I will never forget the day I burst into tears in Mrs. Fravle’s classroom when the first-grade theatrical production assignments were announced. It was a big musical revue broken down into various themes. My best friend, Ginger, got to be a cowgirl; my other best friend, Darla, was cast as one of the coveted lions … I was cast as a square dancer and wasn’t happy about it. I wanted to be one of the lions because they got to wear cool costumes, and I, too, wanted to prance around on the stage twirling a tail. In the midst of my meltdown, Mrs. Fravle told me how important the square dancers were to the show and the reason she gave me that role was because she knew I could do that best if only I’d allow my imagination to run free and embrace it. She said to me, “I’m counting on YOU to make that number successful!”
Since August brings with it all-things back to school, I find it only appropriate to give a shout out to my favorite elementary school teacher, Mrs. Winnie Fravle.
Last month, I took a long weekend vacation to go back to my original home territory in the St. Louis area to visit Ginger and Darla, whom I’ve known and been friends with since kindergarten. The three of us were big buds back in 1976 when we collectively entered the realm of education.
A few weeks prior to my trip, Ginger e-mailed Darla and me stating that she tracked down Mrs. Fravle and asked if we wanted to go visit her while I was in town. YES! Of course! She turned 89 at the end of July, and while she deals with some physical challenges these days, her mind is still sharp as a tack. She remembered the three of us — particularly, I think she remembered having to separate Ginger and me from sitting next to each other in her classroom (we liked to chat and snicker, a LOT) — and we enjoyed a wonderful visit with a tremendous woman who was instrumental in our early education.
Mrs. Fravle retired from teaching children in 1993, and spent the following 10 years teaching illiterate adults how to read. She shared with us her life’s philosophy, and it really struck a chord: “At the moment you stop learning is when you die.”
Walking away from that heartfelt reunion, I started thinking about “the art” of things. That phrase gets tossed around a lot. The art of acting, the art of painting, the art of musicianship, the art of being a shrewd salesperson, the subtle art of manipulation, the art of romancing someone, the art of “whatever anyone can learn to master” … After reminiscing with Mrs. Fravle and my grade-school chums, I couldn’t help but think about the art of teaching — REALLY teaching like was the norm back in the day. I’m sure you remember a specific teacher who made a difference in your life, who utilized a bevy of creative oomph to enable you to absorb the learning curve in a new, inventive, fun way.
It’s kind of ironic that I grew up and became a writer and editor for a magazine. Reading and writing were a struggle for me as a young child, and it was Mrs. Fravle who lovingly — and with much determination — pushed me over that hurdle. I wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for her existence. She made teaching an art form. Learning was fun in her classroom. She stimulated all of us little 6-year-olds in 1977 to think outside of the box and to embrace and enjoy the concept of discovering new things. She was a true artist in her craft, and she never failed in leading us beyond our own imaginations.
So, thank you, Mrs. Fravle, for inspiring me to embrace a love of learning and for being the first theatrical influence in my life. You served me well, as you did the thousands of other students who were privileged to know you as their beloved teacher.
Dear readers, taking into account the recent Newsweek article about “The Creativity Crisis” among our nation’s youth, I urge you to take a moment to give thanks to your child’s teachers who work hard to inspire, to encourage and to cultivate the creative spirit within them. That is just as important as learning how to read, write and do math.
