I had the same teacher for Grades 4 through 7. Her name was Mrs. Nelson and she was amazing.

When I started school in 1964, the Montney School sat on a donated plot of land about half mile east of, and up the hill from, the Montney corner. The school consisted of just two classrooms. The “little room” for students in Grades 1 to 3, and the “big room” for those in Grades 4 to 7. There were also two “cloak rooms”. One for the boys and one for the girls. These were turned into washrooms with flush toilets and sinks with taps when I was in Grade 3. (Outhouses were used before that and were still used even after the renovation. I still remember the long metal trough in the boy’s outhouse that ensured there were no line ups when you needed to pee.) The only other room in the school that I can remember was a miniscule office for the teachers.

Mrs. Nelson was the principal and full time “big room” teacher for a few years before I started school and for the seven years that I was there. She “was” the school to me. She and her family lived on the grounds, just steps from the main building, in a “teacherage”.  I had some great teachers while in the “little room” (Mrs. Johnson, Mrs. Craig and Mrs. Cowger) but my most enduring memories are of the four years I spent in the “big room” with Mrs. Nelson.

With four grades in one room, she was more like a creative juggler than a traditional “sit and git” teacher. She must have spent hours in the classroom each evening and on weekends to be ready for us. The blackboards, full of her unique and beautiful handwriting, were waiting for us each morning.

Being in the same room for four years meant that I heard some things more than once… and it was wonderful.

It was clear to me that she loved the story of Ancient Egypt. As a Grade 4 student I listened wide eyed as she told stories about the Pyramids and King Tut. As a Grade 7 student my eyes were just as wide. I often hoped that she’d get to visit Egypt one day.

I remember her reciting “The Highwayman” by Alfred Noyes on several occasions. Her voice and timing brought the poem to life and you could hear a pin drop in the room as she spoke.   “And the highwayman came riding, riding, riding…”  I’ve read it to my kids (I don’t have it memorized like she did) and although they appreciated it, I know I didn’t give them the experience I had 😦

We didn’t have formal “Physical Education” but we played enormous amounts of soccer, fastball and hockey at recess and lunch time. A real treat though, was when Mrs. Nelson would tell us to put our work away well before the 3 o’clock bell and we’d all head outside to play Prisoner’s Base. She would stand on the sidelines, often in her long coat and scarf, and act as the referee. With a smile, she would decide if you’d been “tagged” or not. I don’t remember ever questioning her call.

And then there were the Christmas concerts! It was obvious that music and drama were Mrs. Nelson’s passion. With her guidance, the whole school would start preparations in October. There were songs, recitals, and plays to rehearse. She directed the plays and I think she would often write or re-write them in order to include as many kids as possible. She played the piano and directed our “choirs” all at the same time. Back then I don’t suppose I appreciated all that she did, but I sure do now.

Several times prior to the night of the concert, the whole school would be bussed to the “Montney Hall.” *  The stage, curtains, and chairs for the audience would be set up days in advance so that we could be ready for the big night. There was always a full house and, maybe because I was a kid, it seemed like we were in a huge theater or auditorium. It didn’t matter that the stage lights were made out of large tin cans that had been cut in half.

When I was in Grade 5 there were 45 of us in the “big room”. The people at the board office in Fort St. John decided that was too many kids… even for Mrs. Nelson. The next summer a “portable” was moved on to the school site. It was placed right next to the “Ice House” (which was no longer used for storing ice, but was great for playing Anti-I-Over). The “portable” housed students in Grades 4 and 5, which meant that for my last two years at Montney School I was in the “big room” with the rest of the Grade 6 and 7 kids and Mrs. Nelson.

That was also the year that the same board office crew determined that Mrs. Nelson was spending too much time preparing for the Christmas Concert and not enough on what was required for us to do well on standardized exams. I remember how sad she sounded when she explained that to us. She must have known the “soft skills” we were learning were important, because although we didn’t start to rehearse quite as early in the fall, the concerts were still amazing.

Like most teenagers, I was excited to jump on the bus and ride to town for Grade 8. Montney School became just a memory. A handful of years later it was closed when the new school at Upper Pine was built. Mrs. Nelson and her teacherage moved to Upper Pine too.

I saw Mrs. Nelson from time to time and I think she was happy that I’d decided to become a teacher. In June of 2005 I dropped in to Mrs. Nelson’s 85^th birthday celebration along with a group of good friends who had also attended the school. She was wearing the same smile, and a scarf similar to the ones I remember. I told her how much she had influenced my life and career and held her hand for a moment. It was the last time I saw her. She passed away last May at the age of 97.

Thinking of Mrs. Nelson makes me think of the many other educators and students who have influenced my life and my career. I don’t want to start a list for fear of forgetting anyone, but I want them to know they are the reason I’m still talking about education and respectfully questioning the status quo.

I thank Mrs. Nelson for telling me stories about Egypt, for making The Highwayman come to life, and for teaching me that a great many things can be learned by preparing for a Christmas concert.

(*Ironically, the Montney Hall was then located beside the store at the Montney corner. It now sits up the hill where the school used to be!).