STUDENTS RACE MOUSETRAP CARS, SEW QUILTS, MAKE POP-UP BOOKS

When Linda Jenkins plans activities for her classes at Woodland Elementary School near Marble Hill, she rarely uses a textbook.

Instead, her students sew quilts, create pop-up books on the computer, set up a darkroom and develop black-and-white photo prints taken with homemade pinhole cameras; build model rockets; make video animation and study cemeteries.

Jenkins teaches students with learning disabilities and gifted students.

Her mornings are spent with the children who have problems with reading and math. After five minutes to regroup, she teaches the gifted learners.

"I decided to become a teacher after spending time in the kindergarten class at Franklin School," Jenkins said. "This program was part of the home-economics department when I was a senior at Central" High School in Cape Girardeau.

One kindergarten student was having trouble with academics required in kindergarten. "I found myself always wanting to help this little girl," Jenkins said. "This was when I decided that special education was the field for me."

She was encouraged to attend Southeast Missouri State University by her high-school counselor. "He helped me to get a scholarship from the Community Teachers Organization in Cape, for which I am still very grateful."

Jenkins said she always loved school as a student and continues to love school as a career.

"Each August I feel like a first-year teacher all over again, complete with first-day jitters and anticipation of the new year ahead," she said.

She is married to Jeff Jenkins. They have a daughter, Olivia, who will start kindergarten in the fall.

Jenkins is a member of the Woodland Teachers Organization, Missouri National Education Association, and the Gifted Association of Missouri.

When not teaching, she enjoys counted cross stitch, reading, trout fishing, canoeing and camping.