As a middle school teacher, I am occasionally reminded of my own experiences in the 6th, 7th and 8th grades at Wickford Junior High (now known as Wickford Middle School).
I remember Mr. Hone my 6th grade teacher. Once, while reading a
Jack London story - probably To Build a Fire - Mr. Hone opened all the windows in the classroom as we took turns reading aloud. He prohibited us from putting on coats and sweaters because he wanted us to have a “feel for the story.”
I recall one day, in Mr. Thompson’s English class, where we spent the whole period talking about the Patriot’s opening day victory over the John Madden coached Oakland Raiders. It was the high point of the 1970 season. It was much more fun than learning about sentence structure.
Mr. Starks was our music teacher and he yelled at us in Chorus all the time. One time he was so angry he threw his baton into the air so hard that it hit and stuck into the acoustical tile on the ceiling. Of course that just infuriated him even more. I have a vague recollection of him tipping his piano over on another occasion. He was a scary dude.
On Thursday, March 4th, 1972, Mr. Novak - 8th grade Math - told us one of the worst jokes I have ever heard and, sadly, one of the few I can always remember:
“What’s the most commanding day of the year?”
Ready?
“March forth.”
Get it? I know, grooooaaaaan.
Mr. Novak’s class is also where the student in front of me whirled around with his/her freshly-sharpened pencil and stabbed me in the hand, drawing blood.
I carry that scar on my right thumb to this day.
Mr. Hone! We rescued a bird with a broken wing and nursed it back to health! And I can still forge his signature to this day!
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