Mr. Armentrout, a Teacher who influenced my life.

Mr. David Armentrout

by JBH Wonders

I remember Mr. Armentrout.

He was a high school science teacher at the high school where I attended. He may have taught other subjects but the only class that he taught me was “science”.

Mr. Armentrout was a slender and somewhat lanky man who wore the classic “horn rimmed” glasses. It was “cool” at the time I think. When Mr. Armentrout spoke, his lips barely moved but somehow we still were able to hear and understand him. He rarely smiled or laughed but seemed to have a sense of humor that was not always understood by others. In that I mean that he would sometimes crack a grin at something that he said but then move on to another topic before anyone else “got it”.

I liked Mr. Armentrout. He had a casual method of teaching and he is another teacher that helped me in my career choice of electronics. He introduced me to the “Radio Shack” catalog. Back then, Radio Shack actually sold mail order radio parts and other electronic parts. They also sold various kits for scientific experiments. The school actually used some of their products then.

Mr. Armentrout’s  class was the first one where I worked in a “lab” where there were test tubes, Bunsen burners, tubing and clamp fixtures; real “mad scientist” looking stuff. It was this class where we dissected the frogs.

I don’t recall anything more about Mr. Armentrout. I have not seen him since I was a Junior or Senior in High School.

Mrs. Mildred Bennett, a Teacher who influenced my life.

I remember Mrs. (Mildred) Bennett.

By JBH Wonders

Mrs. Bennett taught high school English and Latin for many years at the high school that I attended. As I recall, she retired the year that I graduated.

Mrs. Bennett had a stoic and confident personality. She was of slight build and dressed modestly. She had the look and attitude of a stern but patient grandmother with all good intentions toward her students but would not tolerate any nonsense.

Her teaching methods were of “the old school”. That is, do the work, study hard, listen to the teacher, learn, and pass the tests. Not much leniency as I recall for “slackers” but she did seem to sympathize with and grant more patience to us that were less capable.

The worse class that I remember was studying Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar”. We read the whole play out loud and it seems like it took a whole semester to read it. This was pure torment for me but Mrs. Bennett got me through it without failing the class.

I mainly wanted to remember Mrs. Bennett because her teaching efforts gave me the writing skills that I have today. No, I am not a professional and I am sure that she could still offer some constructive criticism and corrections on punctuation and diction. Probably spelling too if spell-checkers did not exist. But, because of Mrs. Bennett’s insistence on quality, correctness, preciseness, etc, this at least molded me into someone who can write, be understood, and not bore the audience (hopefully).

I have found Mrs. Bennett’s teachings most valuable in my further education and career as an electronics engineer. I have written many technical papers, patent forms, copyright proposals, legal documents, and numerous other articles. I attribute much of my capabilities in using the written word to one teacher named Mrs. (Mildred) Bennett.

May God bless her wherever she is.

Mr. Kjerrumgaard, a Teacher who Influenced my life

Mr. William Kjerrumgaard

By JBH Wonders

I remember Mr. Kjerrumgaard (Mr. K/”Coach”). He was the high school football coach at the school that I attended. He coached me for two of those years. Mr. K. was also the guidance counselor and I seem to remember being in a math class with him. The only reason that I remember a math class with him is that he told us once a car/motor vehicle is the most expensive/worst “investment” that we could ever make. And he went through some mathematical gymnastics to explain his point. We all ignored his advice and presentation of course. In those days, getting a car was top priority. It meant freedom, filling a status quo, and (if you were a guy), getting dates with girls. But, I’m getting off the subject of this article.

Mr. K. was tall and muscular. He looked like a larger version of the singer Bobby Goldsburo. It was the hair bangs and cheeks I think. Mr. K. did not sing or play a guitar that I know of.

As other men teachers of that time, he always wore a white shirt and tie in the classroom and while meandering through the halls of the school. On the field, it was a tee shirt, shorts, and a whistle. Some of the high school girls “took a shine to him” I think.

Mr. K. was strong willed, very self confident and had a no nonsense teaching method. He could raise his voice to get one’s attention without quite yelling. (Well, he did actually yell a few times; not at me of course yuk, yuk).

He drove a VW Beetle (circa 1965 ish). I never saw him get in or out of it so the mechanics of how a man of his build could accomplish this feat escapes me.

Mr. K. expected boys to be men. He worked us hard on the football field. This is where I most remember him. He was the football coach during my Junior and Senior year. I remember he gave each of his Senior players a signed copy of our “football hero” photos. He signed mine: “John, your perseverance will take you far in life”. I felt those words as a compliment as well as an inspiration. I’ve had to deal with ups and downs throughout my life and I believe that “the coach” saw something in me that I did not see in myself those many years ago. I understand that Mr. K. moved on after my class graduated.

I do not know what happened to Mr. Kjerrumgaard.

Mr. Ward, a Teacher who influenced my life.

I remember Mr. Arthur Ward.

01/14/2006, JBH Wonders

Mr. Ward was the American History teacher at the junior high when I attended in the 7^th and 8^th grade. He may have taught other subjects but my only class with him was American History.

Mr. Ward was a man of short stature, a bit round as they say, and had a “southern accent” and a “crew cut” hair style. He may have hailed from Kentucky or West Virginia. I don’t really know. These are the first things that come to mind as I recall the man though it is not what I would consider to be what is most memorable about him.

Mr. Ward knew his history. He loved it and loved teaching it. I did not appreciate this as much back then of course but the adage that “…hind site is 20/20..” definitely applies here. I would really enjoy hearing him teach a history class today.

I don’t recall any specific class session of course, being it so many years ago. What I do remember is that we were a small class. Maybe twenty students or less crammed into a small room that was always hot. I think there was one window but it was too high for anyone to reach. Air conditioned classrooms were still a few years off back then.

A typical class began with Mr. Ward already standing at the front of the classroom with his hands in the pockets of his suit coat as we students filed in. He always wore a necktie. In the summer he did not wear a suit coat-just a tie and white shirt with the sleeves neatly rolled up. 

His method of teaching seemed to follow a pattern. That is the usual “open your books to chapter  23…did you read this as part of your homework…” etc. If I recall correctly, he began the class by assuming that no one read the material, as I usually did not. Mr. Ward just started talking about the subject matter and seldom if ever referred to the textbook. So there was no point in us trying to follow along using the textbook most times. He wanted us to listen to him. And listen we did. Mr. Ward started out the lessons calmly but toward the end of the class he would be briskly pacing back and forth across the front of the classroom with a piece of chalk in his hand and expiating his knowledge of history as if he witnessed it first hand

He spoke highly of some of our “forefathers” and added some tidbits that could make one almost believe that he did witness some events personally. By that I mean often Mr. Ward would explain what someone in history was thinking at a particular time in history. These were perhaps his opinions being expressed or else he knew things from an in depth study of history. In either case, it made things entertaining. I don’t recall anyone failing any of his classes.

The only distraction that kept me from listening to Mr. Ward sometimes was this brunette girl who sat in front of me. She sometimes got out a hand mirror to check her hair and I would see her face in it…. She smiled at me through her mirror sometimes, but I digress again.

So that was over forty years ago. I don’t know what happed to Mr. Ward.

Mr. Wilkins, a Teacher who influenced my life.

A Tribute to Mr. David Wilkins

JBH Wonders, 07/01/2011

I remember Mr. David Wilkins. He taught the Industrial Arts/Woodworking class for several years at the high school that I attended. Mr. Wilkins was a man of small frame, and mild mannered. He seemed to walk with self-determination as if he was always on a mission of some kind. Mr. Wilkins had a gift of being able to use his hands to make anything out of anything or everything (a real life MacGyver). Mr. Wilkins could put a finish on a piece of driftwood and it would be smooth as glass and shiny as a mirror. (Actually, it seems like he did this once).

He taught us by example. In the two years that I was part of his classes, he showed us how to fabricate wicker chair seats from scrap lumber, build cedar chests, build lawn chairs, build dog houses and fabricate fine hunting knives from the leaf springs of a wrecked Buick. (Please note that making knives as a school project was not a problem in this small country school in the ‘60’s as it would be today).

There were other things of course that he taught us. The ones mentioned are the ones that stand out in my memory. I do recall that most if not all of his teachings included props/ “see and say” stuff. He seemed to like demonstrating what he was trying to teach.

Mr. Wilkins helped ignite my interest in electronics where I eventually learned that I had some gifts in this field that led to my 35 year career in electronic design. There was a particular class project working on bookends or some other wood crafting lesson when there appeared one day some military surplus equipment on a table at the back of the classroom.  One could tell it was military surplus because of the olive drab color, odd shapes, and just the general “smell” of it. All of it perfectly innocent of course, but if something like this was seen anywhere near a school or other “public” building today, the feds and black helicopters would have the whole area quarantined before you could drop a hat. Anyway, I digress.

These military surplus items were odd shaped metal boxes with a hundred bolts holding the covers on. I asked Mr. Wilkins what was inside of them. He invited me to open one up. After removing one hundred bolts from the cover, the insides revealed electronic gadgetry that was amazing. It was a work of art. It was beautiful. I did not know what it was of course (then) but everything was neatly arranged and precisely built. (Taxpayer’s money at work no doubt.). Mr. Wilkins pointed out some of the electronic components for me and explained what they do.

Eventually I had everything tore out of those odd shaped metal boxes and my hands had a strange oily smell to it. I don’t recall what we did with all of the parts afterward but the whole experience was educational.

Because of Mr. Wilkins easy-going nature, students sometimes took advantage of him. We called him “Dave” to his face once in awhile or “Pinky” when his back was turned or out of earshot. Everyone liked Mr. Wilkins but adolescents can be annoying sometimes.

Mr. Wilkins never disciplined us for this. He would just calmly say something like “…now students, you must maintain some respect for your teachers…”.

The last time I saw Mr. Wilkins was after collage and after a tour in the Navy. I had been working at this electronic controls factory for a few years and he came to apply for work there. I guess he quit teaching. Anyway, he wasn’t hired there even though I put in a good word for him.

That was the last time I saw Mr. Wilkins.