Steve Mansfield owns and operates the historic King Theater on Belle Plaine’s Main Street (I would call the theater majestic and historic—because it is—but I don’t want to sound dramatic), and of course, he grew up in Belle Plaine and attended Belle Plaine Schools. He had classes with most of the same teachers my siblings and I, including Mrs. Peg Wilkinson (whose husband was Belle Plaine’s much-loved and highly successful track coach, Harold Wilkinson).
Over lunch at the Community Center the other day, Steve told my mom a favorite story about taking a class with Mrs. Wilkinson, and the story is another example of how a teacher very quietly made a lasting impact on a student—so much so that he still speaks of it 40+ years later. His story is this:
“When I was a senior in high school, I took Art 1 from Mrs. Wilkinson. I was the only entry-level art student in the class. Everyone else was an advanced student.
“There came a time that Mrs. Wilkinson told the class that they needed to enter something in the county art fair at Vinton. For weeks, the students worked meticulously on their projects for the fair. I thought the fair was only for the advanced art students, so didn't work on a project.
“On the day of the fair, Mrs. Wilkinson asked me to hand in my entry. I grabbed a piece of paper and some chalk and drew a simple house with windows and a chimney and some green grass and a tree. It took about ten minutes and was entered in the "chalk drawing" category.
“I found out the next day that it had won first place. There were only two entries in the chalk category. I always wondered what the other entry look like. They really didn't have to put my picture in the local paper for this victory.”
Steve is modest about the drawing he submitted the chalk category win, but the truth is that he had no idea when he drew the picture how many entries he would compete against, and while he might not have put much time into his chalk art, I am sure he learned from Mrs. Wilkinson over that semester and applied the lessons to his picture. Then he followed the teacher’s instructions, and he won a prize.
Over lunch at the Community Center the other day, Steve told my mom a favorite story about taking a class with Mrs. Wilkinson, and the story is another example of how a teacher very quietly made a lasting impact on a student—so much so that he still speaks of it 40+ years later. His story is this:
“When I was a senior in high school, I took Art 1 from Mrs. Wilkinson. I was the only entry-level art student in the class. Everyone else was an advanced student.
“There came a time that Mrs. Wilkinson told the class that they needed to enter something in the county art fair at Vinton. For weeks, the students worked meticulously on their projects for the fair. I thought the fair was only for the advanced art students, so didn't work on a project.
“On the day of the fair, Mrs. Wilkinson asked me to hand in my entry. I grabbed a piece of paper and some chalk and drew a simple house with windows and a chimney and some green grass and a tree. It took about ten minutes and was entered in the "chalk drawing" category.
“I found out the next day that it had won first place. There were only two entries in the chalk category. I always wondered what the other entry look like. They really didn't have to put my picture in the local paper for this victory.”
Steve is modest about the drawing he submitted the chalk category win, but the truth is that he had no idea when he drew the picture how many entries he would compete against, and while he might not have put much time into his chalk art, I am sure he learned from Mrs. Wilkinson over that semester and applied the lessons to his picture. Then he followed the teacher’s instructions, and he won a prize.