Hum Posted March 14, 2007 Share Posted March 14, 2007 LOS ANGELES - Rose "Mama G" Gilbert dons a red plastic fire helmet and excitedly begins lecturing on George Orwell's novel "1984." Her Advanced Placement English literature students soon feel the heat as Gilbert connects current events to themes in the book ? government surveillance, conformity and sexuality. With her energy, it's easy to forget that she's old enough to be the great-great-grandmother of her Palisades Charter High School students. Gilbert is 88. "You can't stop her when she is on a roll," says Elieka Salamipour, a 17-year-old senior. Gilbert's helmet really isn't necessary. It takes only a minute or two for her to get excited about just about anything. "I want them all to just live literature, love poetry and love life ? not just get caught up in grades," Gilbert says. Gilbert effortlessly connects with her pupils ? she affectionately calls them "bubbelahs." She engages and challenges them. A wrong answer or a student who tries to get away with something is likely to get a quick rebuke: "That's bunk," Mama G will say. Pupils usually don't start out liking poetry, so Gilbert eases them in with love poems by e.e. cummings. "It's very sexy," Gilbert says. Gilbert is the oldest teacher in the Los Angeles Unified School District. Two other female teachers, both 87, also work full-time in the district, the second-largest in the nation where there is no mandatory retirement age. It's not clear where Gilbert's age ranks her among the nation's 3.25 million public and 467,000 private school teachers ? the U.S. Education Department doesn't track that statistic. But she's certainly among the oldest full-time instructors. Amy Sherman Smith, a 1970 graduate, recalled Gilbert wearing a slip over her clothes while teaching about "Freudian slips." When Smith reconnected with Gilbert last year for the first time in ages, Mama G hadn't changed a bit. "Very feisty, very opinionated and her mind is still as sharp as a tack," Smith said. Gilbert doesn't have to work ? her husband left her millions when he died. But she loves it too much to quit.Mama G's energy is infectious, said Masha Elakovic, a 17-year-old senior who's had Gilbert the past two years. "She comes in, she is really pumped up," Elakovic said. Gilbert started teaching in the 1940s, took a break and then went back to the classroom teaching full-time in 1956. She transferred to Palisades Charter when it opened in 1961 and has been there ever since. Barry Farber, a professor of psychology and education at Columbia University in New York, believes if teachers are satisfied with their job, they won't want to quit, regardless of age. Asked when she will stop teaching, Gilbert pauses. "When I'm tired," she finally says. "I'm not tired. I have more energy than a k;)." ;) more Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nightz Posted March 14, 2007 Share Posted March 14, 2007 that's awesome. she obviously loves what she does and she's still good at it, so more power to her. i wish i had more enthusiastic teachers like that when i went to school. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
addc182 Posted March 14, 2007 Share Posted March 14, 2007 i wish i had more enthusiastic teachers like that when i went to school. i wish i had her money lol *goes gold digging* what? shes only 88 :p Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kombolcha Posted March 14, 2007 Share Posted March 14, 2007 i saw her when i went to my cousins graduation.. she was also his english teacher... she also did not want to get paid for teaching but i guess some laws required that she gets paid so she gets paid $1 a year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NightmarE D Posted March 14, 2007 Share Posted March 14, 2007 These are the kinds of people I really admire. Has millions of dollars and just wants to be a teacher and loves doing it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee G. Veteran Posted March 14, 2007 Veteran Share Posted March 14, 2007 Wow, that's great! Go Mama G! :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DigitalE Posted March 14, 2007 Share Posted March 14, 2007 Yeah; if I were a teacher and loved to teach, I wouldn't want to quit! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RuudJacobs.NET Posted March 14, 2007 Share Posted March 14, 2007 Those are the people who are really useful.. There should be a lot more of 'em. They don't have experience, they ?re experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snyper Posted March 14, 2007 Share Posted March 14, 2007 Perhaps shes senile? No..well done i say, i think its great..im very pro elderly, I thnk they dont get enough respect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barney T. Administrators Posted March 16, 2007 Administrators Share Posted March 16, 2007 Moved here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baskingridge Posted March 16, 2007 Share Posted March 16, 2007 AP LIT IS TORTURE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fighter-X Posted March 16, 2007 Share Posted March 16, 2007 It's not like she has anything better to do. If I was 88 I wouldn't wanna stay home doing nothing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kombolcha Posted March 17, 2007 Share Posted March 17, 2007 i take back that $1 yearly salary.. her pay is donated to some charity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TokyoKiller Posted March 17, 2007 Share Posted March 17, 2007 i take back that $1 yearly salary.. her pay is donated to some charity. OMG? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheNay Posted March 17, 2007 Share Posted March 17, 2007 These are the kinds of people I really admire.Has millions of dollars and just wants to be a teacher and loves doing it. Same here :) Goes to show you money isn't everything... ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psybapunk Posted March 17, 2007 Share Posted March 17, 2007 It's not like she has anything better to do. If I was 88 I wouldn't wanna stay home doing nothing. exactly, she has nothing better to do. because teaching to her is the best thing to do. I read an article about her a few years ago in the San bernardino County Sun newspaper, wonderful woman. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Gibs Posted March 17, 2007 Share Posted March 17, 2007 I'd hit it! :rofl: --- Ok in all seriousness, its quite a decent thing for somebody to do. Most people would probably spend those millions on, i dunno, boat cruises to the bahamas or whatever... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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