My First Wish

When I was four years old the only thing I wanted to do was read like my older cousin.  I was so impressed with someone close to my age (not some adult) being able to look at a book and make the story come alive.  Whenever we visited my sister would always ask him to read to us her favorite story:  “Paul Revere's Ride” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.  The words were burned into my memory from hearing it so often.  But I just wanted to be able to read!

My parents promised me that I would learn to read as soon as I started school.  So when I turned five years old I got even more excited.  In the fall of 1958 my wish would come true.  I started the first grade at Forman Elementary School and my teacher was Mrs. June Inskeep.  My parents were friends of the Inskeeps; so they knew they were putting me in good hands.  I really liked her because she had two extremely long braids that she wound around her head like a crown.  I had braids, too!

I was so thrilled to be learning to read and write that I couldn’t wait to get home each day and teach my little sister everything I had learned that day.  (No wonder she is much smarter than me!)  

But it turned out that reading was quite a challenge for me.  Before dyslexia was well understood in rural West Virginia, Mrs. Inskeep recognized my problem and came up with creative ways to help me work around it.  The techniques she taught me ensured I was never behind the other students and my desire to read was not affected.  During the summer I loved having access to the bookmobile so I could continue with my reading until school started again.

I will also not forget the night she came to our house when I was in the second grade, encouraged my parents to go to Medley and purchase the World Book encyclopedia and Childcraft books for us.  She even sat with my sister, brother, and I so they could go.  Those books turned out to be a significant enhancement to our education even through high school. 

I soon realized how important reading was to learning.  I needed to read well to do spelling and writing, math and science, history and geography.  Beyond making learning fun, Mrs. Inskeep also gave us an opportunity to exercise our creative, artistic talents with Halloween carnivals and special programs.

What I now find so amazing is how in six hours a day she was able to teach three grades with typically ten students in each grade in one room!  During the most important years of a child’s formal education she managed to put each of her students on a course to success.  The environment Mrs. Inskeep created for her students made it easier for them to learn and built their self-esteem.  We in turn gave her the respect she deserved.  I will forever be grateful for having her as my first teacher.