A belated thank you for your service, Mr. Davis. You did one heck of a job. You took the most boring class in high school for many students — math — and made it come alive.
You did it with comedy and high energy, with toys as props and all sorts of visual aids to keep your students engaged, waiting for the punch line. You knew if you could make them laugh, you could make them learn. Math didn’t have to be boring.
It worked. They learned and they remembered. And now, at age 93 — 32 years after you retired from Birmingham High — nearly 100 of your former math students through the years are throwing you a big party to say thank you, and let you know the impact you made on their lives.
Coaches get this, music and drama teachers get this. Math teachers? Not so much.
Larry Davis came to Birmingham High School in Van Nuys in 1958 — a veteran of the Korean War era. He stayed for 33 years until he retired in 1991.
His first classroom was a former Army hospital ward for wounded troops returning home from World War II. Birmingham General Hospital opened in 1942 and closed in 1950. Six years later, it reopened as Birmingham High, the Valley’s newest six-year high school — with emphasis on new.
“I used to joke that the school was held together with tissue paper and Scotch tape, and how when it rained hard, it became Lake Birmingham,” Davis laughed. “I loved that school.”
His strong suit was motivation. You can have all the knowledge in the world as a teacher, but if you can’t motivate your students, you get an F in math.
“I have a good sense of humor, and I’d do practically anything to motivate my students, keep them awake and happy,” Davis said. “It wasn’t all comedy, but it was high energy with lots of visual aids. I wasn’t your typical math teacher.
“I’ve had a lot of students thank me over the years, and I’ve stayed in touch with many, but this is really special.”
It’s the ultimate tribute for a teacher. Your…
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