Mrs. Gaughenbaugh was my 5th through 7th grades science teacher, and my 6th grade homeroom teacher. She was a short woman with a perky face, and always dressed in teacher-chic: that ineffable combination of tidiness, thrift and low-key fashion; a look that exuded confidence without being unapproachable. She kept her room in immaculate order. Her bulletin boards were of legendary quality. And she was a brand new teacher when I arrived in fifth grade at St. Columba School.
Her rules were clear, and we understood them well. One thing a Catholic kid knows is rules. Her punishments were generally fair and consistent and never doled out in the heat of the moment. She was unwavering and unshakable from day one.
Her teaching style rapidly moved from direct instruction to problem-based learning with a Socratic dialogue type style, though she always maintained a judicious amount of lecturing and note taking. We always had a purpose in our classes. We were learning the structure and discipline of being big kids, with all of the requisite skills and tools to be successful.
What I remember the most about that class, and what I cherish the most were the discussions. Sometimes discussions would last for an hour or two with everyone taking turns, adding opinions, learning from one another. We were all engaged because we all mattered in the course of the dialogue. Everyone was heard from and every opinion counted. Her naturally sparkling personality made us all love her. We would have walked to the ends of the earth, or far worse- studied for every test, just to please her.
Mrs. Gaughenbaugh is still teaching in the same school. My mother sees her every now and again and they talk about me. A good teacher remembers not only her students twenty years later, but also that silly blue vase I gave her as a token of my love for her one Christmas way back when.
-- Terri Nostrand, American University