Maybe few remember her. I know she had some fans among my girlfriends. She taught biology in what grade? Seventh, I guess. She was tall, with the body of a football player (with gear) and the face of an angel. Not as in babe angel, but angel angel. Reddish hair. When she stood on the raised thing in the front of the science classroom, she towered over us. Her attire was old fashioned, very conservative. But her body language was that of a Brooklyn street tough who has everything under control. Her accent and her language were that of the streets, not Hastings streets, Brooklyn streets, although I doubt she ever cursed in class. For example, she said things like: I've had about enough of you, B. What do I have to do to get you people to shut up? Do you want me to come over there, B, is that what you want? Don't mess with me, B. (Where B stands for the surname of a boy.) I don't think she ever talked to a girl that way.

If kids were fooling around in class, she'd look at them as if to say: I can wait, but there will be payback time. If things really got out of control she'd stare down the perpetrator with a look that said I can mash you to a pulp. Her body language said: I can settle this right here in the street before we ever get to the courthouse.

So why was she so lovable? Was it obvious that she was as sweet as can be under that tough act? She was an example of why might on the side of right can be so appealing. She seemed to come from another world (I think she actually may have come from Dobbs Ferry). I had never seen any woman like her. She presented an alternative model of female behavior. She would have made a good lady cop.

I think I learned pretty much nothing in her class. So much time was spent in keeping the class under control. I think the "uncooperative ones" really liked antagonizing her just to see her go into action. She seemed to like putting on the show too. Sometimes when she was threatening one of the "uncooperative ones", that kid would start giggling instead of shutting up, and you'd see her nostrils quiver trying to hold back her own laughter.

Amy Farber