Teachers who made a difference: How your past teachers have affected your life | Eastern North Carolina Now

    Writing on subjects you do not know about requires research. After researching subjects for a post or article, I realize that other more qualified people have already done the research and written about it and my two cents would not add to the subject.

    That reminds me of an English course I took at Bass High School in Atlanta, Georgia. Like all high school students, we had to write term papers with all the proper format, bibliography, and index and reference material included. It required many hours in the library making notes on 3x5 cards. It definitely took time away from the more important things on a high school student's agenda.
1960, James E. Sligh, My English Teacher at Bass High School: Above.
    I complained to the teacher about just regurgitating the history already written. He said the purpose of the term paper was not to break new ground but to learn the process and perhaps I would accidentally learn something in the process. His rule was each misspelled word cost one grade point. If you assume you had a grade "A" paper you only had two words to screw up. Since I was a good solid "C" student, I had no room for error. I hated the class and I hated the teacher. His name was James Sligh.

    Publisher's note: Join Bobby Tony and others so inspired to discuss the "Teachers We Remember", a new, ongoing, and fully participatory series here on BCN.