How A Middle School Coach Built A News Anchor's Voice

A reputation can change overnight. Character has to hold up for a lifetime. That line frames one of the most personal conversations we have ever shared, as we sit down with Betty Rasmus, the teacher who helped shape our voice back when we were just a kid staying after school to practice speeches and chase big dreams in Houston. People may know us as a journalist and news anchor, but they do not always see the middle school hallway, the extra rehearsals, and the educator who refused to let talent go unnamed. 

We talk about competition, modern oratory, and what it means to teach confidence when the world does not always reward Black excellence fairly. Miss Rasmus breaks down how she coached students to perform, to think, and to believe they were as good as anybody in the room, even when judging and systems suggested otherwise. She also shares why she chose teaching, how she supports learners who need more time, and why she calls her kids “scholars” to raise expectations beyond the word “student.” 

Then we get into the state of education today: scripted curriculum, standardized testing pressure, missing basics, and the real challenge of building critical thinking skills when every minute is timed and monitored. We also honor the story of North Forest ISD, the pride of a community school district, the lack of supplies, and what changed when a larger system stepped in with more resources but less family feel. 

If you care about teachers, public education, student success, or the Houston story behind the headlines, you will feel this one. Subscribe, share this with a teacher who made a difference for you, and leave a review telling us: what did your best teacher give you that lasted?

About The Tashara Parker Show

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Transcript

Reputation, Character, And A Reunion

SPEAKER_02 0:00

A reputation can earn overnight. Something that lasts a lifetime.

SPEAKER_04 0:08

People know me as a journalist. They know me as, you know, the news anchor, all the work that I've done over the years, but they don't know me for the kid that was at R.A. Curry Middle School. What does it feel like for you sitting across from that kid that used to keep after school to make sure I can study?

SPEAKER_02 0:23

Yeah, I gotta believe this. When I was younger, I wanted to be a journalist. Then here she relegates herself to someone of my stature. So it's gratifying to know that much of me to be a part of the shop. Shut up. I figured that I was as smart as or as good as anybody in that school affair.

SPEAKER_04 0:50

Teaching today looks different than when you first went into the classroom in 74. What worries you most about education today?

SPEAKER_02 0:57

So she had us to come to school before schools start to rewrite that. Because she didn't think that someone of my pigmentation could actually write it. Not of your pigmentation. But us I did something that was illegal, to be frank with you.

SPEAKER_03 1:17

Wait a minute. I did. I didn't know I was gonna get this kind of tea. What you do? You did it. Can you go still go to jail for it?

SPEAKER_04 1:25

How you doing?

SPEAKER_02 1:26

I'm well. I'm ready to do this.

SPEAKER_04 1:30

I love that. Miss Rasmus. First of all, before I even get into this, we had a revelation. I asked her if she was kin to Rudy Rasmus. And what did you tell me?

SPEAKER_02 1:39

That my husband and Rudy's father, they're brothers.

SPEAKER_04 1:44

That is so crazy to me. So crazy. We have so many Houston stories about going to church there. But, anyways, I digress. Um, I don't know if I've ever actually gotten to say this to you directly. In fact, I know that I haven't, but thank you.

SPEAKER_02 1:59

And you don't know how I was on a hunt to find you. Oh, I know. There was an entire posse out looking for me, and I'm going, who wants me? You know, this has to be important.

SPEAKER_03 2:11

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 2:11

And so I finally got the message, and it's like, okay, shh, evidently she wants me to be a part of her show. Yeah. And so I took a few sneak peeks at some of your interviews with Tiffany Cross, who I loved when she had her show on MSNBC. And I'm going, all of these people of prominence. And then here she relegates herself to someone of my stature. So it's gratifying to know that you thought that much of me to

The Kid Behind The Anchor

SPEAKER_02 2:45

be a part of the Tashara Parker. Don't get me started. It's too early. So it seems as if I've made it.

SPEAKER_04 2:51

Yeah, it's too early. You know, it's funny. Uh, people know me as a journalist. They know me as, you know, the news anchor, all the work that I've done over the years. But they don't know me for the kid that was at R. E. Kirby Middle School. What does it feel like for you sitting across from that kid that used to keep after school to make sure I can study, to make sure I can get ready for my speeches, to make sure I was ready to go on stage? What does it feel like to you to be sitting here and having this conversation with me today?

SPEAKER_02 3:26

Well, it's gratifying to know that you have come up as high as you have in the world, and that I play just a snippet, just a small part in being a part of your journey. Um, I know we used to practice quite often because I am extremely competitive. Yes. I believe that competition is like the hallmark of success in some ways. Yeah. Oh, and uh wish that we had more of it in school. It's just that we don't have as much anymore. As a matter of fact, they've almost diminished it. It's it's there no longer. But I have always been competitive. And it matters not if I was shoveling manure, I would like to have the highest heap. Because uh, but anyway, that you have come as far as you have come, it does a heart good. I'm proud.

SPEAKER_04 4:22

Really am. I know you have taught, I don't know, of thousands of students at this point. You had a very long career. Do you remember some of those moments where we used to study? Do you remember any of that at Kirby?

SPEAKER_02 4:34

I will tell you what I do remember. I don't, I can't recall the other girl's name that I took downtown at one time, but I do remember a part of one of you all's speech where it we were talking about like the neighborhood and that we didn't have sidewalks. Yeah. And that our esplanates didn't have flowers. And the ending or I'll say the main part of that speech was, I like flowers. Yeah. And so I don't know if that was your speech. I feel like that was my speech. Yeah. Yeah. So I remember those things. And uh, I actually think we did well, even if we didn't place first. Right. I know we did well.

SPEAKER_04 5:14

Which was gut-wrenching for me. I don't know if you can recall, but not placing, I felt like it had a lot to do with not the work that we put out, but many other factors.

SPEAKER_02 5:25

Factors. And yeah, that I know. You see that so often. And uh I've been doing modern oratory for years, where we would actually do UIL and we would go and compete against Barbara's Hill in other schools. And uh more often than not, we actually won first place, but then there would be some times when you would have a monitor in the classroom and they would tell you, oh, your girl should have won. Yeah. But you go and you read the notes, and it's like she had too much singing in her speech when she actually only sang four words of the speech. So that would knock her down because they rated her low. But I just instill in everybody that I teach that you are as good as anybody, that in fact, in some cases, better because our delivery is sort of like different. It's like not mundane and monotonous, you know, where you can actually jive it up some.

SPEAKER_03 6:30

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_02 6:31

And so we do that. It's even with our singing or whatever, it's just like we have something extra that we give. But other people, they notice it, but they don't want to reward us for our talent.

SPEAKER_04 6:50

I've told your story many times over the years in many, many different settings, because I wanted people to understand that for me, teachers don't just teach subjects. Yeah.

Competition, Talent, And Unequal Judging

SPEAKER_04 7:00

Sometimes they introduce us to ourselves. Did you always know teaching was going to be your calling?

SPEAKER_02 7:07

Yeah, I gotta believe this. When I was younger, I wanted to be a journalist. I probably would not be eating as of now. Right. But um, because at that time, you know, that was back in the day when you would see Walter Crankite and you didn't see any females. But I'm I'm going, well, they're just sitting there reading. I could do that. Yeah. And then somebody said, Well, if you do that, because you don't see ladies there and you certainly don't see people of color on television, yes, that you don't need to go in that field. So then they said, make certain that you choose something that you know will sustain you. Yeah. And so teaching was what everybody sort of like steered me toward. But then that was about the best thing that could have happened to me.

SPEAKER_01 7:54

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 7:55

Because it this is rewarding. It really is. I mean 52 years.

SPEAKER_04 8:01

52 years. Yes, indeed. I mentioned earlier you've taught thousands of students at this point. How do you know when a child needs a little bit more from you?

SPEAKER_02 8:13

Well, when they don't grasp what it is that you've taught. So you try your best. As of right now, it's almost difficult to do it with the curriculum that we have. But you try your best to give them time, you know, individual time, personalize it so that they are successful, you know, in their journey. And most of them try hard. If you put that belief system in them, that they can do what anybody else does, it doesn't matter if you know how they used to rank kids like in yellow and green and blue groups. Thank God we don't do that anymore. But the ones that are slow, you just have to make certain that they just make them believe that they can. And more often than not, they do. I don't refer to my students as students in my classroom. I refer to them as scholars. And I tell them that when you get in high school, they do not give studentships, they give scholarships. I know that's and so you have to be just a tad bit better than a student. So some of the kids, especially I have one whose parent had already warned me at the beginning that her son had slight dyslexia. And she goes, please, please, please work with him, Miss Rasmus. Wow. And so I did. And he would constantly get better, and he'd come back, come up to my desk, and he goes, I'm going, Oh, you did this, boy, you did this. And he goes, I did this because I'm a scholar. So you you get so much joy of just seeing that light just pop up and shine.

SPEAKER_04 10:02

I've often shared how you helped me on my story. Looking back, and this may have just been you, but looking back, what did you see in that little girl sitting in your classroom?

SPEAKER_02 10:16

That even if you didn't have the beliefs, the belief that you could do something, that it's there, and all I need to do is just give you a little push so that you can believe that you can achieve. And actually, evidently it worked because you're sitting here, Mr. Shara Bakara, with our own show.

SPEAKER_04 10:39

What's a moment in your career that uh that nobody knows about that reminded you why you became a teacher?

SPEAKER_02 10:49

I don't I can't specifically come up with just one single thing. But when everybody leaves out of your classroom and just about everybody has forgotten what it is you try to teach because it might have been something that was difficult

Why Teaching Became The Calling

SPEAKER_02 11:10

and it might sort of like draw a tear because you know that you've done it and you've done it well. So and it's not just about test scores, yeah, because that's what everybody focuses in on now.

SPEAKER_04 11:28

Has that been a struggle as of late, you know, with teachers having to focus on test scores and not actually being able to teach some of maybe the areas that they want to focus on that we need to focus on.

SPEAKER_02 11:40

Yeah, it it has been, especially what what we have now. And I will say if you look at the present-day curriculum, it has its good points because there's some good things there. But with any good thing, there's room for improvement. And so if we could it as teachers, you sort of like know when you need to sort of like inject your own personal things so as to liven things up so that boredom doesn't sit again. Because now everything is so mechanical and robotic, or you have 15 minutes to teach this, 15 for this. My goodness, 15 for that, when you know that little Jamal hasn't gotten that first 15 minutes of it. Right. And so you want to go just a tad bit further. Yeah, but you know that you can't because it's uh scripted, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. And that's just what teaching is now. But certainly if if we as teachers had the opportunity to sort of like change and put some things different so that the monotony and the boredom doesn't sit in. Because it does when you're doing the same thing repeatedly over and over. So if we could add in competition, because I love competition. You do love competition. I really do. And I just think that we need to throw in some debates, some gender wars where we have boys against girls because boys are extremely competitive and they think that they know more than anybody. Yeah, until we get in there. And that's what I know. But the thing is, you you just can't inject that in there. Yeah. Or dictionary skills, because sixth graders, and I taught sixth graders this year. Sixth graders, there are some of them that don't know how to use the dictionary. Yeah. But they don't put that in the curriculum where you have time to teach that. So it's just certain things that we need to put in where we know that the kid is struggling.

SPEAKER_01 13:46

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 13:46

Or even a conventional watch or a clock, they can't tell time by that.

SPEAKER_04 13:51

So these are real things. As an educator, too. So now as an entrepreneur, and even, you know, working in corporate media for so long, but now as an entrepreneur, I'm having to hire people, right? My question for you is critical thinking skills. What is your take on whether or not young people are grasping those critical thinking skills where something may not be laid out in front of you, but you can figure out another way around it to still reach that end goal. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 14:22

What has it been right in the classroom? It at one point when we we've when I first started teaching, it was sort of like teacher focus or teacher-centered, where you get there and you would teach, and you know, the kids will take copious notes and memorize and all of that. So now that the focus is on critical thinking, where the teacher acts as the facilitator, you know, to guide them to deeper understanding. And then up to a point, they're supposed to sort of like take some ownership into what it is that they're supposed to do. And so we're just at there right now, we're just as facilitators, guides. Which is a good thing because they need to problem solve, analyze, formulate their own ideas.

SPEAKER_04 15:12

So well, I need to come over there and grab some of y'all students because I can't, I ain't find no critical thinking skills. It's it's tough.

SPEAKER_02 15:17

Oh, some of them uh will make you go. No, wait a minute. Yeah, they really will. So the curriculum, in a way, it's it has good points. It just needs just a tad bit of tweaking. Sure. So that it's so that when the teacher wants to do something where it's so not so repetitive and redundant. Yeah. Because when you're just doing slide after slide after slide, day after day after

Scripted Lessons And Missing Basics

SPEAKER_02 15:45

day, and you're not doing anything to sort of like arouse any type of excitement because you want excitement in your lesson. You learning should be fun too. I agree.

SPEAKER_04 16:00

I want to talk a little bit about North Forest. Okay. You gave nearly your entire career 39 years to North Forest. For those of us who grew up there, it wasn't just a school district. We know that this is our community. I'm here for my 20-year class reunion even this weekend. What did it feel like watching something you poured your life into slowly disappear?

SPEAKER_02 16:22

One of the things that I can say about North Forest, as teachers and actually as the scholars that we taught, we were family. It's like everybody knew everybody, even at the other schools we knew, because it was like small. So when we were consumed by HISD, and you know, it was like, now we're going to teach our babies. I'm thinking, we were teaching our babies, you know, in North Forest. Yeah. We just didn't have the amenities that others hold. And we didn't have the supplies. Right. Because on many occasions I've written companies just to ask for copy paper. I've had a law firm firm uh would they were sort of like helped me out for about five or six years, Cadell and Chapman.

SPEAKER_04 17:15

Wow.

SPEAKER_02 17:15

They would donate uh laptops and bicycles as incentives so that the kids could work for that. But in a way, it was a blessing in disguise. Which part?

SPEAKER_04 17:30

Then H I S D you have taken over?

SPEAKER_02 17:32

So that we did have the supplies. Uh but then in a way, maybe a curse because like I said, we just had the family atmosphere. And you didn't mind going into your pocket and buying for the kids because they needed it. Yeah. You know? But we got the job done. Now, when I first started at Kirby in 1974. 74. We didn't have air. Yeah. And my first class, I had 52 students and this moderate class-sized classroom. And after two weeks, they took six out. And if that would help, no problem, but it didn't. And so you would have your windows open, and every once in a while a little breeze would come through. Kids would say, Thank you, Jesus.

SPEAKER_04 18:24

Did you all I'm sure you know this, but I as I was researching for today, and I learned that our district, North Forest ISD, was the blackest district in the entire state of Texas. The entire state of Texas. Now that I before then, before then, the North Forest community was poor whites before black people started moving in. And then the white people started moving to Umble, et cetera, and more north. I didn't know much of that. And that part of the history, I don't feel like was told to us.

SPEAKER_02 19:04

Yeah, because I didn't know that. Yeah. I knew that we were researching for today. When we were teaching there. And then even the teachers that were, if a white teacher came there, they didn't stay long.

SPEAKER_04 19:17

How far removed were we from integration when you started in 74? Because it was in the late 60s and 70s when they started integrating that school.

SPEAKER_02 19:26

Now that I don't know. Yeah. But I know it was just predominantly black when I was there.

SPEAKER_04 19:33

Did it ever feel like people outside of North Forest was telling our story without ever asking us what our story actually was?

SPEAKER_02 19:41

I think in a way it was because everybody thought that we were sort of like inferior in a way. And even when I went to HISD in my first school was MC Williams. Yeah.

North Forest Pride And The Takeover

SPEAKER_02 19:59

And then you would find people, I'm going to say administration, that would come. And if your door was closed, you don't have you have that little window. And so they'd come and peep in to make certain that you were doing what you were supposed to do. And I'm going, there's no need to do that. I've been doing this, you know, for 39 years. I think that I can do this. And so when I got there, I think I was assigned the eighth graders. And they were telling me, okay, well, they registered 58% on STAR. And I'm going, just 58%? I think I can do better than that. Worked really hard doing it. Yeah. And at the end of that first year, came up to 79. Well something. That is a big deal. After the principal came back about five days later, he goes, Well, we had to remove the people that came after October. So actually, your grades, your scores are up to 81%. Okay. And I'm going from 58 to 81. That's a big deal. So at the end of the school year, I got so many apples for doing that. But this is this little old teacher from North Forest. Yeah, not little old teacher. Yeah. Well, I was old. I still am. Um, but we did that. Yeah. We did that. Yeah. And all of us, because we were workers, you know what I'm saying? And even now, when I say old, it's the older teachers that are actually carrying the bucket that's doing the majority of the work. Wow. Wow. Because we're not on our phones. And we're doing what we were hired to do. That part.

SPEAKER_04 21:37

You ain't making videos on social media. Mm-hmm. People look at my career today, they see where I am, but they don't see Kirby. They obviously don't see Norforest or know anything about Norforest or teachers like you. Does it ever bother you that educators rarely get connected to the success stories that they help to create?

SPEAKER_02 21:55

It doesn't bother me because it's not about me. It's about those that I teach. And I still have like one of my former students to come to see me. As a matter of matter of fact, he decorates for me at times. So he lets he keeps me abreast of what's happening out there. Okay. And he goes, one of your students, one of your speakers, is in the top three percentile of teachers, of distinguished teachers in New Orleans. And I'm going, whoa. And then I the you hear about someone in Austin doing it and other people making it. And so you don't hear about too many that have gone the other way, you know, like prison and things. Yeah. So everybody is sort of like making a positive contribution to society.

SPEAKER_04 22:42

Yes, ma'am.

SPEAKER_02 22:43

And that's the, I mean, when you've

Worries About Education And Real Hope

SPEAKER_02 22:45

done that, then you know, you're all good. You did what you were supposed to do. I love to hear that.

SPEAKER_04 22:50

You you kind of alluded to this part earlier. You said teaching, um, you talked about the younger generation being in the classroom versus the older generation. Teaching today looks different than when you first walked into a classroom in 74. So I want to talk specifically about what worries you most about education today.

SPEAKER_02 23:08

Other than the fact that we as teachers don't have any input into what we teach or how it's supposed to be done. You have uh I'm not gonna say outsiders, you have people that are making big bucks that's carving out what it is we're supposed to teach. And you do it because you know that you're gonna have rolling eyes, watching eyes coming in every once in a while. Or you have your assistant principal comes in at least once a week, you know, with 15 minutes just to monitor you, just to see if you're doing it, what you're doing. Sometimes I I I like doing what I call brain searches with kids where they do think critically, where they can get some inferencing from that, and and they love it. Because if they could come up with the answer, then you know they get a little prize for that lollipop or something, isn't it? Because just to say that they've done it.

SPEAKER_04 24:14

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 24:14

But then you you get this, oh no, you can't do this because now you have five minutes where you have to give them a do now. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 24:22

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 24:22

But I I wanted to give them five or ten minutes of something that they liked so that I could get the rest of the time to get in what I know that they need to know. There you go.

SPEAKER_04 24:32

What gives you hope right now about education? So that's a worry, but what gives you hope right now about the current state of education?

SPEAKER_02 24:39

That we're gonna actually get it right. Right now. I actually think we're gonna get it right. Yeah. That people are gonna start listening to teachers.

SPEAKER_04 24:49

Please, and paying teachers.

SPEAKER_03 24:51

Oh, yes.

SPEAKER_04 24:53

That teachers need to be paid. Yeah, we do. And very well.

SPEAKER_02 24:56

Yeah, we do.

SPEAKER_04 24:57

Please. You spent 50 plus

Mama Nadine And The Power Of Reading

SPEAKER_04 25:00

years at this point uh helping children discover who they are. Who helped Betty Rasmus become Betty Rasmus? I'm gonna say Mama Nadine.

SPEAKER_02 25:11

Mama Nadine. Okay. She was the one to that actually instilled in me the value of education. When I was in the seventh grade, you know, at that time you don't want your parents doing this, that, and the other. But at night, every night, yeah, we had one book because we were poor. We just didn't know we were poor.

SPEAKER_01 25:34

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 25:35

Because we grew our own veggies and fruit, you know, a pig or a hog. Um she made our own clothes. Wow. But every night she would get that book and she would read Burr Rabbit Stories, Ichabart Kring, Danel Boone, and she would have the inflections and all those things. So at least, and I know she was tired because she had a job, but she would sit there and she would read to me. And I was seventh or eighth grade.

SPEAKER_04 26:08

Do you think teachers ever truly understand the impact they have on kids while they're in the moment? So, for us, what, decades ago, being in your classroom, staying after school with you, making sure I knew my speeches, which, by the way, to try to memorize something. And in this day and age and in the mornings, trying to memorize something in this day and age, baby, it ain't happening. I did a TED talk and I had my uh my iPad there because there's no way I was about to memorize all of that.

SPEAKER_02 26:35

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 26:36

So while you're in the moment, do you realize in that moment the impact that you're having on young people?

SPEAKER_02 26:43

In the moment, you actually don't. Okay. You really don't. But when they actually come up and they get first place, because I started doing, and this is not sexist or anything, I started doing all boys. Uh, when I would go to UIO competition, and I would get first, second, and third place, you know, because they had to have this tie, white shirt, black pants. Sometimes you had to purchase it yourself, but you did because you wanted them all to be uniform. And we would practice in the morning, practice in the evening, and they would come up with first place. I even had a principal from Barbara's Hill to ask, how is it that your students are always placing first? Because that's what you do. Yeah, you know, yeah, that's what we did. But practice, it may not make perfect, yeah, but guess what? It gets first places. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. And you're competitive. We know that.

SPEAKER_04 27:42

So what was the name? Because I always feel like I get it wrong. What was the name of what we were doing back then? Was it an UIL or was it straight up modern oratory?

SPEAKER_02 27:51

Modern oratory. Modern oratory. But UIL, that's that was the um thing that I was over. That was the subject that I was over. But I mean, anytime that we could find a competition. We were just doing something. We were just doing it. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay. We don't do any memorizing anymore. Really? Which no, we don't. I mean, when I was growing

Freedom Of Choice And Proving Brilliance

SPEAKER_02 28:10

up, we had to, when I was in high school, uh, well, not so much. I did something that was illegal, to be frank with you.

SPEAKER_03 28:19

Wait a minute.

SPEAKER_02 28:20

I did.

SPEAKER_03 28:21

I didn't know I was gonna get this kind of tea. What'd you do? You did.

SPEAKER_02 28:24

Can you go still go to jail for it? Uh no. Okay, what'd you do? What I did. I forged my mom's name when they had freedom of choice. Okay. You know, I did, because I I figured that I was as smart as or as good as anybody in that school up there. And I wanted to be a part of it. Yeah. So I went there, and uh this teacher had you reading a novel each six weeks, and you had to do a book report. We don't do that anymore.

SPEAKER_04 28:54

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 28:55

Um, and she for the black students, because it was about eight of us that braved the system to say we're going, and we did. She chose our books to read while the other kids had free reign as to what they wanted to read. My first book was Queen Elizabeth's Bomb, the most boring book.

unknown 29:14

What?

SPEAKER_02 29:15

My mom and I had to read it two to three times before I could actually grasp what she was saying. Wrote that. She gave me an A minus on that, but she didn't believe that we had actually done it. It was two of us that got email. So she had us to come to school before school started to rewrite that because she didn't think that someone of my pigmentation could actually write that well. Not of your pigmentation. Well, yes, she did because nobody else had to do it but us. Interesting. And so she gave a B plus on that, and I sort of like can remember just about everything that I had written verbatim, but she just couldn't give me that A- again. Yeah. You know? So you had to prove yourself back then.

SPEAKER_04 30:02

If every student you've ever taught were watching this conversation, hopefully they'll find it.

SPEAKER_02 30:07

Hopefully not.

SPEAKER_04 30:08

Well, I hope they will. And I don't know if y'all have caught it because she probably side-eyeing me on the inside, but she has very proper English. She's been teaching English for a very long time.

SPEAKER_02 30:18

Okay. And my dye asked this, say this too in my classroom. Yeah. I will not grade your paper if I see something that is not correctly written. And then you don't talk to me unless you say something. If you say something that is grammatically incorrect, oh no. I correct you.

SPEAKER_04 30:40

Okay, so don't go look at any of my Instagram posts because I just like to have fun over there. Okay. That's it.

SPEAKER_02 30:45

Okay.

SPEAKER_04 30:45

And I know that I clearly know that it's grammatically incorrect on some of the things.

SPEAKER_02 30:49

Well, you know those kinds of things. But when I take, for instance, when I ask a student, how are you doing? And they go, Good. Oh, yeah, that's a problem. No, you can't tell me that. I'm looking for an adverb. You have to tell me well. And so they know that.

SPEAKER_04 31:01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 31:02

You know, I mean, I think I think I'm about the only keep teacher on campus now that who does that.

SPEAKER_04 31:06

That girl, young person right there. His name is Xavier. Xavier Xavier? How are you doing? How old are you, Xavier?

SPEAKER_02 31:13

17. How are you doing? Oh, see? He didn't listen. He didn't, you didn't listen. You have to say, well, Xavier. So ask him one more time, Miss Rasmus. Xavier, how are you

Character, Reputation, And Professional Standards

SPEAKER_02 31:25

doing? Thank you. I correct him all the time.

SPEAKER_04 31:31

Okay, so I have to ask you this about young people who may be watching this, or I guess people of any age. What's one lesson you want your former students to carry with them the rest of their lives? I'm not talking about English, not talking about school, but a lesson about themselves that you want them to carry for the rest of their lives.

SPEAKER_02 31:48

My husband told me this: a reputation you can earn overnight. Character is something that lasts a lifetime. So I think that character is one of the most important things that a person can have. Even as a teacher, you know, you just don't say certain things. You don't wear certain I'm this is just me because the young, younger generation now will come with holes in their jeans.

SPEAKER_01 32:22

Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_02 32:22

I'm this is teachers. And I'm going, you're not supposed to do that. You don't stoop to their level, you know. That's them. I just think it's just teaching is a profession and you should dress professionally, you should act professionally because you have to set a standard for the students so that they have a standard to follow. Just me. That's my opinion. Okay. You know? Okay. And you slept on it for a long time. Yeah, and I d I did I'm not looking at jeans and tennis shoes every day. Not for a teacher. I just think there's a proper way of dressing because even with the teachers that I had way back when didn't have much mini clothes, might have had three suits, and they would mix and match those three suits. Yeah. Now I'm not saying you have to come in hose because I don't wear them.

SPEAKER_01 33:15

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 33:16

But at least come presentable so that you can set the standard.

SPEAKER_04 33:24

You know what's so crazy? You just said you were talking about your husband. And I don't know, I feel like that's still a little kid in me. I'm like, you got a husband.

SPEAKER_03 33:33

Yeah. Because we don't, as kids, we don't even think that you can't.

SPEAKER_02 33:37

Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 33:38

We're just like, no, that's my teacher.

SPEAKER_02 33:39

Yeah, but I married in 74, and then two months later, got the job in North Forest. Wow. Where were you living before you got the job in North Forest? Wymer, Texas. Wow. A country town. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 33:51

Yeah. Anything else you want to add it with just, I mean, overall, where we are in the world, um, in society, there are a lot of um factors that will make people lose their minds these days. Anything you want to just politically? Anything you want to add at all.

SPEAKER_02 34:13

No, I just to be your best, have your temperament has to be a certain way because you have about 85 little blessings that's gonna walk in your classroom every day. And they all have different personalities, and so you have to address them tactfully. Um you have to be nurturing because they come with problems, and you have to not just be a teacher, but you have to be a nurse in some instances, you have to be a counselor in some instances. So I just want those who are listening to me if you're a teacher to give your best, do your best, expect the best, have high expectations, and don't succumb to all of the things that you see happening in the world. Be you because there's nobody better than you. You know, I just think we're all equal. You just have to prove that you are as good as everybody else. And no matter what they say, you just know what's in your heart, and you just get out there and you do it.

SPEAKER_04 35:42

Well, Miss Fatty Rasmus, thank you so much for everything, and

Retirement Pulls You Back In

SPEAKER_04 35:45

thank you for the 50 plus years of pouring into young minds. I'm sure it's a lot of little me's running around here, thankful and grateful for all that you've poured into all of us. Not hopefully. We know. We know. Thank you.

SPEAKER_02 35:57

And could I say something else? Absolutely. Yesterday I got a call. You know, you know, I um retire and they go, see if she'll come back. Ah so I still have the passion.

SPEAKER_00 36:13

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 36:13

I do. I have the energy. But I think it's time for just me to see what is in this next chapter. Yeah. Hopefully it'll be a good one. But I'm still thinking, oh, should I go back? Because you miss it. You know, I know I'm gonna miss it.

SPEAKER_04 36:34

Can you do like one or two days a week where you can enjoy the rest of your week? Is there an opportunity for that?

SPEAKER_02 36:40

Can we do some negotiation? Uh, that I don't know. But I'm gonna just ask and see.

SPEAKER_04 36:46

Yeah, because I want you to enjoy being not not having to go to class every day.

SPEAKER_02 36:51

Yeah. Admite really, I just want to, I think it's time now for me to step aside so that a younger generation can sort of like come and step.

SPEAKER_04 36:59

But they also need to be molded by people like you, right? And they need to see and understand, you know, what you've been able to do for this 50 plus years.

SPEAKER_02 37:08

So but when the kids ask it, Mr. Rasmus, please don't come back, come back. But you know, it's time. It's time. And it's been a mantra of mine that I don't want to be sitting in somebody's classroom at 75. You know? You look good.

SPEAKER_04 37:28

I know you you want me to be all extra

Health, Work Ethic, And Closing Thanks

SPEAKER_04 37:30

proper, but black don't crack. And I'm just like, girl, you look amazing.

SPEAKER_02 37:34

Well, thank you. You look amazing. Thank you. So try to take care of myself, even though you know there have been some bumps and bruises in my life. Because I have suffered with cancer. Wow. But, you know, that's something. Then I had a scare this year, but you know, everything was okay. So that was another reason why I'm thinking it's time to take care of me. Yeah.

unknown 37:56

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 37:56

Now that you've told me that, I don't want you to go back.

SPEAKER_02 37:59

Well, that's my husband said that too. No. You know.

SPEAKER_04 38:02

I'm with hubby, the hubby that I know you didn't have for nine this many years since 72. You started teaching in 74.

SPEAKER_02 38:10

Yeah, I'm married in 74.

SPEAKER_04 38:11

Two months before then, right? I don't know why. I just thought you just went home by yourself and came back and taught us. That's it.

SPEAKER_02 38:19

That's what he thought too, because guess what? Even now, yeah. Like I go home, like, let me tell you, I wake up at four o'clock. Wow. I leave my house at six, so I can get to work at 6.33. Wow. Is that the exact time? It's normally 6.33. When I look at the clock and clock in, it's 6.33. And we actually, and I have two hours, you know, just to kill some time, but I don't because you're always doing something, even if it's watch, wiping down the desk. Sure. Just getting ready, preparing for that day. And then I maybe make it home. I leave the campus at five. You know, everybody else might be gone, but I'm there.

SPEAKER_01 38:55

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 38:56

And I leave the campus at five, make it home at six-ish, watch Wheel of Fortune. After I watch Wheel of Fortune, I'm on that computer preparing my lesson for the next day. Wow. Because I want to be ready.

SPEAKER_04 39:12

Yeah, I don't want you going back.

SPEAKER_02 39:13

Yeah, that's what my husband said.

SPEAKER_04 39:15

I want you to relax.

SPEAKER_02 39:16

Unless it's hard to rehab.

SPEAKER_04 39:18

Unless it's like a day or two a week where you can go like consult with them, make sure the newer teachers are understanding, you know, the value and showing up, right? For the students. But other than that, I don't need you there every day. I don't need you waking up at four o'clock in the morning unless you're going to sit on your porch with your coffee. I don't need you.

SPEAKER_02 39:36

But now I'm getting up at six. So I can do three months.

SPEAKER_04 39:39

Even better. But none of it, I can't have you back in there. We're good on that.

SPEAKER_00 39:44

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.