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ProfessorPeterBlair
UWRT1102
5February2015
Mrs.Rosko:TheBestComputerScienceTeacher
Comingoutofthecomputerscienceindustryafternearly30yearsofjob
experience,Mrs.LindaRoskoofferedthestudentsofLeesvilleRoadHighSchoola
wealthofinformationandopportunity.Despitebeingoneoftwocomputerscience
teachersinthecounty,shemanagedtocreateaprogramfromscratchusingoldcollege
textbooksthatwouldgivemanystudentspracticalknowledgeofthefield.Shewasone
ofthebestteachersIhaveeverhadduetohernononsenseattitudeandabilityto
commandsilenceandrespectoutallherstudents.Mrs.Roskonotonlyhelpedus
throughouthighschool,butgaveusopportunitiestosetusupforalifetimeofsuccess.
Adaintyoldwomenwithaflairfortheeccentric,outsideoftheseriouscomputing
environment.Withintheclassroomshemanagedtomaintainanairofseriousnessand
fear,asifshealwayshadhereyesonyou.Thewoman,notallerthanmyshoulder,
couldsilencetheclassroominafewwords.Ofcourse,shewasntdealingwitha
diversegroupofrowdystudents,asuscomputerpeoplearegenerallymorereserved.
Hersenseforadventurewasonlymatchedbyherstubbornness,herwayorthe
highway.Ifeveryonegotatestquestionwrong,itwasobviouslyalapseofstudying,the
studentsmustallbestupid.Shenevergracefullyadmittedshewasinthewrong,it
alwaystookafewdaysfortheconstantcomplaintstosinkin.Hersurefireattitudewas


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ProfessorPeterBlair
UWRT1102
5February2015
cumbersometoourlearningsometimes,butwhensheneededtospearheadatopicand
rushitdown,itgotdone.
Herroomreflectedbothsidesofherpersonality,ononehanditwasfilledwith
framedpicturesofheradventures,mostnotablyherpettingtheheadofasleepingtiger.
Ontheotherhand,sittingintheclassroomwasfarfromadventurous,foryouknewyou
weresubjectfor40minutesofdreadfullecture.Thedeskswerearrangedarounda
1980sstylelaminatebasedprojector,meldinginawkwardlywiththespiralcarpetand
whitebricks.Itwasntaverywelcomingorcheerfulplace,norwasitwarm,asair
conditioningwasnotnecessarytoourlearning.Nonapsweretobetaken,notalkingto
bedone,andalltheattentionintheworldwastobepaidtowhoeverwaslecturingat
thefront,usuallyMrs.Rosko.Switchingtothecomputerlabtheatmospherebarely
changed,asshekeptaverytightleashoneverycomputer,evenrearrangingallthe
deskssothatshecouldseeallthecomputersatonce.Ifanything,thisatmosphere
madeyoulearn,oftenagainstyourwill,astherewasneverreallyanythingelsetodo.
Althoughsomedays,theairwasfilledwithstoriesofherextravaganttravels,goofy
students,orthesnowcoveredlandofCanada,lighteningthemood.
Whenitcametothetopicofprogrammingthough,hermethodswereextremely
effective.Likeapassionatehistoryteacherwhoforcesyoutoripapartsourcematerial


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ProfessorPeterBlair
UWRT1102
5February2015
byaskingquestionsaboutthewhos,whats,whens,andwhys,theprogramming
processwillpromptthisthinkingwithoutanyforethought.Shedidntofferhelppublicly,I
almostneversawanyonegouptoherdeskwiththeintentionofassistance.Confident
inherpreliminarylessons,shegavestudentsmorethanenoughinformationto
completeprograms.Byisolatingus(toanextent),wehadtoattacktheproblemfrom
everypossibleangle.Therewasonetimewherewedidnthaveenoughinformationto
goon,butsomehowwegotitthroughourheadsthatthisproblemwaseasy.Our
residentclassgeniusfigureditoutquickly,andholdingmyselftothatstandardof
excellence,IfiguredIcouldfinishwithtimetospare.Withinthathour,Ipokedatitfrom
lefttoright,rotatedit,reversedengineeredmymeasly30lineprogram,smashedit,and
gaveupasIcouldntwrapmyheadaroundsomethingsosimplycomplex.Atthestartof
thenextclass,beforeIcompletelygaveuphope,shepassedoutfourdifferent
variationsofanswers.Istillfeellikethatchallengealteredmywayofprogramming,
servingasapersonalmotivatorandsometimesdepressant,knowingthatsomedude
canmakehundredsofsolutionstomysmallproblem.Still,thiscruel,impractical
methodofindirectteaching
wouldnotwork
inmostotherfields,butwhenitcomesto
individuallydevelopingprogrammers,forcedisolationandcreativitydoeswonders.Itis
nottosaythatteamworkwasnotanimportantfactorthoughtherehavebeenmany


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ProfessorPeterBlair
UWRT1102
5February2015
groupassignmentsthatrequiredeffortduetothesizeoftheassignment,notthe
difficulty.
WhileMrs.Roskodidsucceedinmakingusbetterprogrammers,thiscold
approachtolearningdidnothelpinspiresome.InComputerScience1,theclass
majorityconsistedofseniorswhocouldnttakeanyfollowupcourses.Studentsnewto
thefieldcaughtonquicklyordidntcatchonatall,andduetothenatureoftheclass
andMrs.Rosko,therewasntanyintervention.Thosewhowerefailingweredoomedto
failunlesstheyputinahugeamountofefforttoclimbbackup.Thisledtoasmallclass
sizeforanyadvancedcourses.Inmyupperlevels,therewereonlyelevenpeopleinmy
class,andsofewsignedupforAPthatitwasntevenoffered.Thenatureofthecourse
drovepeopleawayfromit,andduetothefewthatwereinterestedbeforehandhaving
alreadytakenallthecourses,itleftsomestudentsinawkwardpositions.Sinceolder
studentshadalreadytakenthesecourses,itleftnonewcomerstofillupslotsforthe
advancedcourses,makingitsothattheschooldoesnotevenofferthem.Studentswith
theopportunitytotaketheAPclassesboasteda95percentAPexampassrate,
comparedtoanationalaverageof43.ThiscanbeattributedtoMrs.Roskosteaching
style,andinpartthenatureofthefewstudents.


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ProfessorPeterBlair
UWRT1102
5February2015
Overall,Mrs.RoskowasoneofthebestteachersIvehad,thoughherunique
teachingstylecouldbeoffputting.Herexperienceinthefieldandstrictnaturegave
studentspracticalexperienceinprogramming,especiallytothosepursuingthecareer.
Theclassroomenvironmentwassetupforstrictlylearning,andtheisolationcreateda
individualizedproblemsolvingatmosphere.Herabilitytocommandrespectandget
studentstoinquireallowedforagrowthinprogrammingskillsforeveryone,and
althoughmanywhotooktheclasswillnotchoosethisfield,theywillhavesome
appreciationfortheworkputintoit.