Lori French found herself in the classroom again Wednesday. For the retired teacher, it seemed as comfortable as putting on a pair of slippers. After all, when you teach for 36 years, getting in front of a group of teenagers is almost second nature.
French was the guest speaker in Karen Price’s 7th grade social studies class at Iola Middle School. She was invited by her former student Ryan Maddox, a paraprofessional for ANW Special Education Interlocal who works with Price.
Maddox knew he needed to invite French to speak once the curriculum started covering the 11 physiographic regions of Kansas. Many moons ago, when Maddox was learning the same thing, he remembers French’s lessons vividly.
French insists she never yelled at her students, but Maddox recalls something distinctly different. “One day she pushed her podium to the side and shouted at us, ‘If you all can remember every word to a Shania Twain song, you can sure remember the 11 regions of Kansas.’”
The lesson stuck. Maddox still knows by heart the Smoky Hills, Cherokee Lowlands and Osage Cuestas, where Allen County lies. The 11 physiographic regions refer to landscape features and geological history, and each region has tell-tale characteristics that set it apart.
French found creative ways Wednesday to remind students of Kansas’ beauty, even getting students to join in on a rousing rendition of “Home on the Range.”
French is married to David French of Iola, also a former educator and the brother of Iola’s mayor Steve French. While most of her teaching experience was in Osawatomie public schools, French was also a long-term substitute teacher in USD 257.
Class periods in middle school are short — just shy of an hour — so French didn’t have too much time with students. She was left with work to do.
Student Emma Elyer wasn’t quite convinced she really even needed to memorize the 11 regions. “I care about other things more than this,” she said. A valid argument.
There’s not much to love about the Wellington–McPherson Lowlands.
French retired in 2021, but that didn’t stop her from sharing her love of Kansas, our state’s history, and the magic of learning with students. And one could certainly argue that such passion matters just as much, if not a whole lot more, than being able to identify the Ozark Plateau.
