As a teacher, I have always felt like my students have become a part of my life once I have taught them in my classroom. At the end of the school year, I feel a sadness at the thought of them being gone and moving on to another class.
I will be honest and admit that some students are easier to love than others, but they all have a special place in my heart. (Note: If you are a teacher, you understand this statement. After a certain amount of time goes by, even those challenging students and the trying times they brought you seems to dissipate.)
One of the saddest things is to find out that one of those students has become ill or passed away. I felt a terrible sadness when I read of the sudden death of Miles McBee at the age of 25.
I taught Miles eighth-grade English at Pillow Academy. My husband coached him in both football and basketball. He was always a happy young man who was eager to learn and please those who were in authority, whether in the classroom or on the field or court.
Miles and I had a “fun feud” about our loyalties to State and Ole Miss. He loved his Rebels as much as I love my Dawgs. One section of my room had State posters, Bully photos and other maroon-and-white memorabilia. Every morning, he would walk by and just shake his head. Several times he tried to put something Ole Miss or red and blue there, but I always caught him. He was a good student who was always listening and asking questions about what was in the books and what was going on in the world.
A little over a month ago, I saw Miles at an engagement party. We laughed about a project that he did for my class that I have always remembered. The assignment was to teach us to do something or to learn something new themselves. We learned many things in those last few weeks of school. One student taught us Korean, we made pottery and even learned knot tying and origami. Some students did their project and brought in a video for us to watch. One very creative student had just been snow skiing for the first time and took videos of her progress. She even had a bloopers section at the end that was hilarious. We learned about catfish grabbing in a video of an actual fishing trip. I had three sections of English, and we all couldn’t wait for class just to see what was in store for us that day.
The most memorable, by far, was the video Miles presented. He didn’t actually follow the directions for the assignment, but his creativity and how much we laughed and enjoyed his video erased that small fact.
Miles explained to us that he had gone into his mother’s closet and gotten one of her purses. He emptied it out and stuck some dollar bills coming out of the top after he closed the purse. Miles tied some clear fishing wire to the clasp of the purse, placed it in the middle of the road in front of his house and hid behind the bushes. As cars would ride by, someone would get out and reach for the purse. He would begin to pull the string and watch the person chase after the purse. Miles had persuaded a friend to help out and videotape as he pulled the string.
We watched as several people tried to retrieve the money from the purse. Most of them just gave up and got back in the car. Several realized that it was a prank and laughed. The final guy was not amused. He ran chasing and cursing the boys as they ran back into the house.
This was about 12 years ago, so I don’t think I would advise anyone to try this today. I do know that watching that video and listening to Miles tell about this adventure was one of the funniest and most memorable stories of my teaching career.
While I was visiting with Miles at the party, he told me that he always loved to come to my class and that I was one of his favorite teachers – even if I am a State fan. That meant the world to me then and even more now. Teaching touches lives. Miles touched mine, and I am happy to know that I touched his.
Hope you enjoy today’s recipes. Thanks for reading.
SPINACH PASTA BAKE
1 (8-ounce) package tri-colored rotini pasta
1 small onion, diced
½ teaspoon minced garlic
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach
1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (8-ounce) cream cheese
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon seasoning salt
2 cups grated Mozzarella cheese, grated
1 tablespoon olive oil
Prepare rotini according to package instructions. In a pan over medium heat, saute onion and minced garlic in olive oil until tender. Thaw spinach and drain. Add spinach, tomatoes and pasta to onion and garlic mixture. Add cream cheese and sour cream to pan and simmer until cream cheese is melted. Add seasonings and mix all ingredients. Bake in a prepared 13-by-9-inch baking pan. Top with cheese and bake for 20 minutes at 375 degrees.
EASY LASAGNA TOSS
1 pound ground beef
2 green bell peppers, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 (26-ounce) jar spaghetti sauce
1 2/3 cup water
¼ cup Italian salad dressing
12 oven-ready lasagna noodles, broken into quarters
1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
Brown ground beef in a large skillet and drain. Add peppers, garlic, spaghetti sauce, water and dressing. Bring to a boil. Stir in noodles, and reduce heat and cover. Cook occasionally for 10 to 15 minutes or until noodles are tender. Remove from heat and sprinkle with cheese. Cover and let stand until cheese melts.
• Contact Lee Ann Flemming at lafkitchen@hughes.net.
