By Peggy Patterson Mull
My first-grade teacher was Miss Glennah Powers. She was what they called in the 1940s a “spinster.”
Miss Powers lived within walking distance of Barboursville Elementary School; her house was a two story, frame, gray house which she shared with her brother, also single. She wore a gray dress every day—she must have had several just alike because she always looked the same. Her hair was piled on top of her head, and depending on how recently she had been to the beauty shop, it had a distinct blue hue to it. The dresses always came to just above her ankles, and she wore high topped, button-up black shoes. We learned to love her and thought she knew all there was to know!
Miss Powers was extremely patient and gave her undivided attention to each student. We were taught first to print the alphabet, and then how to write the letters in cursive. We used lined tablets with the lines being placed at least ¾ an inch apart. That way it was easier to practice the movements needed to “draw” and then to “write” our letters. She taught reading, writing, arithmetic, geography that I remember; there may have been other subjects but if so, they must not have made as much of an impression.
We had a spelling test once a week even in first grade; cat, dog, can, tub—these were the first words we learned to spell and write. I loved school and Miss Powers. I could hardly wait to go back each fall after the summer break.
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When I got to sixth grade, Miss Powers was my teacher again. She encouraged us to read as much as we could and daily taught us proper grammar. Most of the students were from the rural part of the county, with only a few “townies” in the class. I clearly remember a long talk she gave one day, encouraging us to use proper grammar at home, even though the rest of our family didn’t, and she said we should ignore anyone making fun of us for doing it. She also said it didn’t matter if we were from a wealthy or poor family (I was from a poor family).
She made me feel very special because more than once she would tell me that I was a good, smart student and would go far. One thing she did which reinforced that was to let me sit in the hall outside the classroom and do extra reading for homework. I was always the first student to finish an assignment or test in the classroom, so she managed to keep me busy and make me feel good at the same time. This also kept me from causing disruptions in class!
Every bit of grammar Miss Powers ever taught me helped me in later life—to earn a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree. My master’s thesis had no corrections for using incorrect grammar!
I will always be grateful to Miss Powers for being the best teacher I ever had.
A brief note:
Peggy Mull, who turned 90 this year, is one of the faithful members of a writing group for seniors that I’ve been leading—an outreach activity called Writing Your Story that is sponsored by the Presbyterian Homes & Services of Kentucky. It’s been a pleasure to see how eagerly our group of retirees write about their childhoods and life experiences.
We’ve been writing regularly, with different prompts to get our pens moving. The one that inspired Peggy to compose “Remembering the Best Teacher” was an invitation to write about someone who’d had an impact on you, but with no particular suggestion as to the kind of person that might have been. Interestingly, nearly everyone in the group wrote about a teacher. As a former middle and high school English teacher and, later, a college-level Education instructor, I couldn’t help but be pleased.
Peggy wrote about Miss Glennah Powers, who was her teacher in Grades 1 and 6. A little research revealed that Glennah Ellen Powers was born in Elizabeth, WV, in the year 1884. Most of her life she lived in Barboursville, WV, where she taught for many years at the local elementary school. She died in that same town at the age of 82.
Peggy describes her early life as “challenging.” Peggy’s family was poor and she remembers having to help do laundry—which was boiled in a kettle in the yard—and cook for her sister and brother while her mother worked. She credits Miss Powers with setting her on a path of success.
The love of learning that Miss Powers fostered has led Peggy to be a lifelong avid reader and traveler. It also allowed her to nurture her interest in music. From playing oboe in her schools’ marching bands, to performing with a number of symphonies and orchestras, Peggy has cultivated a wide musical repertoire. She still plays to this day: a member of the Louisville Dulcimer Society, her newest instrument is the tenor recorder.
Peggy worked as a secretary at the University of Kentucky’s Psychology Department. She was also a secretary to the president of Jefferson Community College, before retiring in 1989. In her retirement, she has read for the blind and has served as a worker during elections.
As an educator, I find Peggy’s story immensely encouraging. Teachers rarely see the long-term results of their work and it’s gratifying whenever we learn that we’ve made a difference. Readers of TEACH may be at an earlier point than I in their careers, but my hope in sharing Peggy’s piece is to hearten those who are still in the classroom. If Peggy Mull still fondly recalls her first-grade teacher, naming her above all the people she has encountered in her nine decades as having the most significant impact on her life, that is an uplifting implication for all other educators.
Many, many years after Miss Powers opened the world of learning to Peggy, she is still remembered and honored for her efforts. May we all be similarly blessed, to know and feel the ripples emanating from our work.
—Jean Wolph
Peggy Mull turned 90 years old in August and is enjoying a new-found avocation: writing memoirs about her early life in West Virginia. She is an active member of Harvey Browne Presbyterian Church, where she sings in the choir and plays in the church orchestra.
Jean Wolph is an author of educational publications and a professional development consultant. She recently retired after 20 years as the director of the Kentucky Writing Project and nearly 25 years as the director of the Louisville Writing Project at the University of Louisville.
