Wanda Davison

Yes

I went to Central Michigan University and graduated in 1973. From there I got my job as a math teacher in 1973 at White Cloud Public Schools. It was a combination high school junior high at that time and I taught 7th grade math, geometry, educational guidance and lunch room supervision in my first year. Through the years I changed to 8th grade math, reading, high school general math, applied math, algebra, computer literacy and geometry again. I worked there for 21 years. Nearly every summer I was off traveling somewhere in the United States. My favorite part is the northwest. The only two states I haven't been to are Alaska and Hawaii. I also got to Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, Sweden, Norway, Lichtenstein, and Italy. I traveled in Europe with friends the first time and with my sister, Marty, a while then alone the second time. I was visiting Department of Defense schools on the second trip thinking I may want to move there to teach. But, I decided not to do that.

In 1990, I fell on the ice and had a closed head injury which was the main reason I quit teaching in 1994. My mom died in 1990 also. In 1995, I moved to Del Mar, California to go to school to become a counselor. That didn't work out as I was having trouble learning due to the head injury. I still stayed there a couple more years then moved back to Michigan in Grandville.

In 2001, I got tired of the snow again and moved back to San Diego, California. Eventually, that became too expensive, so I moved back to Lansing in 2004 and I figure this is where I will be staying.

I watch a lot of TV and read a lot. I enjoy my retirement with going out to eat fairly often and seeing a movie often. I enjoy Weight Watchers meetings, but I enjoy eating more, so I'm not very successful with weight loss.

Dad died in 2006. I spend time with my sister, Marty, and her family. I see my sister, Sue, and her family a few times a year and my brother, Ken, once in a while. It's good to be back in Michigan, but I would rather be traveling around the U.S. and maybe Ireland someday.

It's strange, but the strongest memory I have of high school is in 9th grade in Miss Breitenwisher's class, algebra. A lot of people misbehaved in her class much of the time, including me. I one time had some very negative notes written about her on my paper and somehow she came over and read it. I felt terrible, probably not for what I had said, but for getting caught and embarrassed. I felt bad for her too. I think she lost her job that year. I thought of that incident many times in my own teaching years and realized how cruel kids can be sometimes if they are with a teacher who lets them get away with everything. Other than her class, I thought high school was a very positive and fun experience, but I simply don't remember much of it now.