Baton Rouge High School - Fricassee Yearbook (Baton Rouge, LA)

Page 29 text:

From “slow learners to highly motivated Ruth Atherton Norma Gerace Robert Holder William Ltgnos Delores Schmidt Albert Wcstall Outdo Whalen Seven teachers at BRHS had been on the staff for ten years or more. The question they were asked was, “How has BRHS changed over the past ten years?” The replies, when combined, gave a clear picture of how BRHS was in the past. Mrs. Gerace, who began teaching at BRHS in 1958, replied that, “In 1971, BRHS was in a state of transition — we had lost most of the good students to Tara. There was a lot of unrest in the student body — riots occurred and there was a lot of vandalism, particularly over the weekend. It was very, very difficult to teach here then.” “Ten years ago Baton Rouge High School had many ‘slow learners’ and many discipline problems,” responded Mrs. Atherton, a fifteen year teacher at BRHS. She added, “Five years ago, BRHS became a Magnet School and the population changed so that most of the students here now are highly motivated and want to learn and make something worthwhile out of themselves.” Mrs. Whalen, a former student who began teaching here in 1958, said, “In the past 10 years, there have been no drastic changes. BRHS has always challenged the performance of its students and faculty to the utmost. There were years of trial and error within its past achievements, but with its changes for ever greater performance, BRHS has always remained dedicated to excellence.” Finally, Mr. Westall, a BRHS teacher since 1960, felt that two of the main changes were integration and that BRHS was a much better school now than it was ten years ago. LmIi Burnt Jo Calloway Johnallo Maiihew Gracie Perkins Norma Rutledge Mrs. Rutledge and Mrs. Mattews enjoyed quiet and sedate forms of relaxation. Mrs. Rutledge found “ reading a most relaxing pastime — especially when I’m tired.”, and Mrs. Matthews replied, “I take a thirty minute to an hour nap.” Mr. Burris had many ways to relax. He enjoyed going out with friends, working in his garden, and watching television. Mrs. Perkins opted for a more active form of relaxation. She preferred “two hours of aerobic dance.” Teachers 25 How do BRHS teachers relax? Students often tended to forget that their teachers were people too. But, the Fricassee staff remembered and asked some of the teachers how they relaxed after a long day at work. Their replies showed that they were just as normal as anyone else.

Page 28 text:

“Why not teach others some of the skills which I had acquired?” -Geraldine Dyer Many have wondered what motivated a person to become a teacher. The Fricassee staff set out to discover the answer to this question from some of BRHS’s teachers. When Mrs. Schweitzer was asked, “What made you want to be a teacher?” she responded, “An interest in science and young people — the influence of two of my college teachers — one in zoology, the other in chemistry.” Mrs. Dyer gave a more in depth reply, “Becoming a teacher was not my first choice for a career. I’ve always loved working with numbers and had a very good background in that area. 1 really felt that working in industry would have been just great, but at the time of my completing high school and college, a black woman had no place in the industrial world.” She continued by saying, “Almost from the first year of teaching, I’ve enjoyed working with students. Sure, there have been some bad experiences, but the joy of seeing a face ‘light-up’ when one has worked on a difficult concept makes being a teacher delightful.” .spent I Audrey Burns Geraldine Dyer Loralne McDaniel Nancy Schweitzer Eleanor Thomas Marie Williams You know you’re a teacher when . . . ✓ Mary Smith This question gave some teachers a tough time, but two of them, Mrs. Smith and Mrs. Kennedy found their answers easily. Mrs. Smith completed the sentence this way; “. . . you realize you don’t have to be crazy to be a teacher, but it certainly does help.” The question evoked a different response from Mrs. Kennedy. She said, that she knew she was a teacher when, “ bleary-eyed and tired from grading compositions that should have been returned last week, you still feel good and gratified when a student responds to a new idea.” A few minutes to rest. before offers Mrs. Smith a moment 24 Teachers

Page 30 text:

What bothers teachers When seven of Baton Rouge High School’s teachers were asked, “What bothers teachers?,” a variety of answers were received. Mrs. Wagner and Mrs. C. Hamilton gave similar replies. Mrs. Wagner said, “Student absences bother me.” She added that she was further annoyed by “ the regularly absent students who expect the teacher to ‘catch him up’, rather than assuming the responsibility himself.” And Mrs. Hamilton said, “A student asking, after an absence, “Did you do anything while 1 was gone?’, (as if we just sat waiting for his return.)” Mr. Antoine was annoyed by, “Reluctant learners Students with excellent ability who fail to apply themselves,” while Ms. Richinse said, “That the schools are no longer for the students.” While most of the teachers replied seriously, Mr. Perilloux took a lighter attitude and replied, “9th graders.” C'S Shying from the camera is part-time teacher Mr. Barber. Half-a-day teachirv Thom Barber Molly Buchmann Kim Burris l-ynda Bush Barbara Craig John Crac. Sylvie Launtaume Clarence Antoine Marcia Dabkowski Cynthia Ham.lion Charles Perilloux Cccile Richinse Marti Wagner Alice Wallace 26 Teachers