Transcript: Mrs. Lori Baris on Personal Responsibility, Being Known and Loved, and Eighteen Years of Caring

Good morning and welcome back to the show. We are here with longtime University School lower school teacher, beloved third grade educator and a friend of the campus, Mrs. Lori Barris. How are you, Ms.

Barris? I'm well, thank you, Charlie. And how are both of you? We're great.

Doing great. Yeah. Good. Glad for a long weekend, right?

Yeah. yeah well mrs barris before we get into your 18 years at us and everything that came after do you take us all the way back and where in the cleveland area did you grow up what was a young mrs barris like oh that's funny okay well um i grew up in the oh don't be shocked 50s and 60s and my first home with my family was on University Boulevard. So I kind of think it was destiny that I'd end up at university school. But it was for the time a normal kid experience. We didn't have phones.

We didn't have electronics. We played outside. We rode bikes. We just had so much fun with our friends.

I lived on a big area with a lot of students my the same age. I loved baseball from the early years. I walked around with a radio attached to my head like the whole summer. My dad had a boat and we would have so much fun going up to Kelly's Island and Cedar Point and it was just a really wonderful, wonderful time.

You know, Cleveland back then is a really different city than the one Jack and I now know today. So what's one thing about old Cleveland that you wish kids like us today could still experience? Again, the freedom and the parents not being afraid of letting their kids just go out and play in the neighborhood. And it wasn't so restricted and so scheduled.

And you go out and play with your friends when the light goes on at the house, that means it's time to come home. I had a friend whose mother rang a bell, whatever, but we were trusted. I could take, I could jump on the rapid with a girlfriend, go downtown to the Cleveland Indians games, and buy some peanuts and walk around town. And the fear, the fear wasn't there.

It was a lot freer existence. And my own children didn't have that. So it kind of went away in a hurry, I'm sad to say. Going to your education, what was your favorite subject as a kid?

And is the scene one that you ended up later loving? Or is it one that kind of just really captivated you as a young kid? I was a reader as a young kid. I was into books and into writing and just loved reading.

Math, not so much, but I had a dad who loved math, and I think it worked its way in because now math is my favorite. I love to teach math. I knew I was a teacher in about third grade. I had a third grade teacher who was just young and fun.

She even invited us to her wedding. I thought this is what I want to do so I dragged anybody who would listen and would be my student and I became the teacher was my dog sometimes yes my younger brother sometimes yes but you know what later on it dawned on me why I really became a teacher my fourth grade teacher and at the time this fourth grade teacher became very important in my life. Later on, I would reflect at the power and the care she showed. I'm going to cry.

A fourth grade little girl who lost her mother in November that year. My family was devastated. We were devastated. It was not expected.

And this fourth great teacher really made it okay for me at school. She took me under her wing, but not so obviously, just in subtle ways and made me feel safe and cared about. And later on, when I really thought about my career and my future, I keep reflecting back to her. I invited her to my wedding.

She was not able to attend because she was much older by then. But, you know, the power a teacher has to come across students like you, Charlie, who's maybe quiet and not so out there. And just to say there's something there and see the spark and nourish it. Miss Davis had that effect on me.

Here's a little girl. She's obviously suffering. What can I do to make her life better? I'll never forget her.

She was just completely memorable. So that was that. I just truly appreciated teaching as a career in a way that I never had before. Moving into your high school years, what did you take on then?

Were you into sports? You were into other extracurriculars. Were there other teachers that had a big impact on you then? Great question.

I went to Cleveland Heights High. We were large classes at the time. My graduating class had over a thousand kids in it. I know.

I was in a musical group, so I loved singing. I also became interested in cheerleading and was a cheerleader. So that kind of spurred my football interest. And I was pretty active.

I was in the girls council too, like a student council. And I was thinking about politics, sort of school politics. And I was trying to do everything. I really enjoyed it.

I can't say there was a teacher other than our girls glee club men's chorus director. Bill Tapas was his name. He was great. he was great at getting us all to be on the same page at the same time and sing and enjoy ourselves so he was he was memorable and i really love singing well let's talk about the elephant in the room that i remember your love of ohio state where did that start was it oh what something that you found on your own great question um first of all i have to tell you we are four generational Ohio State people. My grandfather, my maternal grandfather, graduated from the pharmacy school there.

My parents, my aunt, and several cousins, myself, and my son, all our Buckeyes. The thrill of a lifetime was moving my son into my dorm. He didn't understand Dan, why his mother laughed so hard when he got his dorm assignment until I explained it. I moved him into my dorm.

It was just really wild. But as I said, I just started to really enjoy football when I was cheering. Basketball too, but more so football. And when I went to my first game at the shoe, that was it.

That was it. I was hooked for life. Beyond that, though, Ohio State had a great education program. I felt like I was really given some good tools to use later on in life.

I loved the big campus. It didn't feel too big to me. I found a group. I joined a sorority.

Those were great years and I encourage you guys to think ahead and truly, truly enjoy it. The latter half of high school and college for me were just absolutely fun wonderful times so yes for buckeye fans i have to also tell you that to this day every buckeye game will find me texting my 92 year old aunt my son and the three of us have this wonderful generational text chain during every game i text other people too so i my husband's so funny he goes who's that who are you texting with now? I text with a college friend, I text with a former colleague, Mr. Siegel, and just it's a great way to unify.

That's awesome. That's awesome. And you mentioned that you're interested in teaching from a young age. When did that really begin to solidify for you as a career?

Was that at Ohio State? When did that start to take shape? It really did. From, you know, when I started my professional courses, I thought I'm in the right place.

I feel a kinship to this by student teaching as well. I got to student teach in my elementary school which was a thrill in third grade which I then deemed a pretty terrific grade and went on to teach it for many years I wouldn be where I am without my mentors and first and foremost was my very first job after college was substituting in Cleveland Heights and eventually I got lucky enough to get a full job there My next door neighbor teacher's name was Katie Block. To this day we have close to a 53-year friendship. I see her every week.

She was my first mentor and we bonded and I learned from her. I was at US, I was so fortunate to learn from Mrs. Roller, who was the fourth grade teacher then, Mrs. Trewick, a second grade teacher, and Mrs.

Kalig, Mrs. Lauren Kalig, who I know Charlie knows. Mrs. Kalig turned me on to a different type of tutoring, which I still do to this day.

I weekly have a conversation with a young woman, well she's older than you guys, but She's a young woman in the Ukraine and I'm tutoring English for her. I'm helping her develop her fluency because it's very important that the people of Ukraine get the opportunity to hopefully leave Ukraine and go on to another job somewhere where English is really the main language. So I continue to teach her and thanks to Mrs. Kalig, told me about this opportunity.

One of the best stories that we've heard from teachers were their first day in classroom. Some of those maybe early mistakes or just funny moments that you have when you're kind of jumping into this new career. Do you have an early moment that you remember in maybe your first job at Cleveland Heights, whether it's substituting or your full-time job, that really stands out to you? Absolutely.

I'm in there and I'm feeling this imposter syndrome. Like, really? They left these children in charge? of I'm in charge of all these children. They left them with me and I go through the lesson I had planned, whatever, and it's way early, too early for recess or lunch or whatever we were going to.

And they're looking at me with their little eyes because I taught first and second grade at that time. It was a combination class. Interesting. They look at me and I'm looking back at them and they're looking at me.

One little boy said, you don't have any more for us to do now, do you? you don't know what to do now, do you? But, oh no, pretty transparent. But I circled on a dime. I said, no, no, I just can't decide which activity we're going to do.

And I peddled to a math game or something to that effect. But I thought, oh man, he sees me and it's scary. It's scary. And when administrators would come in, you know, you always have to wonder what are they seeing?

So it's still because I care so much, you know, I want to do the best job possible for the students in my class. I see your little faces and I'm like, I want to be there. I want to do it. Do it right.

How did U.S. first get on your radar? You mentioned you started at Cleveland Heights. And what was your kind of first impression of the place? Wow.

I got so lucky. Prior to I worked at Cleveland Heights, they took some time off to raise my children. came back to substitute in orange where we lived. And then I figured it was time to go back full time. They didn't have anything.

I worked for four years at what was the Agnon School. Now it's the Mandel School, Jewish Day School. And that was fun. That was a little, I don't know, they were a little too casual for me.

They called teachers by their first names. Not really what I was interested in doing. Luckily, my supervisor knew Mrs. Stein at university school, and she said, there happened to be a couple openings.

Go interview. And I'm telling you what, it was like the best thing I ever did. 18 years, amazing. I got to go to Australia. The school set me as part of a contingent going.

It was, the experiences were amazing. Camp Whitewood. So many, so many that I was very fortunate to land at U.S. I was impressed beyond.

I love the traditions, the handshake, the beginning of the year, the end of the year handshake, truly, truly define this place. People are not exaggerating when they say that at US you are known and loved, because that's what I felt from colleagues, from the students, absolutely phenomenal. You know, 18 years is a long time at one school. So how did your teaching style really evolve from year one to year 18, even now as you continue teaching?

You know what? It changes based on who's in front of me. The students really do lead the way. If I've tried, I used a tried and true activity, and it's not tried and true, it's gone.

Maybe to return next year. You have to be flexible. That is the key word here. You've got to be flexible and open to change.

One of the things I love about subbing now is that I get to see the new methods they're using. I got to pilot the latest math series right before I left, and I was really happy about that because I love the way it teaches math. You have to be a lifelong learner as a teacher, 100 percent. Open to change, open to try new things, and again, if it doesn't work, put it aside, come back to it, try it again, or not.

Did you have a favorite lesson or unit that you taught every year that you just couldn't wait to get to? I know we've heard some lower school teachers talk about different themes that they do. Were there any units that you just couldn't wait to get to? Well, after I had been to Australia, as I said, in 2011, the school sent four faculty, eight students, three of whom I had had in third grade.

They were middle and high school by then. For a 19-day two-coast trip to Australia, we got to work in a school in Perth. We had to help with the second grade. And then we got to go to Sydney, just Mrs.

Sloan and I. And we got to see some of the things we were teaching about, that prisoners had settled Australia. We got to see some of the prison walls that they had hacked against and tried to escape from. Australia became a fun, great theme that I loved every year.

Native Americans, though, out in the woods with Mr. Harmon and his handmade canoes at Camp Whitewood was just such a dream day, doing archery, hikes, building campfires. Those were some very great themes. I like Egypt.

Egypt scared me, I'll be really honest. Egypt scared me because it's so big, because there are archaeologists who only study a teeny bit of it. Our boys wanted to know everything. We were fortunate that we had a photographer who had been in on a discovery of a tomb.

We got lucky that we hooked up with her and she would come and give a talk. That was fascinating. They have done away with Egypt theme now in terms of just going with explorers, like the vikings and other other things which i think is more third grade appropriate egypt's too big you know one thing that's become legendary to your point about how you teach is how you get your students to go out of the forest gather sap uh explore learning by doing it can't fight what so where did that approach come from and how did you think it influenced your students just like me when we were young. Thank you.

I was not of that naturally. I will tell you the honest truth. I love being outside. In fact, my husband and I are going to the garden center again today planting.

I love it. But nature and being in the forest never was a thing for me. But Terry Harmon is so inspirational and watching him work and watching him build that canoe by hand and explaining being a sponsor of the maple syrup club that was phenomenal to watch the process and to finally come away with a little bottle of syrup i held it like a little newborn baby i was so proud of this and taking boys then they could see the magic of how you turn this maple sap into maple syrup that so delicious um so actually i would say i am have been inspired by my colleagues mrs Inspector Mr Harmon the science people I allowed myself to learn We had a headmaster I think before your time Mr Kelly He was from Australia, which I think is how the Australia thing got started. And he would take these wild hikes out into the woods.

And I was terrified. I said, you're going to kill me, but then you'll have to hire somebody in my place. He said, I promise not to kill you. I don't want to have to replace you.

And I, again, I went out of my comfort zone to learn about this and I'm glad I did. It makes it exciting. We've taken trips out to Holden Arboretum, gone up in the Emergent Tower, something I would never have done. So I count myself lucky and part of a lifelong learning group who's lucky enough to have gone through university school.

You talked about some of those colleagues that made an impact on you. Who are some of those colleagues that you look back and they just really impact you and you learned a ton from by just being around them every day? Really, Linda Roller was the fourth grade teacher and she was so smart and so creative. I learned a lot from her.

I think learning from Linda freed me up to try things that maybe I wouldn't have otherwise. Lois Treywee was very theme-based and I learned a lot about theme because coming from a public school, I didn't have the background that some of these teachers did learning about themes and Lois helped me a lot. We'd carpool and I would hear all about second graders, learn about potential third graders. She gave me some ideas.

It was great. Liz Spector, I mentioned. Cindy Slo was my colleague, and she had been there a couple of years ahead of me. I learned from her how to do theme share, how to do certain themes.

She was really ahead of me in that, and I was grateful for her expertise. As I said, my very first mentor that just gave me so much courage in Cleveland Heights, Katie Block and Lauren Kalig who who said maybe you don't know this about she got to know some of the boys a little bit better than I did and gave me some important information because as I said this this nine-year-old little girl needed a teacher to really understand what she was going through and I tried to do that with my students as well. You know one of the amazing things about the third grade classrooms is that they're all in a row downstairs right in front of the recess So what was that like when you were able to interact with all kind of 60 or so third graders all in this row of three classrooms? I get to share that experience with some classes, if I remember correctly, even connecting together.

No, we didn't connect, but we were all, as you said, on the lower level. We loved it. We called it our private wing and no one bothered us. And it wasn't like the main, you know, the hallway of school. if we had a lot of freedom to do things and we'd have to pull our shades down if recess got a little bit noisy and our boys wanted to be out there too.

We had a lot more flexibility than they do now. Right now the recess times are really written in stone. I could use it and I you may remember as a powerful motivator. Okay boys let's get this done and we're going outside.

Can't do that anymore. I think because junior kindergarten has joined the school and there's times that they can only be outside with kindergarten. It's very restrictive. So we're kind of limited as to what we can do with that extra recess, unfortunately.

But we still can take walks in the woods. it's a good motivator yeah uh yeah but it's fine and the boys the boys are understanding and i think it's a good step from second grade because as they all notice there's only one teacher there's only one teacher and if you remember my personal responsibility motto i wanted everybody to be responsible for themselves and i was you know trying to be firm and fair and i did give out candy a lot of candy right a sweet treat just a sweet treat right yeah how did us as an institution change over your 18 years there i mean what got better and why did you watch shift in ways that might maybe surprise you good question um i'm noting all of the electronics and the kids all have their own ipads for better for worse i think the attention span is shorter um now and i think teachers are in a much more difficult position i could get my students attention by reading a book and doing the different voices and that was compelling right now you have to have movement you have to do things to keep their attention because of all of the screen time that concerns me um they the focus and that is very very different but you know i'm looking at the ways the younger teachers are incorporating the lessons into their uh different activities and i think that works too I think we have to be mindful this is the culture and we have to we have to embrace it and I see the teachers at us doing that okay so we're going to use the ipads but this is how we're going to use them we're going to make do book creator for example and you're going to do your report in a visual way and that gets their interest interest and keeps their interest you know you You retired in a class of amazing teachers who ended up actually sticking it through COVID. So what led to your decision to step back to full-time teaching after 18 years, and how did you know that it was time? Great question. Teaching during COVID, I will say, was the most challenging thing I've ever done.

We were literally, the expression fits, building the plane as we flew it. honestly. We were sent home with the instruction, make this work. Mrs. Slow and Ms.

Ross, who's still in third grade there, we divided, because we were such a good strong team, we divided the responsibilities. I'd be in charge of math, Mrs. Slow theme, and Ms. Ross language arts to develop lessons.

Trying to teach math from my dining room table to these third grade boys who just wanted to say hi to each other and show and tell their stuff in their bedrooms. And I'm begging them, no, just give me 10 minutes here. Let's just do this. Was very tough.

Was very tough. Actually, my dad passed away in September of 2020 in the middle of COVID. And as we attended his funeral, I looked around and I saw my grandchildren. My older one is older, as I said, she just finished first year of college.

My younger two, I looked around and I said, you know, they're not going to be little for very long. And with his passing and looking around at my family, my aunt, who again, knock on wood, is 92. I said, I better take the time now to be with them. And I never regretted it.

So the 2020-2021 school year was my last because I needed time with my kids. And I took it and no regrets at all. I was needing some time away from COVID and some time with my little ones. And I'm glad because I could babysit my three-year-old.

You know, instead of sending him to daycare, I could give her, my daughter-in-law, a couple days a week. Then in 2023, I was talking to Mrs. Lowe and Mrs. Mersall.

There is a group of us retirees. We still get together. We go out and we talk. They said, you should try subbing.

It's really fun. Everybody's so happy to see you and you know the building and you know the structure. So in January of 2023 I said sure why not And I still doing it And I happy to do it You know why I love the school I love the traditions I love the people I love the activity and the buzz with the boys I made some new little friends I did in every classroom this school year I loving just getting to be with four you know playing and just having so much fun with them And again it the place I love to give back. I want to help foster what you mentioned, Charlie, in your latest email.

The world, not such a happy place right now, kind of dark, and you want to shed the light on it, which I pray you and others like you do. I sort of see this as my trying to work with the next generation, these little guys who were born after COVID. I mean, that just blows my mind. And teach them kindness and responsibility to each other to be kind.

You know, you hit him and he's crying and how can you make that better? And at U.S., we look each other in the eye, we shake hands and we say, I'm so sorry and I want to be your friend, please forgive me. And I want to try to give some of that back. The teachers have appreciated my coming in.

They know that I know the place and I'm not afraid to try a lesson or if that doesn't work to go with something else. And I want to give them that freedom because at the end of the year comes around, as you guys know, the teachers are just swamped with work. So anyway, I know that travel is also a huge part of your retirement. So where have you been so far that stood out?

And how is it kind of being substitute teachers sometimes and traveling with others? Love it. I love the flexibility. I love to walk with my friends.

I try to walk three miles every day. And I love all the flexibility of retirement and subbing part time. Again, it keeps me in it. But yet I have the freedom.

My husband and I took probably our best trip while I was still teaching in 2015. We went to London, Paris, and Amsterdam, with Amsterdam being the absolute highlight when we went to Anne Frank's house. That was so poignant. Seeing her diary, seeing the place it happened was fantastic. we have been mainly on the continent I'm not happy about world events I'm a little maybe more fearful when you get all that happens you know but we're mainly you know just going to Florida we're visiting St.

Louis my husband's family a lot and we are victims of the latest hailstorm my house in the back looks like Swiss cheese. We have huge holes. Yeah. So even though we had wanted to maybe travel somewhere great this summer, between the world events being a little bit unnerving and the house looking like Swiss cheese, we need a new roof, new siding, everything in my car.

It's just not fun. Gotta stick around for that. And just being with my kids. We've been out to California when they lived out there.

I like to go down to Cincinnati to be with my kids down there. Maybe I'll get to see Isla at Alabama. I don't know. I don't know.

So we're doing what we can do. You've talked a lot about some of those mentors for you. Now that you're an experienced teacher, Have you been able to kind of be a mentor to some other younger teachers or kind of impart some wisdom on that? I hope so.

I really hope so. When I'm there, I try to be so respectful. I'll say so-and-so, would you like me to try this is how I used to try it. Is it okay if I try that?

And most of them say, sure, great, let's do it. And a couple of times I have just, you know, done it my way and they seem to like it. I used to tell them about the AAA. I don't know if that's a thing anymore.

A rule for homework, like your parents can't sit with you in third grade. Your parents have to be doing what they're doing. If you need help, you ask for help. Like if your parents' car breaks down, they call AAA.

They swoop in and they help you. They don't follow you to work and go, are you okay? Is your car okay? Everything okay?

You sure? You sure? So just like that, I want kids to know that they have personal responsibility for their work. And I think it's a good concept.

One of the most amazing traditions about your classroom is every single day, students would get a sweet treat. And then later on, when they would come back to your classroom, they could get another sweet treat, a piece of candy, if they told something about their week, something about their day. And that has become one of my favorite things that I still email you about and get a virtual sweet treat. So how do you want to be remembered at university school when kids like me 20 years now flip through an old yearbook and see your name?

What do you want them to know? Wow, great question. I'm so glad. And I love the virtual sweet treat because every time your email shows up, you don't know.

I'm like just so excited. I want them to know I cared. I want them to know I wanted their day to be started in a sweet way, which is why the sweet treats. I wanted them to know that my door was always open for you guys to come back.

And of course, if Candy's the motivator, great. I wanted to know what was going on with you because I care about you much more than sitting in front of my class doing the word goodbye, not me. I care about the school, the students, the traditions. I deeply care.

You can know that I'm a passionate Buckeye for life. or fingers crossed, I'm sure one of my other two grandchildren will be there now for fifth generation. It's just a rallying cry my family finds enjoyable. I want them to know and care about each other. I want them to know that I knew and loved them, and I want them to know and love each other in that way.

I love bumping into parents and getting caught up. I'll see them all kinds of places and I'll have to do a mental rolodex as to their names and their students names but I just love it because I don't think it's just a one and done. Teachers hold on to you guys way longer than you would realize. Your names come up in conversation that's oh Charlie how's he doing?

I mean, and with real depth of caring. You know, one thing that Jack and I constantly talk about is what really drives themselves to pour themselves into a job for decades and still keep coming back day after day. You've given 18 years and even more to third graders at U.S. You've walked them throughout into the forest year after year.

You have to step back. You still keep showing up as a sub. So, Ms. Ferris, what is your why?

What is the thing that gets you up in the morning and keeps you coming back to those kids and that campus every single day? Well, I don't go every day. I like two or three days a week, but again, I want to give back to the place that gave me so much, okay? I want to help foster the kindness and consideration that is in the motto.

I want to work with the new younger teachers. I'm just so excited to learn the new methods and new things that they're doing. I just have these just relationships with these little four-year-olds. I've been subbing in the library, as I said, but I've also been in the kindergarten a couple times.

And this little boy, I won't say his name, but he comes up into the library window. He can barely see over the wood part in the door. And he's waving at me, so cute. In the lunchroom, wherever I am in second grade or third grade with the table, he comes over to me every day and waves to me.

I mean, really? How do you not go back to that? I'm tired at the end of the day. I really am.

I'm considerably older than I was, but but it's a good tired and I want to feel like I gave back something. Energy, smiles. I had a teacher very recently touch my heart. She said, you being here with that smile gives us a lot of energy.

Wow. Okay. I'm happy to smile. I'm very happy being there.

It is a happy place for me. Well, Ms. Barris, it's been great having you on the show today. Thank you so much for taking the time to share insights and experiences with us.

And to our listeners, thank you so much for tuning in. And we'll hope you join us next Wednesday for another episode of Late Start Show. Thank you, Ms. Barris.

My pleasure. Thank you both very much. Have a great rest of your day. you