#52 Stories--Story # 48

How many of your elementary school teachers can you remember? Can you put them in order? Did you have a favorite? A least favorite?

I remember Mrs. Owzarzak was my first grade teacher. I recall that she had some sons that were a few years older than me and also went to El Roble school.

I can't remember my second grade teacher's name, at least not right now.

In third grade I had Mrs. Bach and Mr. Miller for math.  Mrs Bach was short and round and seemingly the meanest teacher ever.  But it was the summer after her class that I was able to visit Washington DC --with the meanest teacher ever--and another 50 or so kids.  Crazy.  She must not have been too bad after all.

Mrs. Midtgaard was my fourth grade teacher and I liked her immensely.  She spelled her last name with two As, just like we did too. Her kids participated in 4H also--though in the Rucker 4H club instead of our own Sunset 4H. I knew they had animals and lived in the country.  And she used a really COOL green felt tip pen to grade our papers.

In fifth and sixth grade I moved to Brownell Fundamental school.  It was similar to charter schools today, but I left the kids I rode the bus with for the years prior and had known all the time I lived in Gilroy.  I don't recall the teacher's names that I had there, but I remember the school itself was not a good fit for me socially.  I tried, but didn't ever feel like I fit in.  I felt the kids felt and truly believed they were better than any other school. I knew too many people at my old school that were good people to believe that could possibly be true.

Instead of staying at Brownell for 7th and 8th grade, I remember begging my mom to let me go to South Valley Junior High. Once I knew that would be the case, I was told by the Brownell kids that I'd get beat up by the Mexican kids every day. I knew that wasn't going to be the case, as many many friends from my old school--and now many kids I knew from across town now--would be attending SVJH. I really enjoyed my two years there and it made me feel VERY confident as I started at GHS when it was time for 9th grade.