TEACHER USES EXPERIENCES TO INSPIRE STUDENTS

Margaret McCain uses childhood experiences to inspire her students everyday. She grew up extremely poor, which she said gave her knowledge about the value of education. It is this knowledge she strives to instill in the fifth- and sixth-graders she works with in the Shawnee Unit District 84.

"I was extremely poor as a child," she said, "and I realized that education is a way to overcome poverty. This is a way I can help many."

There is always an opportunity to laugh in the classroom, said McCain, so a good sense of humor is essential. She said she includes activities in her classroom that work her students' higher thinking skills, but which they will also enjoy.

"In my classroom, I encourage the individuals to think for themselves," she said. "They do a variety of writing experiences that the students generate, and we also use blocks, games, tangrams and geoboards to increase math skills."

In addition to teaching in the classroom, McCain also coaches a fifth- and sixth-grade girls basketball team, and she helps with the school track team and volleyball tournament. In her spare time, she enjoys baking and decorating cakes and reading.

McCain is married and has two daughters who attend college.