‘Why making cheesecakes was better than being a classroom teacher’

Once upon a lifetime, in another century now passed into history, I taught with some lovely ladies at a little parochial school. We were lay teachers, all female, propping up the Catholic school system, for the love of learning.

Feast days were a speciality then. The pupils were dismissed early and we teachers enjoyed tea parties. Some of those babes could really cook. As a newbie, teaching Grade Six, my garbage grade, I was allowed to bring the serviettes, as dispensation.

A highlight of the Feast Days’ cake extravaganzas was one teacher’s cheesecakes. They were massive, freshly prepared, beautiful crusts, luscious creamy vanilla fillings, topped with whipped cream and fruit. I favoured her chocolate cheesecake, decadent chocolate filling, whipped cream, mandarin segments and adorned with grated dark chocolate. The perfect way to celebrate a religious holiday!

One vacation, this particular teacher headed off home for the holidays. She first made two cheesecakes for her friend’s 30th birthday. Someone called in after this, and ordered two more cheesecakes for her mother’s party, for a nice little fee.

My friend made more cheesecakes. All perfect clones, her cheesecakes sat in silence in the fridge, a teacher’s dream. Soon, the word was spreading. My friend made more cheesecakes to fill her orders. Nice little earner on the school holidays.

School term resumed, but we were short one teacher. My friend did not return to her classroom. Making cheesecakes was better than teaching because … Way back then, this was known as the Experiential approach.

This once-was-teacher discovered that cheesecakes sat in silence. Cheesecakes did not answer back or give cheek. Cheesecakes did not swear at teachers. Cheesecakes did not get nits, or vomit in the classroom, or the fridge. Cheesecakes did not get the mumps. Cheesecakes did not wear smelly sneakers.

Cheesecakes did not have whining parents wondering why little cheesecakes could not read or do maths. Cheesecakes had lots of positive attributes. My former co-teacher could sell cheesecakes and make a profit. She could not give her Grade Four boys away to anyone, let alone sell them, not like cheesecakes.

She left teaching kids far behind, and established a great business, still going today, corporate catering with luscious foods. Her brother joined her and their children have grown up to be employed as part of her thriving and successful enterprise.

Not having the gift of making superior cheesecakes, let alone anything else, I kept on teaching. I taught her boys a couple of years later when they arrived in Grade Six. In that time, they had learned more cheeky nonsense, including how to hate the descant recorder and folk dancing. I must say, so had their teachers.

What did that teach us? Anyone’s path in life can change. We never know when or how. Yes, making cheesecakes was better than teaching because …

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