To the editor:
I would like to comment on the article published June 7 about me sent in to your newspaper by Jeff Beck on my being a good teacher. I was very humble when I read this article from my computer. I thank him for what he has done. Even as a student and as an adult he has always been a very nice person and friend.
I graduated from Franklin College in 1957. I had completed my student teaching at Center Grove, and later I was hired to teach at CG by Woody Wilson, principal. My first four years I taught self-contained classes of sixth graders. During this time I learned right along with my students. It was a privilege to have had them and the parents of those kids. The next three years I taught seventh and eighth graders in math and social studies where they moved to different classes. From those seven years there were only two problems, one from a student, and the other from a parent. Both were handled well.
I had married, looked for a place in White River Township but we could not find one we liked, so we bought a place in Franklin. I wanted to be in the same district of teaching as my kids some day so I left Center Grove and became a teacher in math at Franklin Community High School.
Then later my family and I moved to West Virginia on a farm that my mother-in-law had inherited. I thought it was a good change. Before leaving several people told me that they wish they could do what I did. I taught school in West Virginia. I retired from after 38.5 years of teaching (seven years at Center Grove, 16 years at Franklin, and 15.5 years in West Virginia). The teaching techniques I learned at Center Grove helped me in the other places in which I taught.
After my undergraduate degree from Franklin College, I received a master’s degree in education from Indiana University, two summers at a math institute at the University of Wyoming, and graduate hours at the University of West Virginia.
To Jeff and all my former students, I send my hellos to you for putting up with me as your teacher, and, believe it or not I also l learned from you. Its always nice for me to get e-mails, messages and telephone calls from my former students where I served as a teacher. I know a teacher cannot please all students but I tried.
My first wife died in West Virginia.
My kids are all grown in different occupations in Illinois, West Virginia, and two in Montana.
My age is 85, married again, and I am in pretty good health. I still look back at the years I spent in teaching, the teachers I taught with, my administrators, the community and the students I taught.
Thanks to Jeff, and the kids that I taught. They sure made me a better teacher.
God Bless,
William C. Legan
New Albany
 P.S. Without students I would not be writing this.
