January 14, 2004

The Polette-Armstrong Award

What is the Polette-Armstrong Award?

Who was Doug Polette?

Who was Paul Armstrong?

Past Winners

How to Contribute

Memories of Doug Polette

Doug was the first person I talked to at MSU when I went there in 1978-79. I had just finished 4 years at U of M and Doug and the rest of the IA Dept (as it was called then) were a breath of fresh air in comparison to the theoretical, liberal education I had received at U of M. Doug had a genuine desire to make all of us the most knowledgeable and best prepared teachers before we left MSU. Much of his instruction was lead or teach by example. I wanted to be a teacher just like Doug Polette, and I think most other students felt the same way. I think this is one of the greatest compliments you can give someone.

I always felt that Doug Polette would do anything to help make me a better teacher and that there was a genuine concern the we were all prepared to go into the profession and be successful.

This did not stop after we left MSU. I still remember one of the things Doug did for all of us who started teaching in 1980. Doug got some grant money or Perkins money and contacted all first year teachers in each area of the state. I was at Stanford at the time, and 3 or 4 of us in the Great Falls area all met Doug for a day out of school, lunch and a chance to sit down and visit and find out that everybody was experiencing the same kinds of things that first year. And of course Doug was there to reassure us that we were going to be fine and answer any questions we had. It doesn't seem like a big thing, but it really made me feel better about my first year and it was typical Doug Polette; it didn't seem like a big deal, but it really was a big deal and had a big impact on me. I still think about that 24 years later and I try to help some of the new teachers in our area out, because you know what, I still want to be like Doug Polette.

- Dave Jensen