TEACHER'S CORNER: ADAMS TEACHES AT SCOTT CITY SCHOOL

As a teacher, Laraine Adams is quite familiar with the 88 keys to learning.

The keys are on a piano.

Adams teaches elementary music, beginning band and select chorus at Scott City Elementary School, where she has taught for 22 years.

"My mother began taking me to piano lessons when I was just seven years old," Adams said. "I found that I loved the piano and spent lots of time practicing and pretending to be my piano teacher.

"I always made my younger sister be my student."

Later on, Adams found opportunities to play the piano at school and church.

"I began to realize that I was happiest whenever I was doing something anything with music," she said.

"So, I decided that by becoming a teacher, I could share my love of music and help others to develop a love and talent for it too."

She is a graduate of Jackson High School and received a bachelor of music degree at Southeast Missouri State University. She also received a masters degree in music education at Southeast.

Adams finds it rewarding to watch her students grow musically.

"I like seeing the look of enthusiasm on their faces as they come into my room," Adams said. "They say things like: `Can we play instruments today?'

"Or, a former student of mine might say to me, `Remember when I was your Santa in the Christmas program? I'm doing a solo for contest this spring!'

"I also love the `magic' that happens after my students have worked very hard preparing for a special part in a program, and they are able to stand there proudly before the audience and give it their very best.

"It's gratifying to know you've had a small part in their successes and have given them a wonderful way to express themselves."

Adams said she tries to do a large variety of activities in her classes.

"I feel it is important to develop a well-rounded musician," she said. "This also allows students to discover their favorite things about music.

"So, on any given day, you may find us singing, dancing, listening, playing ukes, flutophones and rhythm instruments, writing theory lessons or hearing about great composers."

Adams uses a cordless microphone in her classroom.

"One day I had lined up my class to leave and then had gone into the restroom to check on a student.

"When I returned to my room, my next class had arrived. The students were all laughing hysterically.

"I asked them what was so funny, and one brave little girl with big twinkly eyes said, `Mrs. Adams, we heard you flush!'

"What could I say? I had forgotten to turn off the microphone. So we all enjoyed a good laugh!"

Adams lives in Jackson with her husband, Bob Adams, who is a real estate appraiser. Their daughter, Meredith, is a sophomore at Jackson High School and their son, Blake, is a fourth grade student at West Lane Elementary.

In her spare time, Adams enjoys traveling, camping, reading and going to concerts. She is church pianist and a fourth grade Sunday School teacher at First Baptist Church in Jackson.

Adams said that teaching is fun and challenging.

"It's most rewarding working with tomorrow's future."