Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, February 6, 1995 TAG: 9502090011
SECTION: NEWSFUN PAGE: 3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Short
Yosafat says she'll miss her pupils, especially "teaching them something they don't know and they need to know. "I hope they'll look back and say, 'Gee, I'm glad I had that.'"
What Yosafat won't miss are grading papers, getting up at 5:15 a.m., and tackling's Woodrow Wilson's 129 steps up to the building.
As much as Yosafat will miss teaching, it's a good bet that she'll be missed. "[Yosafat] is a lady who takes time to know her students individually and teaches each student on their level," said her nominator. Yosafat gives out her telephone number to her pupils and encourages them to call if they have a question about an assignment.
"In 35 years, I have had very few prank calls. I welcome the calls. Students who take the time to call, care."
Yosafat says the secret to enjoying her job after more than three decades in the classroom is the mutual respect between her and her pupils. "I respect children, and they tend to respect me. You have to be a bit of an actress, and teaching gives you a captive audience," she said.
Yosafat is married to a retired engineer, the mother of two children and grandmother of four "wonderful" grandchildren. She loves to cook and enjoys spending time with her 102-year-old father, who lives with her family.
by CNB