My first job was as a "soda jerk" at Rexall Drugs in Ness City. Then I was a "soda jerk" at College Drugstore in Manhattan while attending Kansas State. All in all, I worked as a "soda jerk" for five years.
Then I left K-State to teach 4th grade at Ft. Riley Elementary School in September 1955. I had 22 students when the year began but when it ended there were 36 students. I was so glad that I started with a small class because I had never been in a classroom before and I was scared. The first little girl to come in was even more afraid than I - that helped a lot! The reason for the increase was the fact that the "Big Red One" came back to their home base at Ft. Filey from an army base in Germany.
I loved teaching and the first year learned more than the kids did, I am sure. One of the girls was so smart that she could have taught the class. Her name was Blair and she was a great helper. The kids ranged from very bright to those who were very slow at learning. These youngsters had lived all over the world so they were well-traveled and I had been out of the USA except for a trip across the border to shop in Tia Juana!
I taught at Ft. Riley for 4 1/2 years and really enjoyed it. I met a young woman who became a lifelong friend at the first meeting the teachers had before school started. Her name was Betty Lou. More about our friendship in another post.
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