When
I had English we tortured Miss Ball incessantly. One day she got the respect of every junior high boy when she demonstrated her ability to use a Ninja trick. I cannot recall what Mike Phillips had done to get Miss Ball mad, but she called him to the front of the class and grabbed him by the collar, and slammed him against the black board. As Mike's back hit the black board Miss Ball drew back her hand and Mike flinched ready to get slapped. To the amazement of the whole class the fake slap turned out to be a diversion. When Mike flinched expecting to be hit on the face Elanor drew back her leg and kicked Mike in the shin. I am sure everyone in the class thought this lady surely at one time was a world class boxer. She could fake a jab, and hit you with a roundhouse that would drop you.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Now, that's what I call a GREAT story!!!
ReplyDeleteI can picture Miss Ball doing something like that. She had a lot of tricks up her sleeve, and I think she kept us all entertained and managed to instill some foundational grammar that is with many of us today. I have often said that she and Mr. Porter were two of the most influential teachers in my life. Years later when I became a junior high teacher, I often wished I could channel some of Miss Ball. The funeral for the stuffed animal that fell from her window was one of the many memories from her 8th grade class.
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh, Miss Ball....the major memory I have of her ( I do remember the stuffed animals) is that she asked me a question and I think I struggled with the answer and finally gave up. She threw an eraser at me, hit me in the head, and said, "Where's your perseverance?" Well, I had to go home and look that word up and I never forgot it. Actually, perseverance is probably one of my best qualities to this day! Thank you, Miss Ball.
ReplyDelete