This lady taught me so much about being a teacher. This was my first teaching job, and she was my mentor, whether she realized it or not. I'll never forget the influence she had on me, and I'll never forget what a wonderful person she was.
Mrs. Pellew taught typing and shorthand as intellectual activities requiring attention to detail and skill building through repetition (now known as "muscle memory"). She explained her teaching strategies and told you what to expect of your brain and your fingers. She was the first person who explained what we have come to know as "getting in the zone" of concentration, getting beyond conscious finger typing to reach higher performance. She shared her life experiences as a clerical/admin employee in Washington, DC, during World War II.
She had surgery for breast cancer in the middle of the school year. After six weeks with a substitute teacher, our notehand skills had stagnated. Mrs Pellew had barely completed radiation therapy when she returned to class, and she made it clear - "Full speed ahead!" - that we had some catching up to do. Her writing arm was weak from surgery. I remember her using her left hand to support her right arm as she wrote notehand forms on the blackboard. Mrs. Pellew showed me the importance of the talented "adminstration professional."
Griff Ethridge
This lady taught me so much about being a teacher. This was my first teaching job, and she was my mentor, whether she realized it or not. I'll never forget the influence she had on me, and I'll never forget what a wonderful person she was.
Charlene Brown (Cotton) (1970)
Mrs. Pellew taught typing and shorthand as intellectual activities requiring attention to detail and skill building through repetition (now known as "muscle memory"). She explained her teaching strategies and told you what to expect of your brain and your fingers. She was the first person who explained what we have come to know as "getting in the zone" of concentration, getting beyond conscious finger typing to reach higher performance. She shared her life experiences as a clerical/admin employee in Washington, DC, during World War II.
She had surgery for breast cancer in the middle of the school year. After six weeks with a substitute teacher, our notehand skills had stagnated. Mrs Pellew had barely completed radiation therapy when she returned to class, and she made it clear - "Full speed ahead!" - that we had some catching up to do. Her writing arm was weak from surgery. I remember her using her left hand to support her right arm as she wrote notehand forms on the blackboard. Mrs. Pellew showed me the importance of the talented "adminstration professional."