Published: January 1, 2006

Overheard

“His real gift is that he makes every child want to go to school. I do not know how he does it by insulting them.”

—Wolcott Elementary School parent Kathy Goldman, talking about 3rd grade teacher Matthew Dicks, who taught her son last year. The West Hartford, Connecticut, mother is a self-described “groupie” of the offbeat educator, recently named local teacher of the year, despite the fact that he called her son “Big Foot.”