen and Denny Hershbach were very good science teachers. Mary Jane Smith was outstanding, if you get past the perfume. I liked Birkholz and Rossiter, as well. Looking back, I feel sorry for Arne Swanson. He had a serious drinking problem and would show up for class now and then tanked. Someone on the faculty had to know, but I don't think he ever got help. What a shame | ||
| Falcon Edie | Re: Best and Worst Teachers in the Big Two | 03-07-2001 |
| Another teacher that I enjoyed was Jan Bann. Alot of kids made fun of her, but she was a serious woman that really wanted kids to understand what she was teaching (Psychology and Sociology). I had her for homeroom one year and really liked her. | ||
| Falcon Edie | Re: Best and Worst Teachers in the Big Two | 03-07-2001 |
| Does anyone remember Greg Repensky? He was a pretty good speech teacher and a nice guy. Myself and several TH grads rented his house in Duluth when we went to UMD. | ||
| Captain America | Re: Best and Worst Teachers in the Big Two | 03-07-2001 |
| Boyd Gonzales would show up for 8th grade science hung over 3 or 4 days a week. We always knew when he was "hung" because we'd see a videotape or a filmstrip in class that day. Good guy when he was sober though... | ||
| TWO-Z | Re: Best and Worst Teachers in the Big Two | 03-07-2001 |
| BEST WAS POKORNEY AND FITZPATRICK. THE WORST WAS RJ SMITH AND MS MANLOVE. DOES ANYBODY REMEMBER THAT ART TEACHER THAT GOT KICKED OUT BECAUSE SHE GOT CAUGHT GOING TO PARTIES WITH A FEW GUYS IN HER CLASS?????? | ||
| Drifter | Re: Best and Worst Teachers in the Big Two | 03-07-2001 |
| I had Kortuem for Driver's Ed. I loved it when he would load the film projector with one of those gory crash movies, then leave the room for a half hour. When he was gone, sometimes we would run the projector backwards, so we could all view a violent automobile crash in reverse. | ||
| Nugget | Re: Best and Worst Teachers in the Big Two | 03-07-2001 |
| I agree that Denny Hershbach was among the very best; in R.L. Smith's class, especially if you were an jock, there was simply no work to be done. Class would be 20 minutes of talk about what the sport teams were doing and then he would disappear into his paper. I recall Jack Murphy being a decent teacher in 6th grade science at Minnehaha...It would be interesting to know when you all graduated so that some historical perspective on your view of teachers could be gained? I know people like their annonimity but it would be good if people don't mind. I'll be 'brave' and start...1977 | ||
| TWO-Z | Re: Best and Worst Teachers in the Big Two | 03-07-2001 |
| IT'S NO SECRET. 1981. I ATTENDED ONE CLASS OF RL'S AND GOT MYSELF TRANSFERED. COULDN'T STAND THE GUY. I ACTUALLY HAD POKORNEY IN MINNEHAHA AND THE HIGH SCHOOL. | ||
| Drifter | Re: Best and Worst Teachers in the Big Two | 03-07-2001 |
| I'm from the class of 82. I was also fortunate to have Mrs. Pokorney in about 8th grade at the Minnehaha and then again during my sophomore year at the High School. Great lady. Goedel and Hershbach were great teachers and great coaches. Drifter | ||
| The.White.Chevy | Re: Best and Worst Teachers in the Big Two | 03-07-2001 |
| OK, Nugget. I'll confess. I graduated in 1973, when the hair was bad, the music was even worse and Nixon was president. Ugh! Anyway, another member of the Hall of Shame would be Vina Naismith. I didn't have her for a class, but she was my homeroom teacher as a senior. I sat right in plain sight, but at least once a week she'd mark me absent. So they'd call me down to the office, I'll tell them I was really there, they'd ask who I had for homeroom, and the office help when chuckle when I told them and send me on my way. No one, especially not Vina, found out about my extended 2-hour lunches! | ||
| Sammy Hedin | Re: Best and Worst Teachers in the Big Two | 03-07-2001 |
| I am new to the forum, but here goes. I graduated in 1988. The very best teacher? Miss Wallace. The very worse teacher? David Rossitter. What a lazy man! | ||
| TWO-Z | Re: Best and Worst Teachers in the Big Two | 03-07-2001 |
| WELCOME SAMMY HEDIN. DRIFTER, WHAT ARE THE ODDS WE KNOW EACH OTHER??????????? MAYBE FREINDS?????????? WOULDN'T THAT BE FUNNY... | ||
| Captain America | Re: Best and Worst Teachers in the Big Two | 03-07-2001 |
| I'm Class of 90. Just a puppy compared to the "more experienced" THHS alums here. We always thought Miss Wallace was a prostitute. I think that Bill Hermenson deserves honorbale mention as a good teacher, but I'm surprised no one has mentioned the Duckman yet... | ||
| happy | Re: Best and Worst Teachers in the Big Two | 03-07-2001 |
| I think the art teacher's name is Pat Dorvall - had her for 3d art, nice lady. I graduated in 1978. My favorite teacher was Coach Tom Swanstrom..always (usually) had a smile on his face. | ||
| Torggy | Re: Best and Worst Teachers in the Big Two | 03-07-2001 |
| I am a 69'er. The draft was on and crawling around in rice paddies was a definite possibility. I had Mrs. Corckeran in the first grade and was lucky to come out with any knuckles left. She had the quickest ruler in town. Ouch! Mrs. Sicklecrow in the third was nice. Rask in the sixth grade was cool. One day I brought a magnifying glass to school and was playing with it when I should not have been. He sent me to the window with the glass and some paper as a punishment. Much to his surprise about five minutes later I had smoke rising from the paper using the sun and the magnifying glass. He was real good about it though and suddenly we were doing a science experiment. Though the look in his eyes at the first smell of smoke was something to behold. | ||
| Nugget | Re: Best and Worst Teachers in the Big Two | 03-07-2001 |
| Wasn't Jan Bann attacked by a student with a knife sometime in the '70's? | ||
| old silvercreeker | Re: Best and Worst Teachers in the Big Two | 03-07-2001 |
| Been lurkin' this site awhile, Class o'81. I agree with Goedel and Hirshbach. Dennis Hirshbach is now a pastor and his parish is that little Lutheran Church in Castle Danger. 'Creeker | ||
| The.White.Chevy | Re: Best and Worst Teachers in the Big Two | 03-07-2001 |
| You are correct, Nugget. She was attacked, although I'm not sure exactly who did it. | ||
| Drifter | Re: Best and Worst Teachers in the Big Two | 03-07-2001 |
| I also liked Birkholtz. A good teacher and a pretty good basketball PA announcer to boot.... "Basket by Jim 'MacAdoo' MacDonald!!" | ||
| Falcon Edie | Re: Best and Worst Teachers in the Big Two | 03-07-2001 |
| Wasn't Jan Bann attacked by Steve Johnson's (Glunky) older brother? Hey, Nugget, I had a brother who graduated in 1977 as well. I'm reluctant to say who-you may not like the guy! | ||
| Nugget | Re: Best and Worst Teachers in the Big Two | 03-07-2001 |
| Falcon Edie...whatever makes you say that? I don't remember having an enemies list | ||
| Falcon Edie | Re: Best and Worst Teachers in the Big Two | 03-07-2001 |
| OK Nugget. Maybe a few hints-he still lives in the big TH (all four of my brothers do)-grew up in a hockey family. See if you can guess. | ||
| Nugget | Re: Best and Worst Teachers in the Big Two | 03-07-2001 |
| You know, its kind of amazing how much I've forgotton. I guess I'd have to go with Tom Carlson being your brother. | ||
| Falcon Edie | Re: Best and Worst Teachers in the Big Two | 03-07-2001 |
| Nice try Nugget--no dice. Another hint-he hangs around the golf course in TH alot. So does the rest of his family. | ||
| Skipper | Re: Best and Worst Teachers in the Big Two | 03-07-2001 |
| She was not a teacher, but B-loop and I on more than one occasion have broke down and wept recalling the medicinal powers of nurse Betty Johnson.... | ||
| NUGGET | Re: Best and Worst Teachers in the Big Two | 03-07-2001 |
| Might have to open an old annual; I don't get to TH often and have no idea who hangs out at the golf course... | ||
| Falcon Edie | Re: Best and Worst Teachers in the Big Two | 03-07-2001 |
| Nurse Betty Johnson! What a blast from the past! Anyone remember Jack Enge the librarian with the limp and lisp. Poor guy sounded like Wally Cox (aka Underdog) | ||
| The.White.Chevy | Re: Best and Worst Teachers in the Big Two | 03-07-2001 |
| Bill House, whom someone mentioned a while back, once served in the Minnesota Legislature! It's too bad he's not around now. He'd be a much better XFL analyst than Jesse. So what if he couldn't explain science? It was only his job | ||
| webman | Re: Best and Worst Teachers in the Big Two | 03-07-2001 |
| My knuckles also suffered some abuse from the ruler of Miss Corcoran in 1st grade. Harry Nynas started teaching 4th grade when I was there. I didn't have him, but he was really cool. Mrs. Arendt actually got me through 5th grade math, and Judy Fast had to retire after my 6th grade class. Jan Bann-Brakken was excellent, and Mary Jean Whalen for 12th grade speech was very cool. A bunch of us were invited to her wedding the summer after we graduated (that would be 1976) and we all got drunk at an excellent reception at the old Hotel Duluth. | ||
| Torggy | Re: Best and Worst Teachers in the Big Two | 03-08-2001 |
| I went to a summer camp not far from Indian Lake the was called Camp F.E. House. I always thought that it was named after a member of the state legislature that in his later years taught at THHS. His wife taught english and french at Clover Valley. | ||
| TWO-Z | Re: Best and Worst Teachers in the Big Two | 03-08-2001 |
| WHO IS OLD SILVERCREEK?????????? | ||
| The.White.Chevy | Re: Best and Worst Teachers in the Big Two | 03-08-2001 |
| If I can fade back to the previous thread for a minute ...there's a very good column by Pat Reusse on the Star-Tribune Web site (www.startribune.com) on Greenway's hockey program and its decision to play against the big schools. It deals with a lot of the issues raised in the hockey discussions here. Just thought you might want to know. | ||
| Kitty | Re: Best and Worst Teachers in the Big Two | 03-08-2001 |
| Being the only 'outsider' in this T.H. forum, I must say this has been one of the most interesting threads yet! T.W.C., your recollection of the orange from 10th grade is a PERFECT example of Blooms Taxonomy, Level 1 questioning skills. In other words, there was was a reason your teacher asked you that question. Just about all of you mentioned who your favorite teacher was, but few of you said why. For your homework assignment, (hey, you guys like blasts from the past!) those of you who mentioned your favorite teacher must list at least one attribute the teacher had, which made him/her your favorite. PLEASE!? I can probably use this info for a future essay! Thanks, guys!! (I promise, you'll all get A's!) | ||
| TWO-Z | Re: Best and Worst Teachers in the Big Two | 03-08-2001 |
| OK KITTY, HERE GOES. I REMEMBER MS. POKORNEYS STYLE OF TEACHING. THAT WAS THE ONE CLASS THAT DEFINATLY CAUGHT MY INNER IMAGINATION. I STILL LIKE WATCHING THOSE MOVIES. IT ALSO PAINED ME TO WATCH CERTAIN STUDENTS PICK ON HER UNTIL SHE CRIED. TOTALLY UNDESERVING. SHE WAS SUCH A KIND AND UNDERSTANDING WOMEN WHO WAS ALWAYS THERE WHEN YOU NEEDED HER. I REMEMBER WHEN SHE CAUGHT ME SMOKING OUT BACK, I THINK IT HURT HER MORE THAN ME BY THE LOOK ON HER FACE. MY SECOND WAS MR. FITZPATRICK. HE MADE ME REALIZE ALOT ABOUT MYSELF AS WELL. HE MADE ME REALIZE THAT I HAVE ALOT TO GIVE TO OTHER PEOPLE. I ALSO GIVE HIM CREDIT FOR MY DIPLOMA. WITHOUT HIS GUIDENCE, I MAY NOT HAVE ONE. WHEN A TEACHER CAN KEEP YOUR INTEREST IN CLASS IN THEIR TEACHINGS AND HAVE FUN DOING IT AS WELL AS MAKE YOU REALIZE ALOT ABOUT YOURSELF WHILE YOUR IN YOUR MOST VULERABLE YEARS, THAT SAYS ALOT TO ME. I'M SURE THERE ARE MANY TEACHERS THAT HAD AN EFFECT ON ME, BUT THOSE ARE THE FIRST TWO THAT COME TO MIND. NEXT!!!!!!!!!!!! | ||
| Kitty | Re: Best and Worst Teachers in the Big Two | 03-08-2001 |
| Thanks, Two-Z, I copied your comments, which were very good, and hope to add more to the file. Keep 'em coming! | ||
| Nugget | Re: Best and Worst Teachers in the Big Two | 03-08-2001 |
| I think Two-Z said a great deal. Good teaching in a small town, I think, is different than in a big city. In a small town, a teacher is also likely to be a neighbor and, dare I say, a citizen. Decent classroom concepts of knowing well the subject you teach, placing a value on passing on your knowledge, placing importance on every student's value and potential, and recognizing that at some point, a teacher's students become cognizant of that teacher's ability and enthusiasm and place in the community. Students know what teachers are working and who is slacking off. They know who has drinking problems. They know who has a good reputation in the community and who does not. Good teachers remember that their reason for going into the profession when they were young transend their later appreciation of long breaks and long summers and classrooms that move forward of their own volition. They remember that teaching is a high calling, and resist the temptation to devalue their own work just because they believe that society has failed to recognize and value their work. They remember their training that tells them that different sudents learn at different paces and in different ways; that they have a class room of individuals. They remember that the term 'Platonic love' originates from the love that Plato had for his students. And they have enough respect for themselves and their students and their place that when they start just cruising toward retirement, they leave and find another profession, making room for a new voice in what ought to be regarded as the great conversation that drives all good education. (Sorry for the speech. I'll stop now | ||
| Drifter | Re: Best and Worst Teachers in the Big Two | 03-08-2001 |
| Wow. How can anyone follow that??? Simply put, my favorite teachers had my respect, and I had theirs. When I get back to TH and occasionally run into one of them, I tell them how I appreciated what they did for me, and I thank them. They usually thank me in return. To be able to guide a young person and see them become a successful adult (and feel like you had something to do with it) must be extremely gratifying. Drifter. | ||
| Old Silvercreeker | Re: Best and Worst Teachers in the Big Two | 03-08-2001 |
| My favorite teachers [Goedel and Hirschbach] are chosen for their knowledge of the subjects that they taught and their ability to pass that along to those who were willing to learn. I remember during my senior year calculus class Geno Goedel had a heart attack and we were stuck with a vastly inferior math sub. It really gave me a perspective on how good we had it with him as a teacher. He did return to class that year after his recovery and did as much damage control as he could. As for Dennis Hirsbach he is just incredibly well rounded and Knowledgable in the biology and earth sciences fields. It also interested me to have him reconcile evolution with his religious beliefs...........'creeker | ||
| Torggy | Re: Best and Worst Teachers in the Big Two | 03-08-2001 |
| There are a couple of major components not discussed here that can affect the ability of a child or young adult to learn. Parents and society. I am not trying to diminish the need for good teachers but the best teacher in the world cannot over come poor parents or an apathetic society. For many years education was left to the youngest of adults fresh out of school themselves with a minimal of training. The desire to learn and the positive influence of society can push young people into making advancements will beyond their position in life. Abraham Lincoln reading by candlelight comes to mind. But when society takes the "some one else will do it" or the "it's not my fault" attitude we run the risk of creating young adults with no future and blaming other people for it. Home schooling has had some great success and done by people with little or no educational training. The cookie cutter approach taken to public education as evidenced through the outcome-based system has had a very detrimental effect on general learning. A society that places more importance on appearance than content is a truly bankrupt one. Guess I have prattle on long enough. | ||
| Drifter | Re: Best and Worst Teachers in the Big Two | 03-08-2001 |
| Torggy - Point well taken. I'm sure home schooling has had some great success stories, but I would also imagine there have been some failures -- just like in public schools. Let's not forget that. Drifter | ||
| Torggy | Re: Best and Worst Teachers in the Big Two | 03-08-2001 |
| Used as an example only. There is no one single answer. | ||
| voice of reason | Re: Best and Worst Teachers in the Big Two | 03-08-2001 |
| Wow, this topic has exploded into a real intellectual discussion. What the hell has happened. Let me see if I can put an end to it. There have been made many good points already, and I am in no way trying to disparage what anyone else has already said. (enough sucking up). I am one who totally believes that parents need to be involved for great successes. However, I have seen friends of mine who have had great parents. Yet, some of these friends have frankily failed to live up to what they are capable. My point is simply that I believe it is a cop out to say that it is up to the parents to become involved. Teachers are among the most influential people in young peoples lives. And yet we fail to treat teachers as professionals. Ask any teacher, they will tell you that they wish they were paid as well as any babysitter. (After all, many folks believe that is all they are). Take one student, at a mere $3 an hour. Times that by 8 hours. That eauals $24. (I am a math genius). Take that $24 and times it by at a minimum 20 students. (Often it is 25-30) That is $480 a day!!! That is $2400 a week. That is $9600 a month!!! That is $86,400 for 9 months!!!! That is all for now. The math tired me out. | ||
| Kitty | Re: Best and Worst Teachers in the Big Two | 03-08-2001 |
| Wow! Thanks, guys. You've given me more than two pages to glean through. I've been substitute teaching for two years now, and have learned a lot about students, teachers and their classrooms. I absolutely love it, which is why I'm back in school. I did a long-term sub job of 8.5 weeks and thought "I can do this". I'm still subbing while going to school, and it's just been great! I intend to teach in Alaska for a couple of years (have to get it out of my system). I've got friends who are retiring there in June, so I won't be alone, anyway, though I think my daughter will accompany me where ever I go. Thanks again for the info. Speaking of info, I believe I've just told you WAY more about myself than I ever intended to. Guess the honeymoon is over, eh??!! Have a good one, all. | ||
| Torggy | Re: Best and Worst Teachers in the Big Two | 03-08-2001 |
| Of course more than just parental involvement is required. The average school district here in Washington State spends $4500 a year per student that equals $90,000. I submit that money does not guarantee a good education. This country has consistently lagged behind countries like Romania that spends considerably less than we do. If it were only a matter of money we would have fixed it long ago. Teachers are important and a worthy profession but too much burden is being placed on their shoulders to right the wrongs of a society that is morally corrupt. | ||
