CAPE WOMAN STATE TEACHER OF THE YEAR; FIRST-GRADE TEACHER CAROL REIMANN ADVANCES TO NATIONAL COMPETITION

Carol Reimann knew the Missouri Teacher of the Year would be notified Tuesday morning. So the Cape Girardeau teacher, a finalist in the competition, waited.

"Nine o'clock came, then 9:30, then 10, then 10:30," she said. "I thought, `Oh well, I did my best.'"

At 2:30 p.m. Reimann got a note that she was needed immediately in the gymnasium. She didn't suspect a thing.

Surprise. The gymnasium was filled for an all-school assembly to congratulate Missouri's Teacher of the Year.

As she walked through the door, hundreds of youngsters jumped to their feet and gave the first-grade teacher a cheering, standing ovation. Two of her first-graders presented her with flowers and balloons.

For one of the few times in her life, Reimann was speechless.

Reimann was selected from a field of 50 Missouri educators for the honor, which will officially be presented on Oct. 23 by Missouri's Commissioner of Education, Dr. Robert Bartman.

She advances to the national competition, which Disneyworld is involved with.

"The state just found out what we always knew," said Diane LeGrand, who also teaches first grade at Clippard.

Reimann has taught first grade for 29 years, 14 years at May Greene Elementary and 15 years at Clippard.

A group of sixth-graders made a banner for her in her favorite color, purple, with plenty of glitter and stars. It read: "Mrs. Reimann: She's the Bomb."

Erica McDowell, a sixth-grader, said the banner had to sparkle, like Reimann.

The teacher is known for wearing shiny shirts and lots of jewelry.

The red T-shirt she wore Tuesday had a nautical motif bedazzled with beads and stars. She wore eight rings and three necklaces. "This is a little conservative," Reimann said.

The interview team in Jefferson City asked why she wears the sparkling outfits. Reimann has a simple answer: "The boys and girls like it. I hope to make education sparkle for them."

Clippard Principal Stan Seiler said Reimann has no trouble making lessons sparkle for her students. "She is exciting and an interesting personality," Seiler said. "She turns that into motivation for her students."

First-graders in her class might be creating their own books or reading to kindergartners. Once students used their shoes to create a graph comparing colors.

"She does a lot of common-sense stuff," Seiler said. "That's what makes her such a wonderful teacher. She has one foot firmly planted."

Hannah Cox, who is in Reimann's class this year, said: "I like her a lot. She's nice, and she's a pretty good teacher."

Jordan Taylor agreed: "She let's us go outside if we are good and she does things that make us laugh."

Jordan's father was a first-grade student of Reimann years ago.

In 1994, Reimann received one of the first Educator of the Year awards presented by the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce. In 1974, she was named Missouri Young Educator of the Year for the Jaycees.

She was nominated for this award by the school district.

"She is Missouri's First Teacher," said Dr. Dan Tallent, superintendent. As First Teacher, Reimann will represent Missouri at a number of national and statewide events, in addition to competing in the national contest.

But Reimann said the real thrill about teaching is getting to know her students. Many of her former students say the feeling is mutual.

Sixth-grader Erica McDowell remembers being in first grade.

"I learned how to read in her class," she said. "Now I want to become a teacher, and the reason I want to become a teacher is because of Mrs. Reimann."