Mr. Pagliaro
This morning I woke up and couldn’t help but to remember 4th and 5th grade. During 4th and half of 5th grade I was in a special class, I believe it was called “ESE”. If you were in ESE, you were there because you were either a troublesome student or had some sort of issue. It was a very small classroom with about 15 kids, but it was the absolute best class I ever had. The reason for that was Mr. Pagliaro, our teacher.
Mr. Pagliaro was a well-posed man of about 60 years. It was because of him that I realized it was not only possible to be a “better” student, but also have a really good time being one. I ended up in ESE because I got into too many fights. I remember that I wasn’t the one who started the problem, but I sure wasn’t the one to let the problem go. In many cases I remember not starting any problems or fights, but I would always end up being blamed or accused of fighting. Being one of the bigger kids and having the “reputation” didn’t help much I suppose. So near the end of 3rd grade, the principle sat down with my mother and myself and said I would have to go into ESE for the next year. I was furious because that meant I couldn’t stay in the same class as the girl I liked at the time.
Being in 4th grade started out a little rough. This was the “troublesome” class after all. I had to deal with one or two kids that tried to make fun of me, but after some quick shoving around we were in good terms. I also had a lot of previous class mates that weren’t bad kids at all, really good kids actually. I guess they we’re a bit A.D.D. and they put them in the same class. Back then (early 90’s) there was little evaluation for any attention deficit disorders, you were either good or you were bad.
Enter Mr. Pagliaro. Through relevant and insightful and most importantly really fun lectures and assignments I was able to become a better student and become more of a “team player”. I’ve always been one to not have many friends. I rather have a handful of good friends than a room of acquaintances, but I’m not anti-social by any means. I started participating in more sports and group projects and learned a ton. This was the first time I actually looked forward to school (without it being related to a girl) and the first time I did homework consistently (although we always had time at the end of class to do the work). I became a better athlete when it came to sports. I was the classes best and one of the better (if not best) school touch-football player and I was able to increase my run from sluggish to equal of that of the fastest kid (which surprised me because I was much bigger). Mr. Pagliaro always told me I should pursue football or some sport but I never actually did until later on where I got into bodybuilding (but have since let it up, sadly). The reason I got better was because of Mr. Pagliaro’s religious daily “training” where we would spend 30-60 minutes a day (aside from the regular P.E.) just playing football or any sport. This made life at school MUCH better. I was able to focus much more and learn more because of it. Kudos to Mr. Pagliaro for having the guts to defy the system. I did so well in fact, that Mr. Pagliaro and the Principal both recommended I go back to a regular class for 5th grade, but I refused stating that I had a much better classroom experience as I was. They persisted but I held my ground, even though I could potentially go back to seeing the girl that I liked on an every day basis. That’s how good that class was.
Anyway, 5th grade begins and soon thereafter Mr. Pagliaro decided to retire. This broke my heart. Mr. Pagliaro had almost become a father figure to me, he understood me and actually figured me out when no one else could (he actually pulled me aside one day and told me). It was tough, but by doing that he taught me two valuable lessons. Expect the unexpected and shit happens. It was would be one of the many cases where something or someone I care about leaves or is taken away. Mr. Pagliaro’s retirement wasn’t the first case of this, but it certainly wouldn’t be the last. After Mr. P left, I was asked again by the Principal to go back to a regular 5th grade class and I took her offer. No classroom afterwards would ever be the same.
I owe Mr. Pagliaro a lot. More self-esteem, more confidence, more ability. I never had the opportunity to tell him in person but at a time where I was very confused, heading lower, and needed the most help Mr. Pagliaro was there to help make a better me. Whether he knew it or not, he made a world of difference in me. So to Mr. Pagliaro, if you’re somehow reading this I’m now 24-years-old and doing just fine. Hopefully one day we can meet again and I can tell you this face-to-face.
Filed by tony at February 26th, 2008 under Other
