Teaching, above and beyond

Dorothy Julia Scholknecht was 101 years of age when she passed away last month in Kalispell. I have wondered, and will continue to wonder… how many hundreds of young people besides me, she greatly inspired during her more than 50 years of teaching.

Each of us need and deserve teachers we remember from our school days, teachers who had a profound influence on our lives, teachers who worked hard at helping us even at times when we were undeserving. There were several in my life and one of those most devoted insturctors was Dorothy. Probably helped me the most of anyone I knew in high school, and there is a story there worth telling.

Besides being an inspiring instructor in subjects from chemistry and biology to history, "Miss Schoknecht" was a patient person; however, I eventually discovered the hard way. "She did have a limit."

By my junior year I found a talent for making witty remarks in class earned me populartiy with other students and in many cases even amused teachers, including Dorothy… but!

One day after my disrupting a chemistry class for about the third time, "Miss Schoknecht" came over to where I was sitting, took a firm hold of my right ear and led me out into the hall. Not only was I embarrassed but totally surprised. Said she couldn't teach the others or me important things when there was that much disruption in the classroom. Said I had to learn more discipline as she led me toward the principal's office.

Halfway there she stopped. There were tears in her eyes. I was shocked to realize how much I had dispappointed and hurt her with my disrespectful behavior. Felt ashamed… like a dirty dog. Returned to the class while I apologized and said I would behave from now on. Meant it from the bottom of my heart because I really did admire her. We never discussed it again and I took several more classes from her. She wished me well when I left for the army and in a flattering manner encouraged me to go on to college when I came home.

Dorothy lived across the street from Iris and me on Kalispell's east side while we were raising little kids during the 60s and she was a wonderful neighbor. She knew I loved leaf lettuce and kept us in good supply each summer from her garden.

Thirty-five years after the "ear incident," I ran into Dorothy at the bank while we were talking to mutual friends. Hadn't seen or talked to her for several years. During our conversation she volunteered the information: "George was one of my finest students while I was teaching at Flathead High School." I couldn't help recalling the ear thing, but earnestly replied, "Dorothy was one of the best and most influential teachers I ever had." Reached out and patted her hand.

Thinking about this exchange later that day, I decided she had either completely forgotten the problem I caused her those many years past, or she had chosen that way of letting me know she forgave me. Either way it was a closure for me, an end to a thing that bothered me since it happened.

The world cannot have too many people like Dorothy Schoknecht.

G. George Ostrom is a Kalispell resident and Hungry Horse News columnist.