A GREAT TEACHER

I needed to deliver something to the Vicar of Christ Church in Swindon, and as there is an ongoing challenge for Sundays - “Cemetery Sunday” - I thought I would take part - but please don’t read anything sinister into this!

I came across this headstone and it brought back many memories - in 1961 I left school and went to the local college to do a Secretarial Course - Miss Gertrude Elizabeth Church was my shorthand teacher.  She was about 45 at the time, but seemed much older.  She was extremely strict, but every so often her demeanour changed and she smiled - but it didn’t last long and she soon put her “severe” face back on!  It was obvious that she was there to teach us and we were there to learn and learn we did.  Isaac Pitman must have “turned in his grave” when he realised how she taught us “his" version of shorthand, but it worked and when we left we could all write it at 100 words per minute and I still use it to this day.

I always thought she was a “bit of a tartar” as we say here in England - but when I met her in later life - and she lived just down the road from me after Mr. HCB and I were married - she was a sweetie and always loved to hear about my job and how I was doing, and then later on she loved to chat to our boys when she saw me out with them.

She had never married and, of course, I would never have asked her why, but maybe she had a sweetheart who was killed in the war as many women did in those years.  When I saw this headstone, I thought what a wonderful tribute to this great teacher “A God fearing woman, a teacher and helper of people throughout her life”.  

"The mediocre teacher tells.
The good teacher explains.
The superior teacher demonstrates.
The great teacher inspires.”
William Arthur Ward

This is probably the most I have typed for a while - please bear with me - I did think about turning comments off, as I am not responding to many at the moment, but will leave them on for now - I am still visiting your journals though - thank you for all your kind comments, which I really appreciate.