Love at first sight: Frances Riddle begins teaching college

By Lamesha Green (Whetstone Staff Writer)

Just after graduating college, Frances Riddle found herself working at a social service position in the Office of Civil Rights in Washington D.C.

She was 25. She would be 35 before she realized it wasn’t really what she wanted to do.

She looked like a hippie, light-skinned, with long straight brown hair, and circular glasses that firmly set on her small face.

Possessing a good background and a solid degree in economics and business administration may have been the main reason she kept her job for a decade.

But she longed to do a job less stressful and away from Washington D.C.

“I had this urge to get away from such a big government title,” says Frances Riddle, 61, a part-time math professor at Wesley College and Del-Tech. “I guess I just was tired of it and wanted to do something a lot more on a smaller scale.”

She directed the Delaware Community Music School, where she stayed for five years.

But she changed her mind again.

“I really loved that job,” she says. “But I wasn’t getting any younger, and at some point I thought I’m going to be a little old lady who would need better health benefits.”

She thought long and hard about her next career move.

“I had the proper background to become a high school math teacher,” she says. “Not to mention, I like working with kids.”

Curious, since as a child she hated math.

“I led a very comfortable childhood,” she says. “And I was a happy child just not interested in math.”

Using this dislike to her advantage, Riddle turned what she didn’t like about math as a child into more exciting lessons students would love.

“You can succeed with math in the real world even if you had trouble with it in the class room,” she says.

Originally from Dover, Del., Riddle taught at Dover local schools, Dover High School, Campus Community School, and Caesar Rodney High School.

Still at the honeymoon stage of teaching teenage, spoiled and attitude adjusting high-schoolers, Riddle didn’t feel welcome at first.

“I didn’t instantly fall in love with teaching at high schools,” she says. “It really wasn’t a healthy place for me.”

After dedicating fifteen years to teaching secondary education, Riddle couldn’t take the administration, which she said was unstable.

She took a big risk and quit.

“I felt like I was fighting the tide,” she says. “And if I stayed any longer I was going to get swamped.”

Somewhere in between the chaos of the constant changes and unsatisfying career decisions, Riddle ran into the love of her life.  At 49, Riddle married the director of music at the Presbyterian Church of Dover, Robert Frazier.

Considering a lot of the “advantages to a late romance”, Riddle has been happily married for 11 years.

“There are many advantages to a late romance,” she says. “There also is a sense of knowing who you are and being comfortable in your own skin. He felt the same way.”

Riddle did not take Frazier’s last name when they married.

“I think a woman shouldn’t have to take the man’s last name once they’re married,” she says. “It wasn’t an issue with him.”

Unlike Riddle, Frazier’s first wife was a stay-at-home mom. He was the breadwinner, husband, and father of two sons and not fulfilled.

“He’s a wonderful man, and even cooks for me,” she says. “We get along very well, hang out, and just have fun together. However, my husband is very domestic. He’s much more comfortable with doing housework than I am.”

Formally a musician, singer, and guitarist, Frazier now is laid off and attending Del-Tech for energy management. He wants to advise homeowners to make homes more energy friendly.

When Riddle began teaching college part-time, it was love at first sight.

“I didn’t originally want to be a math professor,” she says. ”But I felt for the first time I was actually teaching. It was me, the course, and the students.”

Riddle had to balance three part time “ad-junk” professor jobs at Del-Tech, DSU, and Wesley College. Of the three jobs, she managed to keep two, teaching at Wesley full-time and Del-Tech part-time.

“What I like the most is to help students succeed in a course they thought they couldn’t handle,” she says. “That’s what rewards me, seeing my students’ opportunities expand.”

Students say they like her math courses.

“I love Ms. Riddle because she’s pocket-sized,” says Corinne St. Jean, freshman at Wesley College. “She’s a great teacher and if we come to her 8 a.m. class not awake she will wake us up.”

Other students like the way she teaches.

“She really explains things better than other teachers I’ve had so far,” says sophomore Amanda Kerley. “And if you do badly on a quiz or test you can retake it.”

“I have had Ms. Riddle for two years now,” says sophomore Korey Thompson. “What I like the most about her class is that she gives you the opportunity to fix your mistakes in class. She also offers one-on-one time if needed.”

Thompson said he would recommend her to other students.

“She is always extending her hand at any given time,” he says.

Riddle said the classes are as much about watching the students do the math independently

“My joy isn’t in the math,” she says. “It’s in helping students figure out how to do it on their own.”