Role Model Teach

ARC
Association Renaissance Creators
© Jan. 28, 2011
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Role Model Teaching

Over five decades ago, I experienced the best teacher I ever had. She was a nun. I was a freshman in private academy famous for high scholastic standards. Local church took up annual special collections so impoverished families could send children there. How blessed was I.

As we arrived, Sister made warm welcoming eye contact with each one. When class settled down, she handed out a short test. We laughed - no stress, no strain - we hadn’t learned anything yet. At her desk, she reviewed the papers, made notes…then announced names that paired off with each other. She then taught for fifteen minutes. Told the paired one on the `right’ side to repeat what she said to the `left side’. She taught for another fifteen minutes. Told the paired one on the `left’ side to repeat what she said to the `right side’. She explained…sometimes a teacher doesn’t connect with `words, expressions’ that are understood totally. A peer in translation might do better. The repetition was reinforced. Not only was her `buddy’ system fun, we all gained in `teaching and social’ skills. Every exam…we all scored 97% or better…every single one!!!

When I was quite young, I stumbled over this learning concept that has stood well for me all my life. I loved to read. I was the `go for’ my mother who was crippled at a young age. Her first child was a baby girl who died at birth. Three boys followed. In the tradition of our culture, women were raised to do the `inside work’ and men, the outside. I was so, so welcomed. Mom was brilliant: positive praise made me an eager aide de camp. I became a surrogate mother at seventeen months to new sister; extension to my mom. I was a precocious child. Reading was `nirvana’ - up, up and away. I loved helping my mother but certain jobs I hated like ironing the endless shirts for my father and brothers. I discovered that if I `paired the job with reading’ - voila, I was soon done and instead of avoiding embraced it. In my college salad psychology days, learned there was a paradigm devoted to the concept of pairing coupled with what was called the best teaching model: small steps, active participation, immediate feedback, positive reinforcement.

My recovery from 42 stab wounds was progressing nicely. I had come a long, long way from initial prognosis of home attendant to dreaded convalescent care. When the annual hospital three times average reduced to only one, I knew the next `pairing reading therapeutic goal’ was social, music, dance. But what to do? I could no longer drive.

After horror, my daughter transformed her solo carefree living lifestyle from single bedroom apartment complex with luxury amenities to suburban home with walking distance to my three favorite `free’ joys: church, library, park. Locality offers best of perks…complimentary city transportation for disabled and seniors.

My day starts 3:00 a.m., knee bends thanking God for another day to love/serve. Before horror, I was primarily involved with nonprofit I founded with charitable/educational mission of caring/sharing as able. helping the homeless juxtaposed with seminar facilitator and writing. I was well known in family as being an excellent prayer warrior. In coma I had metaphysical experience hearing my mother’s voice calling me and saying one word: names. I believe she was telling me that `prayers’ are heard. I believe my La Fenice (Phoenix from Ashes) life was renewed to continue existing and add `new names’ to the list.