JIM “PAPPY” MOORE: The Truth, The Whole Truth, and Nothing But the Truth

I have a confession to make. My most abiding asset for most of my life has been my remarkable memory. Losing some of that speed and accuracy has been one aspect of ageing I have not enjoyed.

I always made good grades in school. My typical report card would either be all A’s or all A’s and one B. The thing which made that impressive was my secret: I never, and I do mean NEVER, did homework at home. I did it during class while the teacher was teaching.

The standard procedure for teachers was to write the assignment for class on the chalk board, over in one corner. It would often have questions or problems listed to resolve. If there was reading to do, I did that in class. If there were questions to answer, I did that in class. Math, English, History, Science, didn’t matter. I was going to do my work in class. I’d usually sit at the back so as not to be disturbed or have the teacher watch me doing it.

I never cracked a book at home in 12 years of public school in Lufkin. Whatever I got on my grades for homework, that’s what I got. Whatever I got on my tests, that’s what I got. I did not study. I did the work, and I did it in class. Sometimes I did do work from one class during another class. Some classes required less “homework” than others.

The thing I hated the most were pop quizzes which some teachers enjoyed. I was prepared for the typical standard tests, but pop quizzes might be on something the teacher mentioned while lecturing when I was working on the reading assignment for that night. I tried to talk one teacher into only counting the pop quiz grade if it helped a student’s average for the six weeks. I gave her the rationale that the scheduled weekly tests on Fridays were the best gauge of a student’s understanding of materials for that six weeks, but Miss Tenney could not be persuaded to see my point of view on that, even though my weekly test scores were all high. I dreaded hearing her begin a class with “Class, get out a piece of paper.” I knew it was probably going to be something she said that wasn’t in the book materials I had read. Curses! Foiled again. Was she onto me?!

In math classes I proposed to my teachers the following, and none of them allowed it: I had observed that math homework always had progressively harder problems in the 15-20 problems in the assignment. It was obvious that the last question would be the hardest, encompassing all the concepts discussed up to that point. My proposal was “let me work the last problem only, and that will prove I’ve mastered the materials.” They didn’t go for that.

Occasionally there would be special projects that did require some out of class time. We had encyclopedias at home and other reference materials. If books had to be read, I could do that at home. I would end up going to the school library when I could get by there. Study hall also served as an opportunity for socializing with the ladies.

I sure had fun going to school for 12 years in Lufkin. I enjoyed the students, most of the teachers, and most of the admins. I chatted up everybody. Some tolerated it. Some truly enjoyed it. I didn’t just talk. I entertained.

In 2007 I was at a function in Lufkin of the local Chamber of Commerce. While talking with others in the foyer I heard a distinctive voice call out “I’d know THAT voice anywhere! That’s Jim Moore!” It was my 10th grade English teacher, Mrs. Irish!! That year was 1964-1965. That was 42 years earlier. I went straight to her and we talked and had the best time. I was 58 at the time. She was such a delightful person. I still remember who sat next to me in her class: the lovely and talented Emily Mathews, a friend since 4th grade.

Some of my fondest memories in life were my school years in Lufkin. Hopefully, I’ll have them with me always.