NOMINATING BEST TEACHERS IN SCHOOL DISTRICT 203

There's no way after spending twelve years of your childhood in the school system that you will graduate without having had at least one very special favorite teacher.  Mine was Mr. Fredrick Holbeck of Granger School in Naperville.  He was my English and Social Studies teacher for sixth, seventh, and eighth grades from 1961 to 1964.

Mr. Holbeck exemplified everything good about a teacher.  He was caring, objective, inspiring, honest and, best of all, fun.  I remember one holiday season when he got us singing "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," and then, after choreographing our song and that of a few more songs, ushered us in and out of other classrooms.  Such fun.

We had to give speeches and demonstrations in front of the class.  Mr. Holbeck reminded us to avoid using unacceptable slang, like the word 'ta' instead of 'to.'  Now every time I hear President Barack Obama saying 'ta,' I wonder what Mr. Holbeck would have said about that.  The most beneficial demonstration for me was when Susan Campbell showed us how to make pizza and gave each of us a sample taste.  After school I told Mom about this wonderful new food that children of today take for granted.

My worst experience in Mr. Holbeck's class was when he set up a record player and put on a 33-1/3rd record of classical music.  "This will be an experiment," he said, "to see how music affects your writing."  Then he upped the ante.  Whatever we wrote would be put in our permanent school record.  Kids got busy writing, but not me.  What should I write?  Something good.  Something great.  This was important!  But I was struck by the worst case of writer's block and those violins and trombones were distracting me!

"Write!  Write!" I demanded myself.  I could only think of the times I played dress up and twirled around the room to music.  Yes, it was lame, but it's what I wrote.  Needing to fill the page, I wrote how my Aunt Carole Ory gave me more dress ups.  Oh, gosh, I needed a conclusion.  At the last minute I wrote about having a bonfire to get rid of my dress ups.  What!  How stupid!  That never happened!  "Time's up," Mr. Holbeck said.  Now here I am still worried about that essay sitting in my permanent school record in School District 203.  But I learned my lesson;   never write something important while being distracted.

I would like to commend not only Mr. Holbeck, but all of today's teachers in School District 203 who work so hard to make a difference in their students' lives.

Kathy Keroson is the author of the two-book memoir series, "My Hometown Naperville."  Her book launch open house will be on April 27, from 1-4 at the Pre-Emption House in Naperville.  Some of her Granger School classmates will be there.  Maybe Mr. Holbeck, wherever he is now, will read this and come too?