Poplar Bluff Chamber honors top teachers

Event organizers were concerned that there would not be enough food to provide for the estimated 120 people -- dozens more than expected -- that showed up to a banquet put on for the education community.

"This level of support says a lot about our community," said host Steve Halter, president of the Greater Poplar Bluff Area Chamber of Commerce. "Business and education go hand in hand, and our [the chamber's] job is to help bridge the gap between the various sectors in this region."

Six educators were honored at the chamber's annual Teachers of the Year ceremony on Tuesday at the Black River Coliseum.

Dr. Helena Ruhl and Cyndi Richardson won the award on behalf of Three Rivers Community College; Ron Patterson, Vic Clark and Pam Hamilton were recognized from Poplar Bluff Schools; and Mary Provance of Sacred Heart was this year's parochial school recipient.

A 23-year business instructor at Three Rivers, Ruhl said it feels "marvelous" to receive such an distinction at this stage in her career, as she approaches retirement.

Her niche has always been to teach adults, she said, as she enjoys when students begin to narrow down their career path. What has been most rewarding for Ruhl is getting to see her former accounting students employed at banks, investment firms and in business management positions throughout town, she said.

Ruhl's co-worker Richardson, who has achieved her 13-year tenure teaching English, recalled returning to school at Three Rivers as a non-traditional student and working from there to earn her master's degree. She was hired at the community college in 1996.

Richardson loves to teach people creative writing because "everyone has a story to tell," she said. She is currently co-authoring a young adult novel set in Ireland.

"It's special to be recognized locally for what I do because the people who chose me know me personally," Richardson said.

Patterson, a Poplar Bluff High School math teacher since 1981, said the greatest part of his job is when former students stop by his classroom to give him an update on what they are doing with their lives.

"That's why we're here, to help them get a good education to get them through life," Patterson said.

Clark, a junior high teacher, said he feels privileged to teach science in Southeast Missouri, after spending more than 20 years coaching collegiate athletics in multiple states.

"I kind of feel like [President Barack] Obama said he felt when he won the Nobel Prize," Clark said, as he looked down at his plaque. "Now I get to earn this."

From her experiences teaching elementary at Lake Road, Hamilton shared a story about an essay contest in which her students were asked to write about the best trip they had ever been on. While most told stories about vacations to exotic places such as Hawaii, one young girl chose a class visit to Colton's, describing it in great detail.

Hamilton, who started her career in 1989, explained that a teacher never knows what lesson will reach the heart of a student, so it is important to always be conscious of leading by example.

"No matter how small and insignificant it seems to me, it might mean a lot in the lives of children," she said.

Having gone to a Catholic school growing up in Festus, Mo., Provance added that she had never forgotten her grammar school teachers. She said she believes that it was her calling to teach young Christians, beginning in 2000.

"We have our ups and downs, but by the end of the year, you love them," Provance said. "I'm just thankful that others see what I do is positive for kids, and while this is humbling, hopefully teachers that come after us can take our ideas."