The smartest teacher I ever knew
I sure do love the Christmas season and have fond memories of the music, foods, some presents received and given, time spent with family and friends, Church services and traditions. It’s a time and season to be grateful and the more Christmases I celebrate, the more grateful I am. For me, gratitude is an acquired condition which only came to me through the years after I had slowed down some to realize how truly blessed I am.
Plus, my birthday is on Christmas Day.
It’s a special day to celebrate a birthday. No, I never felt slighted on my birthday, I was usually happy to receive gifts of any kind, no matter to me that some were ‘combined’ for both my birthday and Christmas.
I have some great Christmas memories and let me tell you a story about one of the smartest teachers I have ever known, the director of my 5th grade Christmas musical. Only my classmates from way back in the day will remember parts what I’m telling here….and I’m almost sure some of my memories are true!
5th grade musical
It was the 5th grade musical which was coordinated by that smartest of teachers named RA Wallace. His name was RA. Not R.A. as in Robert Allen or some other name….just RA
He was, without a doubt, one of the smartest teachers ever.
Mr. Wallace was an old bachelor who lived in a teacherage up on Mississippi Street next door to the Proffitt’s. Mr. Proffitt was the Sheriff of our county. Most of us back then were feral kids and just roamed the town and neighborhoods until dark when we were supposed to be home. TV’s were a rarity in those days, but RA Wallace had a TV and a few of us would gather there at his house whenever Bonanza came on. We just laid around in the floor and Mr. Wallace had his easy chair and we all watched Little Joe and Hoss Cartwright. Mr. Wallace would smoke cigarettes and grade papers while we watched TV and marveled at how strong Hoss Cartwright was. Then we would leave.
Mr. Wallace could play the piano and thus, he was in charge of the 5th grade musical. All us 5th graders would gather in the auditorium several times a week in December to learn the songs and rehearse. There were several leading roles in the production and the songs had a choir of 5th graders with a few talented kids chosen to act out songs on stage while the songs were being sung. One of the songs featured Mommy kissing Santa Claus where two actual 5th graders were to kiss each other on stage. In front of the crowd. It was to be an exciting event……and maybe someone from my past can remind me who the lucky couple was.
One student was lucky enough to be chosen to play Frosty the Snowman. Mr. Wallace, that smartest of nearly all teachers present and past, constructed a Frosty the Snowman figure out of chicken wire and covered Frosty with cotton and white tissue paper, complete with rolled wire arms, a snowman’s body, and a hat. There were no top hats to be found in West Texas in those days.
The all-knowing, all seeing, and very wise Mr. RA Wallace instructed the lucky student to “Come to Life” and dance around only at the very right moment in time when the song was being sung by that 5th grade choir. Until then, the student inside the wire cage comprising Frosty was to remain completely still and seemingly inanimate. The talented student-actor could see out of the wire Frosty eyes and hear the choir, but was otherwise immobilized and unable to interact with the other students for a considerable amount of time until the musical’s very last moments.
The musical was a huge success as far as 5th grade musicals go. There was the very climactic moment where Mommy and Santa were surprisingly caught kissing by the kid, and it seemed like the boy doing the kissing lingered just a little too long instead of a brief peck on the cheek. Frosty ‘came to life’ at just the right moment and the boy immobilized inside the wire frame danced around with abandon right on cue. The choir performed superbly and the entire 5th grade cast felt like broadway stars on the little stage with the dusty, long dark blue velvet curtains. Those parents and grandparents in attendance clapped with enthusiasm, and the kids beamed. Mr. RA Wallace and the other teachers were duly congratulated and then all probably collapsed in a heap on that last day before the holidays.
I have come to realized in my later years just how wise Mr. RA Wallace was in his casting choices for his starring rolls. He had some kids who were actually talented perform solo songs with the choir joining in. The ‘kissers’ were no doubt popular youngsters, and Frosty must have been the proverbial horrible discipline problem child of the entire class. That incorrigible child was to be enclosed in a wire prison for the duration of the performance, unable to move or get out and cause any disruption in the production.
Smart man there, Mr. RA Wallace…
Put that mischievous kid inside a chicken wire enclosure and he could not pinch the kid next to him. He also could not ‘accidentally’ bump a kid off the back riser in the choir, gleefully knock over an entire row of kids like bowling pins, or somehow take the place of the kisser of the cute girl during the Mommy is kissing Santa Claus song. That kid, the bad kid, could also not put anything in Frosty’s pipe and have it explode on stage, cause anyone to do anything embarrassing during the play, or even manifest inappropriate bodily functions in a crowded area.
That kid was me. David Werst. And it was only years later when employing similar tactics with students did I realize the intelligence that Mr. RA Wallace had shown during the 5th grade musical. What a genius! Isolate that kid, tell him he is performing a great starring role, and possible even wrap him in chains, with his feet encased in concrete.
Simply brilliant, Mr. Wallace. He must have been the smartest teacher ever.
That’s my Christmas story of the year. My fellow 5th graders from back in the day will have to help me remember some of the cast of characters as I have killed off most of my active brain cells since those days back then.
Next year, remind me to tell you of the time I was traumatized in the 3rd grade by little Pam Daugherty when she noticed I was painting my plaster of Paris Santa Claus bright green. I am probably scarred for life by that experience. Oh, the horror……
Yes, it IS a Wonderful Life and a wonderful holiday season.
Merry Christmas to all.
Here’s a Christmas poem I wrote a few years back:
A Real Texas Christmas
A Real Texas Christmas means a lot to us all
The muchachos and ninos all speak with a drawl.
There’s a mixture of Tex-Mex in all that we say
And at this time of year we might holler olé.
In Real Texas we’re special each and every one
In the way that we act when the work day is done.
When we leave we say “bye” or some “Adios”
You can bet on a real friendly greeting from us.
As that holiday time gets some closer each day
We start thinking of reindeer and maybe a sleigh.
And the food Mammacita is going to fix
We’ll clean off our plates out here in the sticks.
Guajalote’s all gone, that’s the turkey to you
We ate that darn bird ‘till we just couldn’t chew.
Our language is mixed; we know what to say
We just talk and the words come out all sorts of ways.
Now Thanksgiving’s gone and Christmas is near
And the cowboys have gathered in all of their gear
For a few days of rest and a lot of good cheer.
It’s Feliz Navidad, Merry Christmas to you
But out here in the West those are some of the few
Of the words that we know we can say at this time
As those holiday bells are beginning to chime.
For it’s nearly Christmas, just a few days left
‘till the boys and the girls get their special requests.
And a visit from Santa, that jolly old elf.
Who will bring them the gifts to put on the shelf.
Christmas is special anywhere that you are
but a Christmas out here is the best sort by far.
Out here in Real Texas, with our neighbors and friends
We celebrate the season-best wishes we send.
The future is bright here at this time of year
We visit with friends that we all hold so dear.
The gifts we exchange are not always from stores
It’s the things that we do for each other and more.
So Feliz Navidad to you one and you’all
with a Real Texas accent and Real Texas drawl.
We wish you the best that the season can bring
It’s ‘mucho prospero’ and everything.
Feliz Navidad, Merry Christmas
We say with a tip of our hat in a Real Texas way.
{ 17 comments… read them below or add one }
Do not remember this 5th grade play – can’t believe it! Maybe it was just Mr Wallace’s class and remember I was in mean Mrs Rackleys class. I do remember that I had to sit by you and show you the right colors for your maps in Mrs Wilson’s class – since you were color blind!! Please change my email address as I am not getting your blog.
I’ll make the changes….tell Phil and the boys hello and Merry Christmas. Glad Phil and I survived some of those Christmases past……
Hi David!! I, too, do not remember this musical!! However, I do
remember Mr. Ra Wallace, who was my 8th grade English teacher!! He was truly one of the best teachers I ever had!!
We were so fortunate to grow up in Big Lake, Texas at the time
we did! Such wonderful memories of friends, parents, and a time when life was the best!
Thank you for sharing your memories with us! What a great way to start Christmas Eve morning! Love to you my friend!
Janie Holt Giddiens- Class of 1965
Always glad to hear from my favorite from the class of ’65. Christmas was always….and still is….very special to us small town folks.
I didn’t have Mr. Wallace until high school speech class. We would occasionally call him “Wally”, to his annoyance. RA Wallace stories are legion, including calling me “the most horrible person I have ever known” to shock a cousin of mine who didn’t know Mr. Wallace. I remember him playing Pomp and Circumstance on the piano at Graduation every year, and I think also Auld Lang Syne at the year’s final assembly.
As for your green Santa Claus, just say he is Irish! 🙂
Merry Christmas, David and Ramona!
Hey Jim: Until Pam noticed what I was doing, no one knew I was so color Blind. After that I was tested somewhere and sure enough….at least we all got a good laugh out of my choice of colors back in the day….Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Your columns are always a special gift, so thank you once again from bringing some Texas my way out here in California. I may live here, but when I say “home”, it means Texas.
The early days in Cisco were some of my fondest memories when my dad was still alive. Simple times, simple pleasures and great joy in playing outside after breakfast until dark on many days. There were none of the tech gadgets that kids rely on now, so we were more active and out exploring all the time. Climbing as high as we could in the Sycamore tree was always fun, as was walking the rails in the “canyon” and collecting insulators, rocks and other treasures.
I could go on and on. You “get” it. People out here don’t.
Truly the good ol’ days.
Blessings to you and Ramona.
Thanks for the good wishes, Ann. Yes, West Texas is truly a special place and like you I could go on and on….Blessings to you as well, always good to hear from you.
If Stephen King hadn’t admonished me not to use the word ‘amazing’ I would have used it to describe your memory. I remember this, but only because your mentioned it. I too was pulled from Mr. Ramsey’s class to be in Mr. Wallace’s fifth grade. (The powers that be knew my mother wouldn’t say a word about the change since RCISD was her employer. It was pattern. Brenda was in that class too for the same reason.)
Monte Crow, remember him 🙁 was also in that class, and I had a big crush on him.
I have the program from that show somewhere. I also have a great photo of Mr. Wallace twisting James Baggett’s ear in 8th
grade. Teacher abuse?
Happy Birthday, David! Oh, I think Enoch Estes was the soloist on “I Saw Mommy etc.”
Thanks for the birthday wishes, Vivian. Yes, I remember Monte Crow, James Baggett, Enoch, and most of the rest of the gang. Glad you mentioned Enoch as the boy soloist…..I could not remember who it was….I’m sometimes surprised that I have a memory at all.
It took me a duration of time to figure this out, and at first I thought something wasn’t right–because I was thinking that you graduated RCHS in 1966. RA was hired the same year I was, 1959-60, and if you graduated in ’66 then you would have been in the 6th grade the year he was hired.
I don’t remember how it all came about, maybe RA and I were in agreement, or maybe Ben Featherston just told us that we would share one of the houses the school had for teachers, but nevertheless he and I lived together for one semester that first year. That didn’t work out very well for a middle aged bachelor and a fresh out of college post teenager. RA wanted to wash the dishes as soon as we finished a meal and I wanted to wait until the sink was full. He wanted to sweep every time we walked across the room and I couldn’t see the need for that.
I don’t think I would even consider that nowadays. But, it did work our for one semester………nearly.
You and RA Wallace were probably the Odd Couple for that semester….I graduated in 1967…along with Vivian, Billie and Phil Farr, Jo McReavy, Shelly, and so many more good friends from back in the day. He was our 5th grade teacher and later moved up to High School…
Enjoyed the post. Happy yesterday birthday!
My name is Benita Kay ( Easley ) Shrader, and I attended 1st grade through most of 5th grade in Reagan County. I was also in this class. I sat across from Darla Smith and behind Ricky Seal, and Monte Crow sat in front of Darla Smith.
I remember the Christmas play and the Snowman costume. Ricky Seal and I were short in height so got our picture made with the Snowman costume which appeared in the San Angelo paper. I still have the original paper clipping that my parents saved. Darla Smith played the lady part with the music of Chesnuts roasting over an open fire song. She had a fitted straight skirt that she wore in play. I was envious of her more grown up clothes as I was in the choir with a round black skirt and white top. It is funny sometimes what you remember.
I have fond memories of my time in Big Lake, and in a smaller town. My Dad was transferred so I finished up 5th grade in Midland. I meet my future husband Newton in that Midland 5th grade class. In the middle of the eight grade, my Dad was transferred again so I was a 1967 Graduate of Permian High School in Odessa. Last Friday my older sister Lana (Easley) Westerfeldt class of 1965 said she had found our elementary school yearbooks so we had fun remembering old times and many of our former classmates.
We both wondered about those we had left in Big Lake. I said lets just see what we can find on the internet. Lana was friends with Shannon Darling so we looked her up first and found very little information after about 1963. We also looked up Betty Poague and were sad to learn she has passed away. I do know that Carolyn Etheridge did remember me many years ago when we were both students at Texas Tech.
I did look up RA Wallace our teacher and got this site which I enjoyed reading.
I dont know if you will remember me as I was a shy quiet girl, but I do remember many of you. I would love to hear from you.
Also if you know more about Shannon Darling, please let me know. Lana and her husband Jack are in Odessa and I live in Midland. My younger sister Patty (Easley) Bee class of 1970 and her husband Mike live in the Houston area. We are firmly rooted Texans!
Kay: So glad you found Real Texas Blog and read some familiar names. You can also see from the other comments some other names you might remember including Billie Poage, Vivian Morrow, Brenda Nunn, Jo McReavy, Phil Farr, Enoch Estes, Janie Holt, Monte Crow and more……including the genius RA Wallace who encased me in a Frosty the Snowman outfit. Vivian says I remember obscure things, but in reality, I have very few brain cells left that function. Good to hear from you….glad to reconnect. I’m on Facebook too as are many of the others named above. Best to you and yours……..David
David
I do remember many of you. I have pleasant memories of my time in Big Lake as do my sisters.
Kay
Hello again Kay: It’s fun to remember events from ‘back in the day’ although from what I understand, our little Big Lake has grown some with the oil boom in the area. Glad you remember us from so long ago….David