Plymouth State University - Conning Tower Yearbook (Plymouth, NH)

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piymouTH piflyEns The Plymouth Players opened their 81-82 theatre season with the oldtime favorite. “OKLAHOMA!” The electric cast of twenty-five filled the house, drawing approximately 2.000 entheusiostic fans of top dancing knee-slapping hoe downs! s? ROGERS AND HAMMERSTEIN'S KLAHOMA! 3T

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I Dr. Mary Bilheimer I Dr. Mary Bilheimer, professor of noturoi science at Plymouth State Cotege talks on ste In Plymouth m 1982. On the classes she teaches: I teach one major subject every year, microbiology. Every other year I teach a class in histology which is the study of Ivmg tissues. The rest of her classes are for lay people, which I enjoy very much Of course, the thing I feel the greatest satisfaction from is my Birth Defects course because it started as a module and is now a three credit couse. It's always one of the first filed at registration time. By spitting the class. I can now accomodate more students—about 200 per semester Teaching these classes puts me in touch with o wide perspective of the students, that's what I like, working with so many different students ” On the award given to her at convocation: It was from the student body to the person who they thought had gn en their greatest dedication or devotion to the student body. I was surprised and pleased to get it. On her education and previous work experience: I just had my 26th graduation. I spent two years teaching junior high. Before that I was an instructor at Cokjmbia University while I was getting my doctorate degree. I also received my masters at Columbia My undergraduate work was done at Gettysbug Coftege in Pennsylvania. Dr. Bfrieimer chose to attend the same colege where her father was on the faculty, serving as the director of athletics and the head of the physicol education department. On the question, “Would you recommend Plymouth State College?” Weil, I'm still here. I've looked around, and I sti Ike Plymouth, On the administration: ’1 think sometimes we (the administration) make changes too rapidly before we have had time to assess the previous change. On her teaching style: “I teach for the students. My subject matter is a vehicle and I hope students learn, but I also want to see and watch students gro and develop in my course. In other words. I teach the students, not the subject. On her Involvement: I enjoy being involved in student activities. Working with the students is the most enjoyable and gratifying aspect of teaching. Students ore what we’re all about A Plymouth Tradition 30

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 Distinguished Education Professor Retires The following article appeared In the Clock on Thursday, April 5th, 1982 This June one of the most distingushed teaching careers in New Hampshire higher education wl come to an end. Dr. Norton R. Bagley, professor of education at Plymouth State Cotege. will retire after 29 years of preparing teachers to meet the educational needs of the New England region Richard A Morse, chairman of the University System Board of Trustees, recently expressed the esteem which members of the board have for Professor Bagley when he wrote, “I know of Dr. Bagley's contributions to the college not only from more than one generation of students, but from the wealth of friends on the faculty and staff of the cotege and throughout the State of New Hampshire. Dr. Bagley has been a significant force in the sfe of the cotege. and I think it is appropriate that he be recogntsed on the occasion of his retirement os one of the truly great faculty people in our state university system, Professor Bogiey's dedicated service to teacher education in the Granite State was recognised during a testimonial dinner at the college's John C Foley Gymnasium. Dr. Bogiey's teaching career at Plymouth has spanned more than a quater of a century. One of the few professors to have taught at Plymouth under it's three different names — Plymouth Normal School. Plymouth Teacher's College and Plymouth State College of the University System of New Hampshire. Professor Bagley has seen tremendous changes in the institution. From a teocber preparation school with on enrollment of 250 students, almost all of them women, to today s rrxiti-purpose coeducational college serving some 3.400 young people. Plymouth State has grown and changed over the Bagley years But the one thng that hasn't changed in afl the years I've tought here is the students. he sold. The one thng rewarding to me. and that's probobKy why I sti teach, that we have a fine group of students They are eoger. highly motivated, want to improve themselves and. compared with most, ore extremely wel behaved and very considerate and po«te. Professor Bagley has seen the cotege curriculum change from what he termed less subject matter and more experience in the 1950's to an Increased stress on subjects In the 60's to today's trend to combine a strong experience base with a subject-oriented base Becouse of a reduction in the demand for teachers, he has also seen education go from the major taken by almost ci of the cotege's students to one currently attracting less than one-third of them What does he see as the future of teocher education? Trends in teacher education enrollment depend upon the birth rate in the past two or three years. I would expect that by the end of the decode enrolment will rise drasticaKy The Education Department sees the need to improve it's curriculum now. whle the enrollment is st low. There is now less of a need for high school teachers, but a growing demond for day care and preschool teachers. As to his own future following retirement. Professor Bagley intends to bring his trio of books on Ns famly history up to dote and do more research on the Dr. Norton R. Bagley history of New Hampshire ond the Plymouth area He recently summed up his bo$»c phtos-ophy on the subject of teoching by saying. The idea is that you have to treat pupils as people and that you have to have a strong subject base to teach from. A teacher also has to be a role model for his students. Put the most Important part of teoching is what happens between the teacher ond the pupl, that (is what) makes the cNd want to learn You can't predict who wi be successful as a teocher It's a chemistry between the pupl and the teacher and it's hard to te who will have it. In 1972 the trustees of the University System of New Hampshire honored Dr. Bagley with a Gronite State Award for outstanding service to education in the state. A native of Derry. NH. and a graduate of Pinkerton Acodemy. Norton Bogley received Ns B Ed. degree from Plymouth In 1941, Ns M.Ed. from Boston University and Ns Ph D. from the University of Connecticut. FoBowmg his graduation from Plymouth, he taught grodes seven and eight in Pittsfield. ond was later principal of Mdndoes Academy In Vermont. Dr. Bogley supervised the laboratory school at Plymouth from 1945-46 and 1950-52. He was cho man of PSC's Department of Education from 1965-78 ond also served Ns alma mater as dean of Instruction for two and one-half years, dean of student personnel for three years and director of public relations for a year. His book One Hundred Yeors of Service Plymouth State i 32