Lois Rycroft (interview); Creator: Rycroft, Lois ; Interviewer(s): Geoffrey A. Gallop; Interview location: Job at school in Woodbury; Running time: 43 min., May 13, 1992

Coverage: 1969-1992
Topics discussed : (side A): Background; transferred into WestConn; had an associates degree, but had three children and needed more; felt at time teaching was a 180 days per year job (was proved wrong); was immediately hired in Woodbury after graduating WestConn; taught in kindergarten until she moved to teaching 3rd grade, later 4th; taught for 23 years; began when she was 34; she is taking early retirement; Future trends of teaching; believes in teaching positive connection w/ different groups; not sure if trend will be to make all schools diversified; believes problems don't come from schools, rather the family; Managing three children and school; Dr. Haas was very helpful in accommodating a schedule for her; had little time to read assignments; she had good grades, but wish she had better; found not being on campus was more beneficial; Non; trads vs. traditional students; non; trads tend to work harder than traditional students; never experienced any conflicts herself; traditional students complaining about non; trads being the "teacher's pet"; Campus activities; unable to participate in any activity; wanted to be in orchestra; her children were young at time; sometime brought her youngest w/ her (others did the same); Parking; not a problem for her; she always liked to be there ahead of time; Activities; supported plays; Sports; was very popular; football, baseball was there; Impressions of WestConn graduates; hard; working professionals; Curriculum; came from a liberal arts background; when she transferred here, only some were able to transfer; Classes; remembers a speech class she had; she had always been shy; her professor allowed her to feel comfortable; Education courses; the basic classes; Student teaching; different then, they were given two assignments; second assignment changed and she got hired w/ pay because of her work in her first assignment; she was able to put that towards retirement after she became certified; Dr. Haas; she was like everyone's mother; caring and gifted; devoted her life to the college; Campus layout/buildings; White Street was able to park on; was very impressed when she recently saw Westside campus; first impression was it was similar to her old high school; Old Main, Berkshire, Higgins, Fairfield all there; library was in Old Main; student lounge area was there; Social issues; more serious younger students than when she first went to college; capital punishment, euthanasia, and the same similar issues today; Commitments of older students; involved w/ activities for her children; church involvement; Commuting; I; 84 wasn't heavily congested then; had little problems getting to the college; Mothers and non; trads; always wished there had been a daycare service at the campus; schools try to accommodate everyone, but impossible to do so; numbers of non; trads has increased; Opinion of WestConn; many knew WestConn as being a great school; coming from Boston area to hear about WestConn was great; music education was also highly thought of; Highly respected teachers; Dr. Stephen Lovett (a former superintendent in Region 14; Woodbury); Dr. Charlotte Isham (left and came back to join faculty at Western); Closing comments; would like to see how many who finish at Western go into a field prepared for it