R-2 DISTRICT HONORS FOUR RETIRING EMPLOYEES; BOREN HAS KEPT UP WITH KIDS' WORLD OVER YEARS

Jane Boren's teaching roots may go back into the 1950s, but her approach doesn't.

Even in her final month of teaching, the third grade teacher at Jackson R-2's Fruitland Attendance Center tries to keep up with her students' world.

"You teach to your children's experience," she said. "You have to know what's going on in the world. You have to learn computers. You have to stay up with the world they're growing up in."

Boren has tried to keep up on more than mere hardware and software technology.

"You have to try to see the country their way and play the video games they play and try to tune into their lives," she said. "You have to be where they are to be very effective as a teacher."

Although her 26-year career is ending this month, Boren can't help but think of advances the future may bring.

"I really believe each student's desk will have a computer built in not too far in the future," she said. "I think that will be great."

She plans to continuing to take education classes, "just for fun," as well as spending more time with her parents, grand children and friends.

Boren who broke in as a Sikeston fourth grade teacher and later taught at Carterville, Ill., has been at Jackson for several years. She taught kindergarten first at R-2, then third grade at Gordonville, before moving to North Elementary.

"Teaching has been a lifetime goal, since I was a first-grader sitting on a little red chair in the reading circle at the old Central Building," she said. "I decided then I was going to become a teacher."

Boren loves being around kids. "They keep you alive and excited about life," she said. "I'm going to miss that."

"A third grade student of mine came back to visit as a high schooler, gave me a hug and said 'Mrs. Boren, other teachers taught me to read, but you made me believe in myself,'" she related. "That's the reward of teaching -- when you touch the hearts of students and help them become the best they can be. Teaching is a great privilege. I'll miss the challenges and the wonderful people I've worked with."

One regret is that she has not kept a journal of memorable quotes from students and other highlights of her career.

"My advice to new teachers would be 'Keep a diary, write a journal,'" she said. "You lose so many precious stories and things students have done. Also, keep a camera handy. Every day is exciting and different. You lose some of those stories if you don't document them. I wish I'd have done better at that."